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More women than men get advanced degrees

By Stephanie Chen, CNN
Patients will be seeing more female doctors, according to Census Bureau predictions.
Patients will be seeing more female doctors, according to Census Bureau predictions.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Census: 6 out 10 advanced degree holders between the ages of 25 and 29 are women
  • More young women expected to become doctors, lawyers, professors
  • The gap between men and women holding advanced degrees has shrunk since 2000
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(CNN) -- As a growing number of young women obtain advanced degrees, the U.S. Census Bureau predicts more women than men are expected to become doctors, lawyers and professors.

Nearly six out of ten adults holding advanced degrees between the ages of 25 and 29 are women, the census reported Tuesday.

The trend of more women holding advanced degrees than men is occurring among the white, Hispanic and black populations but not the Asian population.

The study also revealed the gap between men and women older than 25 holding advanced degrees has shrunk since 2000.

About 10 percent of women over 25 possessed an advanced degree compared to about 7 percent of women in 2000. In comparison, the growth for men over 25 holding advance degrees was much slower, the Census report shows. About 11 percent of men over 25 had an advanced degree compared to 10 percent in 2000.

The study also revealed an advanced degree can result in bigger earnings. Advanced degree holders earned an average of $83,144 in 2008. In contrast, people with a bachelors degree earned about $58,613 that same year.