College women are increasingly marrying men without degrees as college demographics shift
As women increasingly outpace men in higher education, a new study indicates that college-educated women are maintaining stable marriage rates by partnering with men without degrees. This shift corresponds with declining marriage rates for women without degrees.
A recent study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research reveals how women with college degrees are shifting their marriage patterns to prioritize higher-earning men without degrees. As more women are enrolling in college than men, there's a growing scarcity of similarly educated partners. This has led to a decline in marriage rates among college-educated women, while their rates remain stable.
Men without college degrees, on the other hand, have experienced economic stagnation, with lower earnings and labor force participation. The study highlights that college-educated women are increasingly marrying men without degrees, with the share of such partnerships quadrupling over the past five decades. This trend has left fewer stable partners for women without college degrees, contributing to their declining marriage rates.
The researchers suggest that these changing relationship dynamics have broader social implications, particularly for women with lower levels of education.
Written by urgent.news from PsyPost's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
