Divorce rate MUCH lower among college-educated

[pnwmom]

I wonder if this is just a function of higher-income, or if something else is going on?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/19/fashion/how-divorce-lost-its-cachet.html?src=recg

But divorce statistics, which have followed a steady downward slope since their 1980 peak, reveal another interesting trend: According to a 2010 study by the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, only 11 percent of college-educated Americans divorce within the first 10 years today, compared with almost 37 percent for the rest of the population.

SNIP

Now that the children of a divorce generation have grown up and have children of their own, it is inevitable some will divorce, despite their worst fears and best intentions. Most marriages that end in divorce fall apart in the first 10 years. But according to the widely cited Marriage Project study last year, among college-educated couples who married in the mid-1990s, the likelihood of divorcing in the first 10 years of marriage fell 27 percent compared with college-educated couples who married in the 1970s.


In a 2008 survey, only 17 percent of college-educated Americans agreed with the statement, “Marriage has not worked out for most people I know,” compared with 58 percent among the less educated.

SNIP

[XanaDUer]

1. I wonder if it is also due to college-educated folks having more-stable

income, thus less worrying and fighting about money?

[DrDan]

3. and did these folks put off marriage for higher education - delaying marriage for a few years

I am sure there are more demographics that help explain this

[seabeyond]

10. i am going to say, less financial worry and OLDER when they get married. two things

going for them

[FreakinDJ]

2. and Interracial marriage is higher

[Wilms]

4. Perhaps college-educated people got married after college...

...as opposed to, say, seven months after the high school prom. :shrug:

[Tikki]

7. Well, we did get married three months after the Senior Prom...but, we did...

do the College thing..each working to put the other through University.

In my experience...the equalizer of a College education with a long time marriage is that
they probably still have a lot learned in a common interest, common experience.
We grew up in the same town and know what each other is talking about when we
reminisce about the good/bad old days.


The Tikkis

[villager]

5. *Now* you tell me...!

;-)

[HockeyMom]

6. What are their ages when they first marry?

Isn't that a factor also? They postpone marriage for college. Then they postpone it again to get established in a career. Then they postpone having children until they are accomplished and have enough money. Contrast that to those without a degree, who marry younger, don't make a lot (yes money factor) of money, and have kids right away.

Yes, money and education is definitely a factor, but age (maturity) and having kids before learning to become husband and wife are also factors.

Just my two cents as a college educated, married woman of 38 years, who also waited 5 years to have kids.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

8. If you only get married to avoid suspicious glances in church...

What other outcome seems likely?

[a la izquierda]

17. Aaaannnd Welcome to Oklahoma.

[daleo]

9. People with university degrees tend to marry people with university degrees

So that is bound to result in couples that have a lot of correlation in regards to values, interests, IQ, family background, SES, life experiences, etc. Having those things in common tends to enhance marital longevity.

They would also have more stable incomes, which also helps a great deal. Divorce would also be more expensive and financially disruptive, as they would tend to have more assets to argue over and divide.

[TBF]

11. "They would also have more stable incomes"

which also helps a great deal. Divorce would also be more expensive and financially disruptive, as they would tend to have more assets to argue over and divide...

Absolutely. Also, you've likely had other relationships and learned from them.

[seabeyond]

13. i dont know. having more assets and cash in the bank makes it easier

in my mind. i know that if i were to get a divorce, and splittin everything up i would be ok. unlike being tied because need the two incomes to survive. so i dont buy that aspect. but agree with your second point.

[daleo]

20. Having more to split up makes divorce more expensive

And therefore the cost benefit ratio is more of a disincentive.

If you don't have much to divide up, you don't have much to lose (finanically that is).

[rucky]

18. Wouldn't two people without degrees have the same correlations?

It's either money or sex - everything else is relative.

[daleo]

19. There's a sort of range restriction in the educational correlations at the high end

Since only a quarter or so of people get university degrees, they will tend to have a higher inter-correlation with university degree mates than the rest of the population. This would be especially try of advanced degrees.

But, point taken, there is a lot of marital homogamy among all educational classes (I think that's the proper term).

[seabeyond]

12. i read this and heard on npr. makes a big difference in sighting divorce stats. also

first marriage is 41% divorce rate, second like 68% and third marriage 73% chance of divorce. putting all these figure into divorce, seems a lot more likely than what it actually is

[U4ikLefty]

14. Nerds make better lovers.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

15. Yes that is true.

They take direction well. They're used to being ignored by the opposite sex, so they really appreciate it.

I say this as a female who did not have many dates in high school. At that time you could not be a bright girl and have dates, unless you were a cheerleader/homecoming queen type.

[Name removed]

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