Who’s More Likely to Get Married?

Past studies have shown "college is the great equalizer" in the labor market, dampening social class differences. But the same can’t be said for the marriage market: Social and cultural factors, not just income, are central to marriage decisions. Men and women from the least advantaged backgrounds who attend college appear to be caught between social worlds–reluctant to "marry down" to partners with less education and unable to "marry up" to those from more privileged upbringings, meaning they face a lonely future once they graduate.

Sociologist Kelly Musick says, "College students are becoming more diverse in their social backgrounds, but they nonetheless remain a socio-economically select group. It may be difficult for students from less privileged backgrounds to navigate social relationships on campus, and these difficulties may affect what students ultimately gain from the college experience."

This may mean that lucky students who get scholarships, who may be the first in their families to attend college, may end up staying single.

Sometimes it gets lonely here at unknowncountry.com too. Despite having no advertising on other media, we have 60% more readers and listeners than we did a year ago, through word-of-mouth alone. Now if only more of you would support us, there’s a chance we might still be here tomorrow!

Are you one of the lonely ones? Come make new friends who THINK LIKE YOU DO at our Dreamland Festival in May. You may not find a future spouse, but you’ll get a lot of GREAT INFORMATION!