Divorce Rate by Education Level: Understanding The Relationship Between Divorce and Education (2024)

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Divorce Rate by Education Level: Understanding The Relationship Between Divorce and Education? ›

The chance of a marriage ending in divorce was lower for people with more education, with over half of marriages of those who did not complete high school having ended in divorce compared with approximately 30 percent of marriages of college graduates.

High School Diploma or Less

The divorce rate for individuals with a high school diploma was 38.8%, while the divorce rate for those with less than a high school diploma was 45.3%. The data consistently suggests that higher education levels are associated with lower divorce rates, and vice versa.

Possible Theories Explaining Why

College-educated people could be more likely to attend marriage counseling. College grads are more likely to afford family and marriage counseling when they have relationship problems. They are also more likely to afford an intensive couples therapy retreat.

Long-term trends have shown education to be an increasingly important factor in the matching process, with college graduates less likely to marry down and those with very low levels of education less likely to marry up (Blackwell, 1998; Kalmijn, 1991a; Mare, 1991; Schwartz & Mare, 2005).

Different generations, different choices

The Baby Boom generation refers to those born between 1946 and 1964. Boomers have the highest divorce rate in recorded U.S. history.

The commonly acknowledged notion that half of all marriages end in divorce pertains predominantly to first marriages, as second and third marriages face considerably higher failure rates, with 67% and 73%, respectively.

Studies suggest that children of divorced parents are set up for failure: 8% less likely to graduate high school, 12% less likely to attend college, and 11% less likely to complete it, according to Very Well Family, a website devoted to parent and family health.

Research suggests that less educated couples may have longer marriages compared to highly educated couples for several reasons: 1. _Lower expectations_: Less educated couples may have more realistic expectations about marriage and relationships, leading to less disappointment and frustration.

The divorce rate for same-sex couples is lower than the divorce rate for opposite-sex couples. According to the Williams Institute, the divorce rate for same-sex couples is 1.1%, compared to the divorce rate for opposite-sex couples, which is 2.9%.

Divorce rates are decreasing. One component is that people are marrying later. The highest divorce rate is in the 15–25 year age group. By this group not marrying as much, and divorcing as much, it also lowers the increasingly higher divorce rate of subsequent marriages.

Who is most likely to experience a divorce? ›

Those who wed multiple times face a far higher rate of divorce. In fact, 67% of second marriages end, and 73% of third marriages are dissolved.

Among cohabiting couples, those without a college education are less likely to be engaged and substantially less likely to marry than those who completed college, and a more rapid progress from sexual involvement to living together makes subsequent marriage even less likely (Sassler, Michelmore, & Qian, 2018; Sassler & ...

Children whose parents are divorced are likely to have a lower grade point average (GPA) than their peers, and more likely than their peers to be held back a grade. Small children and young adolescents are more likely to suffer long-term negative effects than older teens.

One of the most significant causes of gray divorce is the changes people experience as they age. Growing apart is the most frequently cited reason for divorce at any age. For older adults specifically, aging represents a big change, and people's priorities, interests, and needs may shift as they grow older.

Years 5–8: Very Risky

Here are the reasons why this phase represents some of the hardest years of marriage: Small children need a lot of care and attention, and juggling between housekeeping and work becomes a very tough task, leading to differences and resentment.

Data shows Generation X, and especially millennials, are being pickier than previous generations and so they get married later in life. According to the analysis, millennials postpone marriage until they put their education, careers and finances on track; a trend that leads to longer-lasting marriages.

According to a recent study, the more money a couple makes, the less likely they are to divorce. However, when couples who do have a lot of assets decide to divorce, the result often involves complex litigation regarding child custody and support, spousal support, and asset and property division.

Divorce is also more common among working-class and poor adults age 18–55, provided that they have married in the first place. Figure 5 shows that less than one-third of ever-married middle- and upper-class men and women have ever been divorced.

According to 2022 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there is a strong correlation between education and income. Overall, people 25 years and older earned a median annual income of $75,980. Individuals with a bachelor's degree or higher made a median income of $118,300.