Educational Heterogamy and Relationship Quality: A Couple-Level Analysis

Colette Allred , Bowling Green State University

Women in the United States attend and graduate from college at higher rates than men, with the gender gap growing each year. This trend is reflected in married couples’ respective levels of education, or educational heterogamy and homogamy. More women today are married to men who have lower rather than higher levels of education than them, which contradicts the traditional breadwinner model in which men are expected to become strong labor force competitors and serve as their families’ chief providers. However, little is known about the association between educational heterogamy and relationship quality within a marriage. The present study uses the Married and Cohabiting Couples survey to analyze how educational heterogamy and individuals’ perceived relationship quality are related at the couple level.

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 Presented in Session 9. Marriage, Family, Households, & Unions; Gender, Race, & Ethnicity