You know that the odds of divorce can change drastically depending on varying factors in your life — if your own parents got divorced, for instance, or how old you were when you got married. But what about the amount of education you received? Does how far you go in school have an impact on your relationship?
It absolutely does. For example, studies have found that women who do not complete a high school education have a far greater chance of getting divorced than women who go to college.
Specifically, when looking at all women, one study determined that about 52 percent of them would still be married 20 years after tying the knot. That’s very close to the 50 percent divorce rate that you often hear.
However, when looking at women with a bachelor’s degree, the study found that about 78 percent of them made it through 20 years of marriage. That’s far higher than the average, showing that educated individuals tend to remain married.
On the other side of the spectrum, those with some college education, but without a degree, only made it to that 20-year mark 49 percent of the time. Those who never even got to college, who had a high school education or less, only made it through 20 years of marriage 40 percent of the time.
While this does show that people with all levels of education both get divorced and stay married, the rates are nowhere near similar, and that speaks loudly. If you do find yourself facing a divorce, make sure you understand all of the legal steps you need to take.
