Photo: Courtesy of Miramax Films.If you're starting to feel like all your friends are getting hitched, you're completely right. Seriously, does anyone else's summer calendars look like a gift registry? While it's partly because growing up means going to a lot of weddings, it's also part of a major economic and social trend. Recent research shows that college graduates are getting married — and staying married — more than anyone else in the country.
Richard Fry of the Pews Research Center examined the rates of 2012 nuptials. His research indicates that marriage rates rebounded that year after experiencing a dip during the recession. But, he also found that college graduates were responsible for most of those marriages. As in 87% of them. What's more, the marriage rate for those who didn't hold at least a bachelor's degree were down, and the divorce rate was up.
What's surprising about this is that the rate of marriage for college grads has remained fairly steady over the past decade. So, to see this group make up almost all the marriages in 2012 suggests there's been a major change. Maybe it's because online dating is connecting more people than before. Or, maybe it's because several states have legalized gay marriage since 2012. Regardless, the romantic in us is glad to see that lasting unions are alive and well in a sometimes cynical world.
(The Atlantic)