Marriage and Family-Building Patterns of University Graduates

In October 1966 every woman and every other man who had graduated from a British university in 1960 was sent a questionnaire requesting information on certain aspects of his or her background university career and studies and employment between first graduation and October 1 1966. Also included were questions on marriage partners and children and some special questions for women. The findings showed that highly educated people are on the whole no exception to the generally observed principle of social and educational endogamy. Those from working class homes however marry overwhelmingly into the middle class. Respondents generally tended to delay marriage and family building while still engaged in full-time study but more graduates are ultimately marrying and at younger ages. Interesting sex differences have also been found and discussed. Educated women are far more likely to delay marriage and childbearing than their male counterparts.