College Impact on Marriage

A series of multiple regression analyses were undertaken to assess the impact of personal and college variables on early marriage and attrition in a random subsample of 2,091 married and 2,124 single college students drawn from a nationally representative longitudinal study sample. Utilization of a large number of personal and background variables are shown to yield only moderate predictive value for determining marriage in college; simply asking the person to estimate his or her chances of marrying while in college results in only slight differences of predictive accuracy. Disproportionate numbers of marriage-prone students are shown to enroll in particular types of institutions, and institutions with particular types of characteristics are shown to provide an environment which appears conducive to marriage, although the relationships are relatively weak. Implications of the results are discussed in connection with the institutional policies and practices affecting married students and, hence, their subsequent educational progress.