That myth has just been shattered by Dr. Christine B. Whelan in her new book, "Why Smart Men Marry Smart Women." While that may have been true two decades ago when a woman with a graduate degree was 16 percent less likely to be married by age 44 as a woman who had just a high school diploma, it's no longer the case.
Now 55 percent of women with graduate degrees marry by age 29, compared with 61 percent of other women. After age 30, the odds reverse with more educated women having a 75 percent chance of getting married, compared to the 66 percent chance for less educated women, reports USA Today of Whelan's research.
Whelan maintains that the majority of men want to date and marry someone who is an equal. "While there are certainly some men who want a woman to play fetch for them, the majority of men, and certainly the ones we would want to date, are definitely looking to volley with an equal," Whelan told USA Today reporter Laura Vanderkam.
It used to be called the "success penalty"--the price smart, high-achieving women made by giving up marriage for a career. Now that penalty seems to have all but disappeared, although more educated women do tend to marry later than others.
And smart men are seeking out smart women. According to Whelan's survey, a whopping 90 percent of high-achieving men want a spouse who is just as smart as they are, and 71 percent say a woman's success makes her more desirable as a wife.
When it comes to marriage, there is one thing high-achieving women do differently. They marry later. Overall, the average age for a woman to marry is 25, while women with graduate degrees tend to postpone their wedding day until they are 30.
--From the Editors at Netscape
