Whos more educated? Husband or wife?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Whos more educated? Husband or wife?
25
Fri, 04-14-2006 - 5:51pm

I don't want to offend anyone with this question but posts like the one from the mom with the college daughter whose BF is playing video games all day made me decide to go ahead and ask

Back in my day, it was rather typical for the guy to be more educated than the girl. My parents wanted my brother to college. They agreed that I could go but it was still less expected back then for a girl than a boy

When I look at my peers in their 40s and 50s, I am hard pressed to find a couple where the female is significantly more educated than the male. They might both have bachelors-one might have a few hours more than the other but I dont know any circumstances where the woman has a masters and the guy has a HS diploma

OTOH, I see this with my 20 something coworkers quite a bit.

Is it just my experience or is this a trend?

DS1's GF is far more motivated than him!! She has goals and dreams. He is taking classes at the community college only because he feels a sense of competition with her since she is younger.

I dont know if she would drop him if he failed to move ahead or not; I know its a source of many arguments for them

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-17-2005
Fri, 04-14-2006 - 6:06pm
I am 29 and I have more education by one degree and I look forward to getting my PhD by the time I am 35! My husband is happy with his level of education and does not wish to persue further degrees.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-06-2006
Fri, 04-14-2006 - 7:22pm

My DH went to college for one semester, went home for Christmas holiday and told his parents he was wasting their money and his time. FIL had him volunteer at a youth camp for six months then enrolled him in a technical program that was somewhere around 12-16 months long. He graduated from the program very top of the class and has been successfully employed in the IT field ever since -- he'll be 49 next Saturday.

College was never planned for, discussed, or encouraged in my house growing up. My DB and I were expected to leave home at 18 and support ourselves from that point on. Not going to college is my biggest regret. I have been working on my GE requirements at our local community college for a couple of years, but it is slow going at 2-3 classes a semester. Plus, I took this academic year off because due to some medical reasons. It is STILL my dream to get a college education.

 

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-19-2003
Fri, 04-14-2006 - 8:21pm

Well I am 42 and I am far more educated than my husband was. We met in our final year of high school. I went on to university and he went on to a job in a trade. I did very well in my career -- he didn't. And while it wasn't a big deal at first, eventually it BECAME a big deal when I grew resentful of the fact that he seemed okay with sponging off me most his life.

I think ultimately though it has less to do with education and more to do with a person having goals and ambitions in life. If a young man finds himself with a passion for gardening then he should be the best gardener he can be. The world needs more than lawyers, accountants and doctors.

As for whether its a trend or not...I don't think so. I see plenty of young men going into universities and colleges and professional jobs.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-29-2005
Fri, 04-14-2006 - 8:51pm

My DH and I both have BAs. (38&39)


Both my parents never went to college.


Both my DH's parents have BAs.


My BIL has BA, my sister has no college.


My SIL has a MAed, her DH has BA


I know I read recently that colleges have more females enrolled than males now.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-19-2003
Sat, 04-15-2006 - 9:36am

I read that statistic too ie that enrolment by women is growing at a faster rate. However that is a US phenom more than Canadian. In Canada females outnumber males slightly in post secondary education enrolment but they are growing at the same rate. And the percentage difference reflects the fact that in the general Canadian population females outnumber males.

I wonder if in the US this reflects the fact that there is a war under way and there may be alot of young men who are opting to enlist rather than attend college??

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-16-1999
Sat, 04-15-2006 - 10:24am

I'm 46, DH is 43, I have a BA with 9 grad credits toward a MA, DH dropped out of high school on his 16th bday, has since gotten his HSED.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-14-2000
Sat, 04-15-2006 - 11:03am
Interesting question.
Pam
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-29-2005
Sat, 04-15-2006 - 12:15pm

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Methinks this is not a component of the gender difference. Enlisted types are mostly non-college bound in the first place....MOSTLY. Officers have to have college first. I think the phenomena is a result of the increased number of women in the work force and Title 9. Possibly, simple economic factors also in play. You can't get a good job without the BA (especially for women, like it or not). Delayed age of first pregnancy (20yo in the 60s to 25 now) is undoubtedly tied in there too, but may actually be an effect rather than cause. I like to think the real reason is because women are just plain smarter!! OK I just put that there to rankle the fellas LOL!!! Funny how far girls can go though when teachers started calling on them in class and making them believe they were equals. Look out boys!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2004
Sat, 04-15-2006 - 3:37pm

The feminization of our universities is a growing problem in Canada. We are averaging 60% female. Last I checked,the male-female population in the 18 to 30 age bracket is not 3:2,in favor of the girls. Moreover, of the 30% of high school kids who fail to graduate,70% are boys. 90% of children in Spec Ed are boys.

Infact, two years ago McGill was even considering affirmative action for male enrollment to correct the growing imbalance. We have programs now inwhich females now dominate.
For example, medical school now has more females than males enrolled. For example, McMaster's is running 70% female. And since female doctors tend to opt to work less hours after they graduate then their males counterparts and are less likely to move out to more rural areas....,our doctor storage is not going to be just solved by increasing the number of places in medical school. Nothing wrong with these ladies cutting down on their work hours but it does impact on availability of medical care.

Law is now running 3 to 2,in favor of females. The only programs inwhich the boys seem to be holding on,in the majority, is engineering.

No, we are in for some major problems in the next 10 years unless something is not done soon.

As a mother of both of girl and a boy, it worries the h**l out of me.

And,by the way, my DH and I have equal graduate degrees,in similar fields.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2004
Sat, 04-15-2006 - 4:04pm

The male IQ curve is broader than the female IQ curve. In other words, there are more males in the wings of the curve than there are females. However, an "average" boy and an "average" girl are equal in abilities.

Also, the fact that many jobs now require a BA does not mean that those jobs REALLY NEED BAs. It is more a reflection of the devaluation of a university degree as a result of Supply and Demand. Employers can demand a BA BECAUSE THEY CAN not because the jobs require a BA.

"Boys watch out". It is not US AGAINST THEM.

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