You have probably heard that education has an impact on divorce, making it more or less likely. Specifically, studies have found that people with a higher level of education — college graduates — tend to get divorced less often than those who do not finish college or who never attend.
But why does this happen? It’s not as if you learn some secret at college that makes a marriage last. Why would the amount of time you spend getting an education play a role at all?
The reason, some experts believe, is actually “time spent,” — specifically, the time that it takes to get that education. It means you probably got married later on in life. If you married with nothing but a high school diploma, you may have done so at 18 years of age. If you went to college, graduated and got a job before getting married, you probably did it somewhere around 25 years of age.
That’s a significant gap. You’re more mature and more able to deal with the challenges that come with a relationship. You have been in more relationships and gained some experience. You’ve learned from mistakes. You have also developed as a person, and so has your spouse, so there is less chance that you’ll “grow apart” over time.
So, it’s not necessarily what you learn in the classroom that matters, but your life experience along the way that really makes the difference.
Naturally, no matter when you got married, divorce is still an option. It happens to about 33 percent of couples. If that includes you, make sure you know what legal steps to take.