For many years there has been a misconception that half of marriages end in divorce. Luckily, this generalization is flawed. According to new research and trend analyzations by experts, the drop in overall divorce rates is caused by a decline in the rate among college students who get married, a shift in economic status among women and a new divide between those who receive college degrees.

College grads & divorce rates

Afraid of getting divorced? Your chances are lower if you have a college education. Dr. Steven P. Martin, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Maryland explains there's a growing gap between those who are married. He refers to this as the “divorce divide,” this analysis explores the idea that education plays a key role in demographic research, socioeconomic evaluation and also divorce rates in the United States.

In his analysis he explains,”From the 1970s to the 1990s, rates of marital dissolution fell by almost half among 4-year college graduates, but remained relatively high and steady among women with less than a 4-year college degree.”

The divorce rate for women without undergraduate degrees has remained around 35% since 1980. For women with a college degree, the divorce rate has shrunk from 27% to 16% since the 1980’s. Martin explains many factors that can contribute to this including socioeconomic status, wage patterns, equality among women and a shift in educational attainment.

For example, Martin argues women who are at the low end of the educational spectrum might have a harder time finding a husband. On the contrary, the report suggests that women who have a strong career might “have strong career attachment and economic independence that weaken their marital commitment.”

These statistics don't surprise me because I believe this generation has a different view of marriage than older generations. Women my age or younger worry about what their career goals more often than what kind of man they are going to marry.

Most of my friends come from divorced parents and I think that factor has a lot of influence on their decision about marriage. I would even say that because the divorce statistics are so high that people are taking marriage more seriously and could possibly wait longer to make that decision.

Who initiates divorce?

Women are no longer staying in unhappy relationships, and are taking control of their future. According to research published by Michael Rosenfeld, an associate sociology professor at Stanford University, divorce rates are initiated by women 70% of the time. San Diego divorce lawyers at Yelman & Associates believe this is directly correlated to the fact that more married women in heterosexual relationships report unhappiness in relationships more than men.

Social scientists have argued that women initiate more divorces due to the fact they can be more vulnerable to relationship difficulties. However, Rosenfeld argues these “conclusions” by saying his findings support the feminist assertion that women can experience marriage as oppressive or uncomfortable, “Wives still take their husbands' surnames, and are sometimes pressured to do so. Husbands still expect their wives to do the bulk of the housework and the bulk of the childcare." Women are getting more of a voice and ambition to have their own money and careers and I think for many men that could become problematic.

Getting married no longer means women are expected to take care of the home, husband, and kids, the same goes for homosexual relationships. I think people are now looking for an equal partner, a best friend, not a maid or someone to financially take care of them.

That outlook on marriages could leave one person feeling empty and I think that's why we're seeing more women leave a relationship. The formula is set to benefit the man and society is ready to change that.

Older people are more likely to call it quits

One thing baby boomers can't blame on millennials is the high divorce rate. According to the National Center for Health Statistics and the U.S Census Bureau, in 2015, 10 out of 50 (up from 5) couples over 50 years old got divorced. Additionally, for those ages 65 and older the divorce rate roughly tripled since 1990 at 6 out of every 100 couples. That explains why most of the kids I went to school with came from divorced parents.

As of 2015, Baby Boomers (those roughly between the ages of 51 to 69 make up the bulk of these ages that have a climbing divorce rate. The numbers indicate that the shorter time a couple has been married, the higher the chance of a divorce is for adults 50 and older. By contrast, divorce rates for adults between 25 to 39 has fallen from 30 out of every 1,000 to only 24. This is because the median age at first marriage has increased by about 4 years for men and women since 1990.

According to an article in the New York Times, the divorce rate peaked in the 1970’s and has been declining for three decades. Money seems to be a big concern for millennials and tying the knot can also come along with a heavy burden of debt. According to The Knot’s 2015 wedding study, the average cost of a wedding in America is now $32,641. A new trend being explored by millennials is wedding loans. However, financial experts suggest prolonging an engagement before you say “I do.”

As the years go by millennials will continue to shake up divorce statistics. Not only are fewer people getting married but those who do get married take longer to make that decision which means their chance of making it work increases. Acceptance in the LGBTQ community is also changing the look of marriage and its stereotypes.

Marriage is no longer something that is necessary for a happy life.

Marriage is no longer the only goal, and I think that is a step in the right direction.