For this report, multivariate analyses were conducted to examine the net effects of parenthood and marriage on enrolling in a graduate degree program after taking into account variables other than gender that might be related to graduate enrollment—such as age, race/ethnicity, parents’ education, and undergraduate education (control and level of institution, major, and GPA). Analyses were conducted for women and men separately.

For women, marriage before bachelor’s degree receipt was negatively related to graduate enrollment. After controlling for other characteristics, 23 percent of women who married before receiving their bachelor’s degree enrolled in graduate school, compared with 33 percent of women who had not yet married 4 years after earning their bachelor’s degree. Marriage was not significantly related to graduate enrollment for men, however, after controlling for other characteristics.