In Massachusetts, it is further to be noted, 30% of all women have married at the age when college women are just graduating.
It has, moreover, been demonstrated that the women who belong to Phi Beta Kappa and other honor societies, and therefore represent a second selection from an already selected class, have a lower marriage rate than college women in general.
In reply to such facts, the eugenist is often told that the college graduates marry as often and as early as the other members of their families. We are comparing conditions that can not properly be compared, we are informed, when we match the college woman's marriage rate with that of a non-college woman who comes from a lower level of society.
But the facts will not bear out this apology. Miss M. R. Smith's statistics[106] from the data of the Collegiate Alumnæ show the true situation. The average age at marriage was found to be for
| Years | |
|---|---|
| College women | 26.3 |
| Their sisters | 24.2 |
| Their cousins | 24.7 |
| Their friends | 24.2 |
and the age distribution of those married was as follows:
| Percentage of married | College Equivalent | non-college |
|---|---|---|
| Under 23 years | 8.6 | 30.1 |
| 23-32 years | 83.2 | 64.9 |
| 33 and over | 8.0 | 5.0 |
Wellesley Graduates and Non-graduates