This tracks with my observations, but that chart is stupid.
One factor that I think drives men but particularly women's participation in higher education is the credentialling of female dominated industries. Being a teacher never used to require a 3 or 4 year degree and a Bachelors. My mother-in-law got her diploma of teaching 2 years after high school and was in a classroom for 6 months of that two years. She cut her teeth teaching in Bondi Public school before Bondi was gentrified, it was a lesson in the best and worst of humanity. Nursing was basically an apprenticeship until the 1970s as well. So was engineering, business administration, childcare, accounting, journalism, radio and television broadcasting etc... cadetships, apprenticeships and professional development have all been outsourced to universities which I think has reduced the need for 'entry level' jobs to be provided because workplaces use degrees as a heuristic for quality control in these professions. Now its coming back to bite us because we've pushed a ton more kids into academic environments that aren't suited to academics, or simply can't afford the opportunity cost of part-time work for 3 years. Many would be wonderful nurses, teachers, journalists, engineers etc if they had access to apprenticeship/cadetship models of education in these fields where quality is really dependent on actual hands-on experience and could earn a decent wage for real world work.
You now need a three year degree to fill out paperwork and break wind in an office these days and we deny teenagers VALUABLE life experience by insisting that they must get into Uni at all costs so don't get that job stacking shelves at woollies or at the bakery or a lifeguard at the pool over summer, it will distract you from studying.
If you look at James Nuzzo's chart in the footnote, you will see that until the mid-1970s university enrolments weren't growing fast, and especially not for women.
However, it is good to keep in mind that a declining age of marriage was a global post-WWII phenomenon driven by many factors.
This tracks with my observations, but that chart is stupid.
One factor that I think drives men but particularly women's participation in higher education is the credentialling of female dominated industries. Being a teacher never used to require a 3 or 4 year degree and a Bachelors. My mother-in-law got her diploma of teaching 2 years after high school and was in a classroom for 6 months of that two years. She cut her teeth teaching in Bondi Public school before Bondi was gentrified, it was a lesson in the best and worst of humanity. Nursing was basically an apprenticeship until the 1970s as well. So was engineering, business administration, childcare, accounting, journalism, radio and television broadcasting etc... cadetships, apprenticeships and professional development have all been outsourced to universities which I think has reduced the need for 'entry level' jobs to be provided because workplaces use degrees as a heuristic for quality control in these professions. Now its coming back to bite us because we've pushed a ton more kids into academic environments that aren't suited to academics, or simply can't afford the opportunity cost of part-time work for 3 years. Many would be wonderful nurses, teachers, journalists, engineers etc if they had access to apprenticeship/cadetship models of education in these fields where quality is really dependent on actual hands-on experience and could earn a decent wage for real world work.
You now need a three year degree to fill out paperwork and break wind in an office these days and we deny teenagers VALUABLE life experience by insisting that they must get into Uni at all costs so don't get that job stacking shelves at woollies or at the bakery or a lifeguard at the pool over summer, it will distract you from studying.
I agree with your overall vibe that there is a costly arms race of over-education. https://x.com/DrCameronMurray/status/1988747808695022075?s=20
Though I have no idea which chart you think is stupid.
Why was the average age of marriage falling between 50s and 70s despite years of education going up? Teen pregnancy epidemic?
If you look at James Nuzzo's chart in the footnote, you will see that until the mid-1970s university enrolments weren't growing fast, and especially not for women.
However, it is good to keep in mind that a declining age of marriage was a global post-WWII phenomenon driven by many factors.