College-Education Gap Reshapes Women’s Marriage Prospects and Retirement Outlook

A new analysis by the National Bureau of Economic Research finds that about 1.6 million more women than men are enrolling in four-year colleges. The study links this “chasm” to a shrinking pool of college-educated men for women who have degrees. As a result, many female graduates are pairing with high-earning men without college credentials, while non-college women face an even smaller set of economically viable partners. The researchers note that boys are twice as likely as girls to fall in the bottom 10 percent of high-school GPAs, a factor that depresses male college enrollment and amplifies the gender imbalance.

The Independent

The analysis projects that more than half of millennial and Gen Z women without degrees may remain single, rather than marrying low-earning, non-college men. For women who do marry, the study observes higher earnings compared with those who never marry. The shift in partner availability therefore has direct implications for household income distribution across the younger generations.

The Independent

A 2026 Morgan Stanley report highlights that women live roughly five years longer than men yet retire with about 39 percent less savings. Combined with higher lifetime healthcare costs and the persistent gender wage gap, the study warns of a looming retirement-security challenge for single women. Financial-services firm Farther adds that the financial challenges make planning for a secure future more daunting and stressful for many single women.

The Independent

Morgan Stanley emphasizes that while men and women share similar basic retirement needs, women face numerous personal and professional hurdles that can impede retirement security. Farther underscores the disparity in earnings between married and never-married women, suggesting that marital status continues to influence financial outcomes for women.

The Independent

• “Broadly speaking, men and women may have similar needs when it comes to the basic costs and timing of retirement; women face numerous personal and professional challenges that can make it more difficult for them to achieve retirement security,” — Morgan Stanley

The Independent

• “These financial challenges make planning for a secure future more daunting and stressful for many single women,” — Farther

The Independent