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The College Majors Most Likely To Marry Each Other

schnell writes: The blog Priceonomics has published an analysis showing students in which college majors end up marrying another student with that same major. Religious studies (with 21% of students marrying another studying the same field) tops the list among all students, followed by general science. Perhaps unsurprising is that some majors with gender disparities show a high in-major marriage rate among the less represented group — for example, 39% of women engineering majors marry a fellow student in their field, while among men 43% studying nursing and 38% studying elementary education do likewise. The blog concludes that your choice of major may unwittingly decide your choice of spouse, and depending on how well that field is paid, your economic future.

90 comments

  1. Anyone in the GLAD clubs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I would think.

    1. Re:Anyone in the GLAD clubs by davester666 · · Score: 2

      I only show up for fashion tips.

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
  2. Question: With Computer Science being 90% male... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    With computer science classes typically 90% male, how are 15% of the people marrying eachother.

    I mean I know its statistically possible (so keep your smarter than thou bullshit to yourself) but seriously.. those odds are astronomical...

  3. The Comp Sci stats are interesting. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Comp Sci stats are interesting. 79% will remain unmarried for life. 9% will marry a computing device. 7% will marry a web browser or JavaScript. 3% will marry their left hand. Only the last 2% will marry another adult human being.

  4. Gender Distribution? by Edis+Krad · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Seems to be this is more related with the gender distribution in each major more than anything else.
    Engineering and sciences have a high percentage of males vs females. Therefore is logical to think that any woman in that field has a lot of possible partners to choose from.
    The backwards can be said about Nursery. Mainly a female oriented vocation, any male nurse will have a rather large pool to select a partner from.
    Seems pretty obvious, I 'unno...

    1. Re:Gender Distribution? by bondsbw · · Score: 1

      That's not the only obvious thing. People are college age at the same time in life that they tend to form more serious relationships, for the purpose of finding a spouse. People in the same college major spend more time with each other than with people in any other particular major. Combine these together, voilá, you get a nice happy statistic.

      --
      All my liberal friends think I'm a conservative, all my conservative friends think I'm a liberal.
    2. Re:Gender Distribution? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm a senior software developer and I identify as female. I've not had great luck finding romance, either. Well sure there's this creepy guy that's been bugging me for a date, but he's really creepy.

    3. Re:Gender Distribution? by Noah+Haders · · Score: 0

      hey im a nurse so fuck u

    4. Re:Gender Distribution? by aardvarkjoe · · Score: 1

      Considering this, I find the fact that the numbers of spouses with the same college major is as low as it is -- 10% on average according to TFA -- to be a little surprising.

      --

      How can we continue to believe in a just universe and freedom to eat crackers if we have no ale?
    5. Re: Gender Distribution? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I identify as Polish Red Wolf with a pinch of Grey Wolf on my father's side.

    6. Re:Gender Distribution? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      hey im a nurse so fuck u

      Sorry I can't. I majored in IT.

    7. Re: Gender Distribution? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is this supposed to be funny?

    8. Re:Gender Distribution? by Vlad_the_Inhaler · · Score: 1

      But are you in college?
      My college time is a while ago now but I remember virtually all of the females marrying during those years, mostly other students but sometimes boyfriends from before they even started there. Those who did not were usually not interested for some reason or other. Most of those relationships were still holding up at the 25th year meetup we had.

      The rest of us males were fishing outside that pool.

      --
      Mielipiteet omiani - Opinions personal, facts suspect.
    9. Re:Gender Distribution? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not in college any more, of course. I was single for almost all of it but that one relationship was short and ended because I was being cheated on. Since then, I've only had one worth-while relationship that lasted about a year and then I was thrown out because I'm too "emotional, needy, and attached."

      In my first semester in programming, there were I think 4 or 5 females out of a class of 30. By the end of the semester, only 3, while tons of guys dropped out (only about 10 left). 2nd semester, the pretty girl figured out she could seduce some classmates into doing her homework; eventually she too would drop out because she had no idea what was going on.

    10. Re: Gender Distribution? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Its called humour to some people. Lighten up and stop taking life so seriously. With all the crap going on in the world a bit of twisted humour is always good.

    11. Re: Gender Distribution? by Chris+Johnson · · Score: 1

      I polish Red Wolves and pinch Grey ones, but prefer not to do anything to my father's side.

    12. Re:Gender Distribution? by swb · · Score: 2

      Didn't it used to be called getting your Mrs. degree?

    13. Re: Gender Distribution? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You identify as female? Does this mean you were born female, or are now female? If the latter, when did you begin becoming a woman? While u understand this isn't popular to say, but that transition is not something that the average male is totally comfortable with even today. I wish you the best of luck, but just identifying as a woman doesn't provide you with the same opportunities as a woman as it stands. Just a fact, not a judgement.

    14. Re:Gender Distribution? by rmdingler · · Score: 1

      Considering this, I find the fact that the numbers of spouses with the same college major is as low as it is -- 10% on average according to TFA -- to be a little surprising.

      Although common interest, mating opportunity, and optimum age would seem to promote these matches, there are other forces at work here.

      Some people want to get that degree and enter that work force before choosing a life partner. Many others get the education while they run a little wild as young adults recently freed of the bonds of high school and living beneath parental reign.

      And sometimes, spending too much time with another person actually works against the magic of attraction.

      --
      Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

      Ernest Hemingway

    15. Re: Gender Distribution? by rasmusbr · · Score: 1

      Yeah, the more different one is, the more potential partners one has to sift through to find a match. I imagine transsexual women have to use online dating services to have a chance at sifting through enough profiles to have a decent chance at finding someone.

      Lowering your standards works great up until the point where you end up with someone who simply isn't right for you. If you're even considering going out with someone who is "really creepy" you need to seriously unlower your standards.

      Might also help if the rest of us make fewer jokes about transsexual people and other people who are different.

    16. Re: Gender Distribution? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Does this mean you were born female, or are now female?

      That's hard to answer directly. I know you don't keep up on these sorts of things, so I'm not holding it against you for not understanding trans issues. I was born with the mind of a female but genitals of a male. I knew from a very young age that things weren't right. For what it's worth, I'm actually fairly attractive, all things considered. My breasts are real and I'm told I have a good personality. I look, sound, and feel just like any woman. I have friends with no idea that I'm trans. And yes, I understand most (I think?) people don't see it as the same.

      And to the other poster, I did not agree to go out on a date with the creepy guy. He legitimately scares me.

    17. Re: Gender Distribution? by Bengie · · Score: 1

      If it wasn't, I fear you're overly serious and part of that group of people that makes this world a horrible place.

    18. Re: Gender Distribution? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Might also help if the rest of us make fewer jokes about transsexual people and other people who are different.

      Well I do appreciate it, but I've also always been very much against censorship of any type and have even stood up for the rights of those who have directly offended me. I don't think self-censorship is the key here, just more understanding. We're not all freaks!

    19. Re:Gender Distribution? by AthanasiusKircher · · Score: 2

      Seems to be this is more related with the gender distribution in each major more than anything else.

      Engineering and sciences have a high percentage of males vs females. Therefore is logical to think that any woman in that field has a lot of possible partners to choose from.

      That's probably part of it. But I also think it probably has to do with "ways of thinking." A person who chooses engineering as a major often tends to "think a little differently" from one who chooses math and physics, for example -- some people are more oriented toward "practical" solutions, while others are more interested in abstractions and "theory." (Obviously these are broad stereotypes, but they do have some basis as generalizations for many people.)

      Even more extreme divides in "ways of thinking" come about when you start comparing things like religious studies to engineering or whatever. The people who are attracted to these majors have very different outlooks on the world. It's NOT surprising at all that they'd look for a spouse with a similar worldview.

      Relationships are also about communication. We often hear jokes on Slashdot about the problems "nerds" have communicating with others, so again it's unsurprising that people who "talk the same language" will be attracted to each other.

      So, I really take issue with the conclusion here, as TFS says:

      The blog concludes that your choice of major may unwittingly decide your choice of spouse, and depending on how well that field is paid, your economic future.

      No, no, NO. Your choice of major won't "unwittingly" decide your spouse -- your choice of major is partly determined by who you are, how you think, how you communicate, and what your interests are. People who have very particular ways of thinking (particularly ones that lead them to cross stereotypical gender boundaries, like female engineers or male nurses) will probably find it harder to find compatible spouses among the more "generic" general population.

      Or, to put it another way, if you're already predisposed toward majoring in something like religious studies, simply choosing to be an engineering major isn't going to stop you from thinking deeply about religious issues. And you'll probably continue to want a spouse who is at least somewhat interested in thinking about those issues too (engineer or not). The causality here isn't only the major -- it's the reason why people choose their majors in the first place.

    20. Re: Gender Distribution? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, the more different one is, the more potential partners one has to sift through to find a match. I imagine transsexual women have to use online dating services to have a chance at sifting through enough profiles to have a decent chance at finding someone.

      Lowering your standards works great up until the point where you end up with someone who simply isn't right for you. If you're even considering going out with someone who is "really creepy" you need to seriously unlower your standards.

      Might also help if the rest of us make fewer jokes about transsexual people and other people who are different.

      I self-identify as a handsome sexy billionaire. Doesn't make the women more attracted to me though. They should look past my short, fat, slovenly appearance and see the real me inside!

    21. Re:Gender Distribution? by WallyL · · Score: 1

      Aw, you probably can-- you just don't know how.

  5. Re:Question: With Computer Science being 90% male. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    0.5% of the men marry 0.5% of the women. 7.5% of the men marry the other 7.5% of the men.

  6. Pick of the Litter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    The blog concludes that your choice of major may unwittingly decide your choice of spouse, ...

    Or it could be that if you enter a field with a large gender disparity in its members, that implies you're willing to overcome any social stigma to engage in that field--ie, you're dedicated to it--and that by the same token you'll find plenty of people of the opposite sex to consider as possible spouse candidates. On the opposite end, because it's so uncommon to see members of the opposite sex in your own gender dominated field, you're inclined to believe they must really be dedicated for it just as you are--ie, those expensive student loans (or even the years of educations) indicate a long-term (possibly life-long) desire in that field.

    Golly, who would have thunk the obvious.

    1. Re:Pick of the Litter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At Ga Tech as we used to say, the odds are good but the goods are odd.

      The problem I had there was that every guy I met in engineering was a Republican. It was horrific. I wouldn't even study with one of their kind.

    2. Re:Pick of the Litter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or it could be that if you enter a field with a large gender disparity in its members, that implies you're willing to overcome any social stigma to engage in that field--ie, you're dedicated to it--and that by the same token you'll find plenty of people of the opposite sex to consider as possible spouse candidates.

      Maybe...but I work at a law school where the student body is nearly always within two percent of being 50/50 (many years we have more women) and the incredible number of marriages that result between both students and fresh grades is pretty incredible. It damned near feels incestuous...

    3. Re:Pick of the Litter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, well, I was speaking of the obvious case of gender disparity. For a more even mix, I couldn't contrive an explanation for common marriages, except to note I don't think that those majors with a 50/50 split all have the same sort of in-carrer marriage rates. Ie, perhaps lawyers just like lawyers, but not all botanists are into botanists? :)

    4. Re:Pick of the Litter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At Ga Tech as we used to say, the odds are good but the goods are odd.

      The problem I had there was that every guy I met in engineering was a Republican. It was horrific. I wouldn't even study with one of their kind.

      You're an AC, so this is all I have to know about you as a person, but you're right now coming off as the type of person who, frankly, I'd cheerfully insist I was a serial killer who feeds people to my hamsters if that ensured you'd never want to keep me company. (Disclaimer: I am not a serial killer who feeds people to my hamsters. That would make them sick.)

  7. Your summary is wrong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    The line "Religious studies (with 21% of students marrying another studying the same field) tops the list among all students..." is incorrect. Theology and Religious Vocations is at 21%. Religious Studies (which is connected to philosophy) is 43rd on the list at 5%. Theology and Religious Vocations is a completely different field from Religious Studies (a.k.a. the Study of Religions).

    1. Re:Your summary is wrong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Theology IS the study of religion.

    2. Re:Your summary is wrong by ChrisMaple · · Score: 1

      Theology can be the study of one religion to the exclusion of others, whereas Religious Studies is more likely to be the study of a great many religions.

      --
      Contribute to civilization: ari.aynrand.org/donate
  8. Corollary: The College Majors Most Likely To by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The College Majors Most Likely To Divorce Each Other

    Ipso Fatso Forgetso

  9. Re:Question: With Computer Science being 90% male. by mark-t · · Score: 3, Informative

    Because computer science classes are not actually 90% male.... the actual figure is closer to 80%, depending on the institution. I believe the actual average number of male graduates from computer science is 82% in the USA.

    Of course, that also suggests that computer science is an exceedingly likely place for a single woman who is interested enough in the field to have something in common with most of her peers in class is also quite likely to also find a mate. The exact opposite can be said for men.

    This is anecdotal, but almost all of the women I knew while I was taking computer science eventually hooked up with someone else in class before graduation. I do not know how permanent those relationships were after graduation, however.

  10. Duh. It starts with a study break massage. by Naatach · · Score: 1, Interesting

    It's no surprise that many students pair with others in their major, especially in harder disciplines. You ask someone you find attractive if they would like to study for the big test. About two hours into it is the perfect time to trade massages to work out the study kinks. Whether you get back to studying is never guaranteed after that.

    --
    There may be no "I" in team, but there's also no "F" in way.
  11. Huh? by Black+Parrot · · Score: 1

    Are majors allowed to marry each other now?

    --
    Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
    1. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      only if colleges.

    2. Re:Huh? by ihtoit · · Score: 1

      hey, ever heard of DADT?

      --
      Political debates have me rolling my eyes so much I think I got optical whiplash. I should sue. - Foamy The Squirrel
    3. Re:Huh? by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 1

      . . . and soon we'll have captains marrying captains, lieutenants marrying lieutenants, sergeants marrying sergeants . . .

      It will be marriage, all the way down.

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  12. The classic combo: Lawyer + primary school teacher by D4C5CE · · Score: 1

    ...observed in plenty of schools and jurisdictions. ;)

    The reasons are left to speculation of the readers...

  13. Small circles by sanf780 · · Score: 2

    Most people I know started long term relationships with somebody they happen to spend time with, or that they are just nearby: same high school, same college, same circle of friends, same workplace. Study does not bring much information unless it is comparing likeliness of other situations like the ones I listed. Unfortunately I can only add anectodorial evidence. By the way, only a few ones were due to predatorial skills at night.

    1. Re:Small circles by ihtoit · · Score: 1

      funny that, in my high school Home class there were probably two couples some thought might have been an item. Not only did they end up getting married, so did three other couples. All in the same class.
       
      ...and I went to the same kindergarten as my wife. Only recently discovered a photo that proves it. (!)

      Dear Dice, fix your fucking edit box. I've had to use fucking [br] tags! AND WHEN ARE WE GETTING UNICODE SUPPORT!?

      --
      Political debates have me rolling my eyes so much I think I got optical whiplash. I should sue. - Foamy The Squirrel
  14. Re:The classic combo: Lawyer + primary school teac by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

    I've watched enough television to know that female defense lawyers are ALWAYS married to - or at least dating - policemen.

    --
    #DeleteChrome
  15. Re:Question: With Computer Science being 90% male. by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

    ... plus there's the issue with basic hygiene...

    Oh wait - I thought we were talking about women's studies.

    --
    #DeleteChrome
  16. I coulda been a contender if only I had known by Swave+An+deBwoner · · Score: 1

    The blog concludes that your choice of major may unwittingly decide ... depending on how well that field is paid, your economic future.

    That insightful tidbit has really piqued my curiousity and I'm going to read the rest of that blog real soon now. Pretty soon I'll be a genius.

    1. Re:I coulda been a contender if only I had known by Virtucon · · Score: 1

      Yes who would have thought that going to school for years may actually determine how you make a living in the future? I wonder if there's a correlation in income vs. obtaining a trophy spouse. I mean if I were to make $500K/yr as a plastic surgeon would there be the potential in having a hot babe as a spouse? Hmmm. Hey somebody out there, I need a grant of say $10m to study this. Thanks.

      --
      Harrison's Postulate - "For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism"
    2. Re:I coulda been a contender if only I had known by D4C5CE · · Score: 2

      if I were to make $500K/yr as a plastic surgeon would there be the potential in having a hot babe as a spouse?

      At least there'd certainly be more potential to turn your spouse into a "hot babe" (provided she's yearning to become part of your art). ;-}

  17. It's not news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As Mark Twain said: Nothing propinx like propinquity

  18. hmmm by ihtoit · · Score: 1

    My wife's a nurse, I'm a mechanical engineer.

    How does that work into the study?

    --
    Political debates have me rolling my eyes so much I think I got optical whiplash. I should sue. - Foamy The Squirrel
    1. Re:hmmm by Sique · · Score: 2
      Pretty well actually. As in your class, there were only a few women to begin with, chances of you to find a spouse there were minimal. Same for your wife, who probably hadn't had many men being in the same class.

      While many of your female co-students found a mate in the engineering class, and many of the male nursery students are now probably married to a nurse.

      --
      .sig: Sique *sigh*
    2. Re:hmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Back in the 1980's male engineer + female nurse seemed to be a common marriage among my acquaintances. Maybe that's because there were fewer women in engineering back then and nursing school was a good place to find brainy women. Or maybe it's just sample bias, because the local university had a large engineering school and a large nursing school.

    3. Re:hmmm by aaarrrgggh · · Score: 1

      You are both leftovers. ;)

    4. Re:hmmm by ihtoit · · Score: 1

      we're a good match for leftovers, clearly. Fifteen and a half years and counting.

      --
      Political debates have me rolling my eyes so much I think I got optical whiplash. I should sue. - Foamy The Squirrel
  19. Not really surprising. by wvmarle · · Score: 1

    The classroom is a place to meet new people, as is the work floor. It just happens naturally there, people are partnered up to do tasks, you have to work together, etc. When you take a bunch of strangers and start to introduce them to one another, good chance that at least here and there romantic sparks fly. Add to that that most students are in their early 20s, an age for many people to start looking for a life partner, and the great number of marriages that follows is just expected.

    The greater number in religious studies is also not too surprising as the people there will have strong religious beliefs, and strongly religious people like to marry people that are also strongly religious and of the same faith. Here is even more reason for people to actively search for a partner within their study group, as it's much less likely to find a suitable partner (i.e. sharing the religious beliefs) randomly in the outside world.

  20. "My college major was computer programming, and I married a girl who types in computer programs for a living!"

    "What's her name?"

    "Rosie."

    --
    (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
  21. Re: Question: With Computer Science being 90% male by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yep, ran into a female non-bather several years ago where I use to work. The girl was absolutely brilliant with a background in theoretical physics working in the IT department. But damn....we use to light candles to help freshen the air right next to the server room. I finally had to move into the server room because i couldn't take the smell anymore. We would complain to our manager constantly but he wouldn't do much. Eventually she figured out what the candles were for so she left. Still though one of the smartest persons I've ever met.

  22. Re:The classic combo: Lawyer + primary school teac by ihtoit · · Score: 1

    Ally McBeal? Nope. She dated other lawyers... oh, and a doctor.

    Take your pick of LA Law characters. I don't think any of the major characters dated a cop.

    --
    Political debates have me rolling my eyes so much I think I got optical whiplash. I should sue. - Foamy The Squirrel
  23. I'm in IT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In my country, there are pretty much no women in IT. Only gay dudes find their partners in the same field here.

    The few girls I've seen are all immigrants or exchange students.

  24. Communications Disorders by tomhath · · Score: 1

    Down at the bottom of the list is "Communications Disorders Sciences and Services" at 2%. Somehow that seems fitting.

    1. Re: Communications Disorders by CanHasDIY · · Score: 1

      Literally the funniest thing I've read today.

      --
      An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
  25. Re:Question: With Computer Science being 90% male. by rossdee · · Score: 1

    I guess you missed the memo from SCOTUS - same sex marriage is legal now.

  26. No matter what your major, if you want to marry by mark_reh · · Score: 1

    someone with class and elegance, and who probably makes/inherits more money than you, you should spend your free time at a Trump hotel or Casino.

    1. Re:No matter what your major, if you want to marry by Swave+An+deBwoner · · Score: 1

      Donald? The Donald? That's you, isn't it?

      We read about your Mexican problem in the Times; are you trying to drum up lost business here on Slashdot? Let's talk.

  27. Re:Question: With Computer Science being 90% male. by aaarrrgggh · · Score: 1

    The divorce rates for marrying in your major would be a much more interesting study. I would think engineering and CS would top that list.

    For the "grossly underrepresented group," though dating in your major is like shooting fish in a barrel.

  28. Two people of the same major marrying??? by Yaztromo · · Score: 2

    This cannot stand. Two people with the same major marrying each other is completely against my just-now-made-up religion. It says that Frank (my just-made-up religions version of god) specifically wrote that "Thou shalt not lie with a fellow computer science major as you would with a psychology major".

    The government needs to make a constitutional amendment to prevent people of the same major from marrying each other. After all, if we let two people with the same major marry, we're on a slippery slope to marrying dolphins with snack cakes. And then where will it end?

    Yaz

    1. Re: Two people of the same major marrying??? by CanHasDIY · · Score: 1

      Oh, go ban a flag :-P

      --
      An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
    2. Re:Two people of the same major marrying??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow you are so funny I thought maybe you majored in Comedy in college, with a masters in being a funny comedian.

    3. Re:Two people of the same major marrying??? by TeknoHog · · Score: 1

      This cannot stand. Two people with the same major marrying each other is completely against my just-now-made-up religion. It says that Frank (my just-made-up religions version of god) specifically wrote that "Thou shalt not lie with a fellow computer science major as you would with a psychology major".

      But is it OK if they both are stoned, which is probably something a lot of CS majors tend to do anyway?

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
    4. Re:Two people of the same major marrying??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think I see your point, which is the point of most anti-theists, - "My self indulgent, flawed reasoning is better than the combined reasoning of millions of more thoughtful people, refined over thousands of years." Of course, that is just a difference in philosophy. The real reason I don't like your argument is because you then rely on a government to codify your sophomoric bullshit. I hope you are gay, then the chance of shutting you up by inserting a dick in your mouth is much higher.

    5. Re:Two people of the same major marrying??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The combined reasoning of millions of people, refined over thousands of years, has not come to any consensus.

  29. OK by koan · · Score: 1

    Proximity.

    --
    "If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
  30. Re: Question: With Computer Science being 90% male by CanHasDIY · · Score: 2

    People with confluent majors end up working side by side in the field.

    I'm guessing it has something to do with that 80 some odd hours a week that a number of CS workers are forced into. When you have to spend 80% of your waking hours working, it kind of limits your dating pool.

    --
    An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
  31. Nonsensical conclusion by mattwarden · · Score: 1

    The data does not at all suggest that your major will decide your spouse. I would suggest that this journalism major marry someone who had to take at least one statistics class.

  32. terrible statistical analysis by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They need to look the rates in the context of how many people are in the other major and assess the expected probability. As others have commented, men are unlikely to find women in their engineering class, so the rates will be low. OTOH, if the engineering class is 10% women/90% men, and 15% of the men marry a woman engineer, that would be a statistically significant finding.

  33. Re:Question: With Computer Science being 90% male. by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 2

    The divorce rates for marrying in your major would be a much more interesting study. I would think engineering and CS would top that list.

    Engineers have one of the lowest divorce rates. As an engineer married to another engineer, I believe there is a big benefit to having a spouse that has been trained to use logic and systematically solve problems. We settle most of our arguments by drawing Venn diagrams on a whiteboard. Having two six digit salaries helps too.

  34. Re:Question: With Computer Science being 90% male. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But that would imply 83% of female CS majors end up marrying male CS majors. And let's be honest, why would they want to do that?

    Sure they can have their pick, but well...the odds but the goods are odd, as they say.

  35. Re:Question: With Computer Science being 90% male. by Khashishi · · Score: 1

    Does that mean that for women in computer science, the chance of marrying someone in computer science is up >75%?

  36. Re:Question: With Computer Science being 90% male. by Copid · · Score: 2

    Same here. We think and solve problems similarly, so there isn't much "talking past each other" when we disagree. If a problem can be reasoned through, we usually come to agreement. If it's squishier, we both sort of recognize that it's probably not worth fighting to the death over. Money and worry about unemployment is never a problem, so we don't fight over it or nitpick how it's spent (in fact, we each have a mix of private and shared accounts after 10 years of marriage, and we each handle a subset of the household financees without much oversight from the other). Beyond that I suppose everything else is pretty normal, but those are two big issues that cause a lot of relationship trouble that work out to a pretty strong built-in advantage for us.

    We're both pretty mellow people who don't usually get wound up about stuff that's not really important, but I'm not sure if that's just who we are or if it's associated with how we were educated and how we work. There seem to be certain types of people who genuinely get bored and need a certain amount of drama in their human interactions and will create it if it's not there. Those people seem to be less common in engineering, although I don't have a lot to quantify or support that. Those people are usually not fun to be around and seem like they'd be a nightmare to be married to.

    --
    An interesting anagram of "BANACH TARSKI" is "BANACH TARSKI BANACH TARSKI"
  37. Poor Headline by Fieryphoenix · · Score: 2

    Come on Slashdot! This article should be titled "Most Incestuous Majors".

    1. Re:Poor Headline by WallyL · · Score: 1

      "Top 10 Most Incestuous College Majors" for even more clickbaitiness!

  38. Re:Question: With Computer Science being 90% male. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The divorce rates for marrying in your major would be a much more interesting study. I would think engineering and CS would top that list.

    Engineers have one of the lowest divorce rates. As an engineer married to another engineer, I believe there is a big benefit to having a spouse that has been trained to use logic and systematically solve problems. We settle most of our arguments by drawing Venn diagrams on a whiteboard. Having two six digit salaries helps too.

    A low divorce rate across the board, for all types of professional engineer. I'm a PhD engineer and am married to another PhD engineer. We've been married more than 20 years, and were together a couple of years before that. Our kids are more-or-less grown up (youngest in high school, oldest at University).

  39. Re:Question: With Computer Science being 90% male. by antdude · · Score: 1

    Yeah. I am still an unmarried single virgin after I got my CS BS major after 15 years. Where are those women for me? D:

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  40. Re:Question: With Computer Science being 90% male. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    > but almost all of the women I knew while I was taking computer science eventually hooked up with someone else in class before graduation.

    This was literally rape and part of geek patriarchial culture. Those women were sexually abused. All of you deserve to be shamed and punished collectively until this stops and no more males terrorise computer classes. This is just triggerring me.

  41. Re:Question: With Computer Science being 90% male. by mark-t · · Score: 1

    Please... if you are going to troll, at least try a little harder to make it sound like you might actually have put some reasoned thought into the perspective you may be trying to present, instead of simply uttering nonsense whose phrasing appears to only be an unimaginative attempt at provoking an emotional reaction.