

Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to . You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Highly educated women might not find it easy to "have it all," (and, like Maria Shriver, they might even resent that phrase in the first place (opens in new tab)), but a new study shows they seem to be having more of certain things—like kids. According to a study set to be published in The Economic Journal (opens in new tab), women with advanced degrees are having more children than they did in the 1980s. But their income probably has more to do with it than their education, it seems.
According to The Guardian (opens in new tab), economists Moshe Hazan and Hosny Zoabi studied Americans' fertility rates and compared them to women's levels of education. They found that fertility rates among college-educated women in general have stayed flat over the past few decades, but in a smaller subset of women with advanced degrees, fertility rates have gone up by more than 50 percent, from women having 1.2 children on average in 1980 to having an average of 1.96 children today. So why the jump?
The study blames a growing income gap in the American economy. Women with advanced degrees tend to have higher-paying jobs, and are more likely to be higher-class in the first place, since they could afford a college education. This often means they can afford to hire help to raise their kids, so they can have larger families while still working. "By substituting their own time for market services to raise children and run their households, highly educated women are able to have more children and work longer hours," the study's authors wrote (opens in new tab).
On top of that, new technologies that help women have children later in life—after getting all those degrees—have been becoming more effective and more easily available. But while all of these things may make it easier for highly educated women to have more children, how easy it is for them to juggle a professional or academic life post-childbirth—well, that's harder to measure.
Related: IVF: $47,000 Dollars Later, I Have No Baby (opens in new tab)
Related: Birth Rights: Inside the Social Surrogacy Debate (opens in new tab)
Via
Image via Getty

Megan Friedman is the former managing editor of the Newsroom at Hearst. She's worked at NBC and Time, and is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism.
-
Almost Famous
Half of the Shondaland dream team, the woman whose work brings 'Bridgerton' to life, is one of the most influential producers in Hollywood. And she’s ready for everyone to know it.
By Jessica M. Goldstein
-
Payal Kadakia Is Finally Sharing Her Secret Sauce to Success
In her new book, LifePass, the ClassPass founder gives you the tools to write your own success story.
By Neha Prakash
-
The Power Issue
Our November issue is all about power—having it, embracing it, and dressing for it.
By Marie Claire Editors
-
J. Smith-Cameron Is in Control
She’s Logan Roy’s right hand. She’s Roman’s ‘mommy girlfriend.’ And she’s a fan favorite. Here, the Succession star takes us behind the scenes of Gerri’s boardroom power plays.
By Jessica M. Goldstein
-
What Makes an Olympic Moment?
In the past it meant overcoming struggle...and winning. But why must athletes suffer to be inspiring?
By Megan DiTrolio
-
'The Other Black Girl' Gets Real About Racism in the Workplace
"It really hits home how many spaces don’t allow Black women to really show up as their authentic selves."
By Rachel Epstein
-
Melissa Moore's 'Life After Happy Face' Podcast Looks at Killers Through New Eyes
The true crime expert and daughter of the Happy Face Killer opens up to Marie Claire about destigmatizing the label of 'criminal's kid.'
By Maria Ricapito
-
Simone Biles on Her GOAT Leotard: Don't Be Ashamed of Being Great
The world's greatest gymnast shares how she takes care of her mental health, the road to Tokyo, and the story behind her epic new leotard style.
By Megan DiTrolio