College isn’t about finding love… or is it?
A decade ago, a Facebook Data Sciences study found that 28% of married college graduates went to the same school as their spouses—that’s over a quarter, a significant number considering the diversity of backgrounds at each institution. Time will tell if the same holds true for us current college students, and with Valentine’s Day upon us, it’s certainly been on our minds here at Crew Dog.
We attend college because it is one of the most crucial stepping stones in our lives. Most notably, it sets us up career-wise, allowing us to explore our passions, make valuable connections, and leverage our degrees with future employers (or, increasingly, build something ourselves). We also form deep friendships—both with those in our inner circle, who will remain close for life, and with acquaintances we may not see often but always enjoy catching up with.
Between our busy schedules and social outings, it’s easy to overlook one of the best benefits of college: access to the greatest dating pool we’ll ever have—all within walking distance. While most of us date in college, marriage isn’t necessarily on our minds. In the 21st century, adults are settling down later—the average age of marriage is now 28.6 for women and 30.5 for men. While Crew Dog isn’t advocating for turning back the clock to a time when young adults married in or just out of college, we do believe this is a time for exploration—maybe, just maybe, even meeting the person you’ll spend the rest of your life with.
Marriage Pact, a data-driven company that uses an algorithm to match students with their most compatible peers, asserts that “college is the best place to find The One. And you won’t be here forever.” That’s exactly right—these four short years are a unique opportunity to connect with like-minded people who share similar goals and interests. Though we may feel incredibly busy, we have far more free time now than we will in the workforce. And if a relationship does work out, you’ll already have so much in common.
One of our recent licenses, Miami University in Ohio, has a tradition called the “Miami Merger,” celebrating alumni who marry fellow graduates. The university sends each couple a Valentine’s card and features them in school publications. Traditions like this highlight how essential human connection is to our lives. In a world where coffee chats and networking events dominate our social energy, we should also make space for dating—or at the very least, for truly getting to know our classmates.
Relationship status is top of mind on Valentine’s Day—whether you’re excited to spend time with a special someone or feeling left out. But what truly matters is being open to the serendipity college offers. Whether you’re single, in a relationship, or somewhere in between, you never know when you’ll meet The One.
