Would you date/marry a man without higher education?

[bunny85]

Just that really. If everything else was great, would it be a deal breaker for you? Let's say a man who only finished high school- no college, no uni. Would you?

As long as he was intelligent, with a good work ethic.

I would be concerned about earning potential though - i make a decent whack and i think wage disparity is often a recipe for disaster in relationships. These days, where i live, unless youre in a trade, it's hard to make a decentiving without a degree.

Yes of course.

I left school with barely my GCSE's. I'm now a high earner, financially stable, own my own house (with no help from anyone) and I earn twice as much as my dh.

Lack of an education doesn't always mean unintelligent, unsuccessful with no drive or ambition

Make your judgement on the person

Yes. I've a master's degree but I am perfectly happy to date a man without any qualifications. It's not an issue

I’m surprised this is even a question. My husband is less academic and less educated than me but he is much smarter in other ways. There are a million reasons why someone could have not been to college or uni. It’s their work ethic I’m interested in, will he go to work every day and provide (alone or jointly) for his children? That’s more important to me.

Like a PP, I have a degree. He left school after his A levels. He is severely dyslexic but this wasn’t diagnosed until his early thirties. He is more intelligent than me.

He has worked in the same industry since leaving school. His significant experience enabled him to obtain a job in Canada, where we are now citizens. He earns over £200k a year.

Don’t automatically discount them.

Yep. My one who got away was bright, driven and successful. Left school at 16 and started work, now has no degree but lots of professional qualifications. If he was thick as 2 shirt planks and watched TOWIE then no. I would get bored

Shirt = short!

I wouldn't date/ marry someone who asked a question like this

Is this serious? I've never considered that people might not date someone if they don't have a degree.

A degree doesn't necessarily indicate the intellectual capacity of a person. I have a degree and am proud of it but someone not having a degree or much formal education at all wouldn't bother me. I think naturally we gravitate towards partners who have similar level of intellect but that doesn't have to mean having a degree.

I’m shocked this is a thing?
I couldn’t care less about a persons level of education.
I’ve actually just read this in disbelief.
It says a lot about you as a person if this is something you go looking for.

My DH has a couple of CSEs. Left school at 16.
He's intelligent, articulate, thoughtful and considerate. He has always out-earned me.
Qualifications really don't mean very much.

Yes , it wouldnt bother me provided we were compatible. However I would never marry someone who looked down on people without a college education

It would depend on why he did not pursue an education. If he faced a major impediment then possibly. If he just wasn’t interested, then we don’t share the same values so would not be a good match.

Yes. Of course, I have a first... he has GCSEs and a wealth of vocational qualifications. He enjoys his job much more than I do mine :)

Jesus Christ do people really think this way? What a truly sad question.

Another one of these threads?

I wouldn't. My entire social circle is made up of people from uni and post grad, and someone without a degree would likely feel out of place. Because we all have the same shared experience that bonds us, that can be hard to really understand unless you've done it. Also, to me a degree provides access to a wider range of careers and is financial security if he did lose his job or want to change careers. In this era of recessions, and competitive global resource pools - every additional qualification helps. And I like a man who has taken initiative to future proof his career.

I've dated a few in my time never married one though. My last one hadn't been to uni and although he wasn't an idiot by any stretch of the imagination, I struggled to get him to discuss anything that was going on in the world. It was an issue.

Yes
I don’t think it’s necessarily a measure of intelligence/how interesting someone is/their earning capacity
Lots of reasons why someone who ‘could’ have gone onto higher education, didn’t.

No.

@teenyweenycurlywurly

Yes I married one.

Ditto

TBH all my children have degrees and very decent RH universities...most of their friends who didn’t go to Uni have better jobs !

Yes. I didn't get my degree until I was 40 (a first!) just due to circumstances.

I do prefer someone intelligent but doesn't always mean higher education.

Does everyone on MN have degrees/higher education? Should those who don’t not be considered worthy partners for people who do?

I have a degree and work as a professional in a graduate job. DH left school at 16 and has worked hard to get where he is, which isn’t a high paid job but is a good position for someone without qualifications. I hate comparing intelligence so I don’t really know if he’s as smart as or even smarter than me. There are areas where I feel smarter, and areas where I feel not as smart. When we met I knew we were on the same wavelength and we could have a good conversation, and level of education didn’t come into it.