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Women who are the first in their family to attend university have fewer children on average than graduates with at least one university educated parent, UCL researchers find.

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The study reveals nuances within the established trend of graduate women having fewer children than non-graduates by suggesting that this difference is a result of the fertility outcomes of first-generation graduates, women who are the first in family to obtain a university degree.  

The researchers used data from the 1970 British Cohort Study, to track 8,000 women born in 1970 through to the age of 46. They estimated the difference in fertility rates across three groups of women: non-graduates, first in family graduates and graduates with at least one university educated parent.  

Up until about age 35, there were no differences in the number of children had by first in family graduates and the graduates with at least one university educated parent. However, by their mid-40s, first in family female graduates were less likely to become mothers compared to other graduate women and non-graduates.  

Statistically, first in family graduates have 0.17 fewer children on average than graduates with university educated parents. However, this difference is driven by ‘first in family’ graduates being less likely to become parents, rather than having fewer children. Those who did become mothers tended to have similar sized families to their graduate peers by age 46. 

Although graduate women tend to postpone starting a family, relative to non-graduates, women with a family history of higher education seem to catch up with non-graduates by about age 40. Meanwhile, first in family graduates are 40% more likely to be childless at 46 than their university educated peers or non-graduates at the same age.  

Lead author, Dr Anna Adamecz (UCL Social Research Institute) recently said:

“Currently, about two-thirds of graduates were the first in their family to attend university, with this share higher among women than men. Our new research reveals they are less likely to become parents, but also that the potential factors driving their choices are not related to their employment or financial situation.” 

The researchers found that the fertility gap was higher among women who grew up with stay-at-home mothers. It stood at zero among the women who had working mums.  

Dr Adamecz continued:

“It is possible that the fertility choices of first-generation graduates, particularly those who grew up with stay-at-home mums, are influenced by a perception that it is impossible to ‘have it all’, successfully managing both a demanding career and family life.” 

The data also shows that first in family graduates displayed lower self-esteem during their teenaged years, and women with low self-esteem have fewer children than those with high self-esteem.  

Crucially, first in family graduates were less likely to report wanting (more) children at age 30.  They also tended to believe that having children interferes with parents’ freedom.  

Dr Adamecz added:

“The economic repercussions of decreasing fertility rates and an ageing population continue to be of great concern for western governments. Our findings point to the need for a broader understanding of the barriers to fertility among upwardly mobile women. According to our results, only first in family graduate women have fewer children than non-graduates - female graduates with at least one university-educated parent do not.  

“Policies that support women’s educational and career ambitions without compromising their choices and ability to have children could help promote gender equality in access to opportunities. Higher education institutions are implementing a variety of programmes aimed at easing the unique challenges of first in family students. Our analysis suggests that the potential impacts of such investments extend beyond academic and career outcomes, as they may also affect simultaneous fertility decisions.” 

Links

• Read: Beyond the degree: Fertility outcomes of `first in family' graduates
• Dr Anna Adamecz's academic profile
• UCL Social Research Institute
• IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education & Society

Media contact

Sophie Hunter

T: +44 (0)7747 565 056

E: sophie.hunter@ucl.ac.uk