Surprising Facts About Modern Mothers

The Modern Mother Has More Education

Along with the influx of women in the workforce over the last five decades, women also are increasingly enrolling in higher education. Indeed, women now make up the majority of college students. These trends in education have implications for motherhood in the 21st century: almost 30 percent of mothers who gave birth in the last 12 months had a bachelor’s degree or higher. Additionally, two out of three mothers with infants had at least some college education in 2011. This increase in education among mothers may have an impact on children’s health, as various international studies have linked mothers’ educational attainment to socioeconomic outcomes, the nutritional status of children, health care usage and insurance coverage.

Reviewed by: 
Review Date: 
May 9, 2014

Citation: 
Last Updated:
July 1, 2014