Really, most of the professionals I know marry within the profession, docs to docs, lawyer to lawyer. In fact local law school stopped the lawyer/nurse mixer 40 years ago.
I was talking about social climbers, specifically.
Def: families straining to send their daughters to an expensive school (like mine) SPECIFICALLY so the daughters can marry up and won’t have to strain to do the same.
It’s very bad motivation for getting a degree.
Also, my more promising students tend to law school or grad programs. A nurse wife can work anywhere and help them finish professional school before they, the wife, burns out.
It’s an unfortunate, but practical, scenario. Much better than debt.
Or, they can take their time and work their way through, as did Yours Truly. Being a lifelong learner requires a very long planning view, which is rare.