Abstract
How horizontal stratification in education influences marriage expectations is less known. Using data from the 2009 Beijing College Students Panel Survey and a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, this study examines whether university quality impacts students’ intended age at marriage. Results show that attending a tier 1 university, relative to a tier 2 university, delays a students’ intended age at marriage by around 12 months in China. This delaying effect is estimated to take place through different romantic cultural resources and career resources universities provide. The findings demonstrate the causal effect of horizontal stratification in higher education on college students’ marriage plans. What postpones their marriage plans is not only university attendance but also which university to attend.