Dating and marriage at Brigham Young University

Dating and marriage at Brigham Young University is unique to the college Brigham Young University, a Mormon educational institution. It is also a subset of College dating.
Dating and Marriage
Brigham Young University is known for emphasizing a “marriage culture”. To many, BYU is viewed as a “meat market,” a hotbed for Mormon dating and marriage. Due to the many factors such as Latter-day Saint beliefs and University encouragement, “old-fashioned” courtship and marriage are very important aspects of BYU’s social scene.
Dating
Dating is a common activity at Brigham Young University. When compared to other college dating habits, BYU is extremely different. Norval Glenn and Elizabeth Marquardt studied the “dating and mating” habits of typical college students in their study “Hooking Up, Hanging Out, and Hoping for Mr. Right.” Of 1000 college women surveyed, only half reported going on six or more dates in their four years of college. On the contrary, according to research done by professors at BYU in their study titled “A Survey of Dating and Marriage at BYU,” 88% of BYU students reported going on at least one date a month. Even more, 15% of the student population reported going on six or more dates each month. In the same study, 57% of students at BYU reportedly felt they dated “not often enough”. In the same year, only 3% of Yale’s graduating class were married. In addition, these studies failed to account for the many students who were engaged at graduation time.
Furthermore, the average age at first marriage at BYU is statistically higher than the national average. In 2005, the average American man married at age 25 while the average American woman married at age 27. Similarly, Glenn and Marquardt report in their study that 83% of the women surveyed ranked marriage as an important goal in life. Other female students—determined to break the stereotype—act just the opposite, earning the nickname of “Mormon nuns” due to their anti-marriage mentality. Other derogatory nicknames include “B-Y-Woo”, “Bring’em Young University”, and “Breed’em Young University”, all references to BYU’s unique dating, marriage, and family culture.
University Encouragement
As a university, BYU is extremely supportive of marriage. For example, The Daily Universe—the student run newspaper at BYU—publishes a biannual Bridal Guide each summer.
Furthermore, in Heritage Halls—one of BYU’s on-campus housing facilities—relief sculptures of wedding rings with the inscription “June” can be found. Subtle hints at marriage like these cause students to develop the marriage mentality so often mocked by others.
Even the course selection at BYU reflects an emphasis on marriage. While many universities offer one or two marriage and family classes to their students, BYU offers courses focused on mate selection, marriage preparation, marriage enhancement, marriage therapy, and multiple classes aimed at strengthening the family.
On a higher level, the weekly university devotionals and quarterly Church Educational System Firesides (often held at BYU’s Marriott Center) often center on the topics of dating and marriage. In other instances, members of church leadership such as Elder Richard G. Scott urge young men to “not waste time in idle pursuits, but serve a mission for the Church, then make marriage their highest priority”. Overall, students at Brigham Young University are urged often by church leaders and school leaders to wed.
Honor Code Influence
On many college campuses, sexual encounters are common. For instance, in Norval Glenn and Elizabeth Marquardt’s study “Hooking Up, Hanging Out, and Hoping for Mr. Right,” of 1000 college women surveyed, 90% reported “hooking up”—non-committal sexual encounters—to be a regular occurrence on their respective campuses.
While at other universities, a “hook up” is typically defined by sexual activity, around 2% of the student population at BYU reported passionate kissing done outside of dating. This tamer form of “hooking up” has generally become known among the BYU student community as a NCMO— “nik-mo”— standing for “noncommittal make out”. Most likely, Latter-day Saints marry young because of the importance the LDS church places on marriage and family. The belief that “the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children” furthers the LDS belief in the importance of marriage.

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