Abstract
Recently, Turkish family structure is going through a significant transformation. According to the Turkish Statistic Institute’s data, in 2020 the age at first marriage rose to 25.1 for women and to 27 for men. Total fertility rate (TFR; the average number of children born to a woman) dropped to 1,77 children per women, which is dramatically below the replacement rate. Using the data from 2018 Turkish Demographic and Health Survey, this study examines these changes through the lens of educational attainment of women and their partners. The findings suggest that women with college and some college education significantly differentiate from other women in terms of age at first marriage and fertility behavior. Moreover, for marriage types, in which both women and men have at least some college education reveal different behavior than other types of marriages. In line with the divergent destinies perspective, educational attainment is a key factor in the role and choices of women in family processes. We might expect even more dramatic changes in the family structure and family processes in Türkiye, given the fact that today, the number of students enrolled in higher education institutions rose over 8 million. In addition to further declines in the total fertility rate and rises in the age at first marriage, we should also expect an increase in the number of women who choose to stay single and avoid marriage.