Does dating get harder after college?
Dating after college gets easier not harder. Your life status makes you more attractive. You make more money, so you can afford to date more easily. Even though you no longer meet people in groups on campus, dating apps make finding people to date very convenient.
While you may feel skeptical that dating after college gets easier, there are five very good reasons why it’s not as hard as you might think.
| Dating Site | Price Range (Free-$$$) | Learn More |
|---|---|---|
| eHarmony | $$ | Learn more |
| ChristianMingle | $$ | Learn more |
| Tinder | Free | Learn more |
Why Dating After College Gets Easier (5 Great Reasons)
It’s tempting to answer the question “Does dating get harder after college?” by saying “yes” because you no longer have as much freedom and flexibility in your schedule.
However, there are at least five great reasons why dating after college actually gets easier.
- You have more money to date
- You are more attractive as a potential date
- Dating apps give you plenty of dating options
- You will find higher quality matches
- You are past all the college drama
Now that you’ve seen a quick summary list of the reasons, let’s break them down. You’ll see how much easier it can be to date after college.
1) You have more money to date
Dating gets easier after college because you are in a better financial state. You can afford to go on more and better dates.
This is true for men, especially. A lot of guys in college are poor and have to scrounge by with the bare minimum. They often lack the money to buy dinner and drinks on dates with women.
This means that they don’t go on as many dates or can’t take a girl out for an expensive night on the town.
Not that every date needs to be expensive, but it’s nice to have that option.
Since you probably have an actual adult job after college and earn a decent starter salary, you can probably afford to consistently date. This small shift can have outsized outcomes in dating.
2) You are more attractive as a potential date
After college, you become more attractive as a potential date. You usually have an adult job, an apartment or home, a car, and earn a nice entry-level salary at your job.
All of these realities make you more attractive.
Since you now have adult responsibilities, a small group of friends, and your personal hobbies and interests, you are naturally busier, which also makes you more attractive.
Plus you’ve also grown older, and therefore have a better understanding of what you want in another person. You’re more likely to have narrowed your criteria for potential mates, which makes you more attractive.
On top of all of that, because you are now “established,” most people think that you are a better catch.
3) Dating apps give you plenty of options
After college, you may be worried about finding enough people to date. Trust me, you don’t have to worry about the abundance of options.
Sure, you won’t be surrounded by people like in college, so your proximity and pool of dating partners will shrink. That might sound scary, but it’s not as dire of a situation as you might think.
Dating apps like Tinder, Match, eHarmony, and others make finding people to date super easy. You don’t need to go out to bars, events, or activities to meet anyone if you don’t want to (although I recommend doing some of that to meet people).
You simply hop on a dating app in your free time, swipe through your options, and message your matches. Bada bing bada boom, you can find more than enough potential people to date.
4) You will find higher quality matches
After college, you tend to meet fewer people but also higher-quality matches. You narrow your online search to your personal preferences and standards.
When you meet people out in the real world, you’ll probably run into them at the gym, grocery store, or while participating in activities you enjoy. This means you likely share similar interests, goals, and responsibilities.
You’ll find that developing relationships this way is much more natural.
Dating is even easier if you apply effective dating and relationship strategies. Once you learn some basics, you should be set.
Here are some of my favorites dating programs:
- His Secret Obsession
- How To Be a 3% Man (book by Corey Wayne)
- Tony Robbin’s Love and Relationship Courses
5) You are past all the college drama
One of the many benefits of post-college dating is that you no longer have to worry about college drama.
You no longer have to sleep in the same dorm room with another person, so you get more privacy (and sleep). You don’t need to worry about nightly drunken fraternity parties, running into your ex in class, or the immaturity rampant at most universities.
Yes, working adults can act immaturely, too.
However, most people after college level up their responsibilities and focus on building their career. They start looking for more mature relationships the older they get, which can dramatically reduce relationship drama.
As you close in on the end of your 20’s and early 30’s, many people get even more serious about dating.
Some people think it gets harder for men to date as they get older, but I’ve found that it gets much easier.
Dating in College vs After College
You may still wonder if it really gets easier to date after college. So, let’s compare dating in college vs dating after college.
To make the comparison super simple, I’ve put the information into a table. While there are pros and cons to dating during and after college, you’ll be able to clearly see why dating gets easier after college.
| Dating During College | Dating After College |
|---|---|
| You are around more single people | You are around more mature and responsible people (usually!) |
| Everyone is broke | Most people have some money to date |
| Lots of competition | Almost no competition (if you know how to date successfully) |
| Dating is less likely to be serious | Dating is more likely to be serious |
| More drama | Less drama (again, if you know how to find and pick a low-drama partner) |
| Quality of dating partner unproven | Evidence of higher quality dating partners (car, apartment, good job, etc) |
| Almost everyone is in good shape (This can change drastically after college) | The older you get, the more you can meet people with established lifestyles of health and fitness |
It’s important to mention a few exceptions.
First, if you take mostly online classes, you negate many of the benefits of dating in college. Sitting alone in your dorm room or house doesn’t take advantage of finding people to date in live classes.
Secondly, the above table refers primarily to 4-year universities in your early 20s. If you attend college classes as an adult, you’ll probably attend at night and/or on the weekends.
Therefore, you’re more likely to get the best of both dating worlds!
Does Dating Get Harder After College For Women?
Women, in general, have an easier time dating because they have more options.
However, as women age, they typically find fewer quality options. For a woman in her 30s and 40s, the dating world is significantly more difficult because there are fewer quality men to choose from.
Women still have many guys interested in them, but those men tend to be:
- Older
- Less attractive
- Less successful
Apart from just having fewer options as they age, older women are often viewed as less desirable by many men. This isn’t really fair as older women usually bring more experience, education, and income to the table.
However, many men place a higher value on youth, beauty, and personality.
Does Dating Get Harder After College For Men?
Although it’s not always true, many men experience two phases of dating after college.
The first phase is immediately after college. Unless a guy knows how to date and knows what he wants already, this initial phase can feel disheartening.
I think many guys experience something similar to what happened to me.
Post-college dating felt lonely and harder, at least at first. I was forced to make new friends, figure life out, and didn’t know what I was doing with women. This is often what guys like me face right after college.
But things change after 30.
The second phase of dating for men occurs after 30. In the next three decades, men reach their peak earning potential, learn what they want, and steadily get more attractive to many women.
This makes dating much easier. In my experience, men in their late 30’s and 40’s have plenty of quality dating options.
So, if you just graduated and struggle with dating, don’t get too discouraged. The best period of dating is right around the corner!
For a funny and somewhat realistic view of dating after college, here is a video with a different take:
Final Thoughts: Does Dating Get Harder After College
Dating can get easier or harder after college. It really depends on what you know about dating, where you live, and the options around you.
Thanks for reading!
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