But with a tradie, he can still fix my car or fix the toilet, so he still feels like the man [in the relationship]."Asked about that dynamic, Clare says she backs it "100 per cent": "It's probably something I wasn't as aware of until I was in a relationship with Adam but yeah, that's absolutely true."The ABC's analysis compares the highest level of educational attainment for each partner in a couple for some 5 million couples in 2021 and 3.4 million couples in 2001, both opposite-sex and same-sex.It calculates the likelihood of marriage for 10 education levels, from "no formal attainment" to doctoral degree, across five generations (gen Z, millennial, gen X, boomer and silent).QUT behavioural economist Stephen Whyte says the surge of women into education and work has had enormous impacts on the dating market."It's been extremely rapid in relation to the history of gender inequity," he says."From an evolutionary perspective, it's a huge change."Among under-35s, for example, there are just three university-graduate men for every four university-graduate women, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures.The gap remains (although dramatically narrowed) if you include TAFE qualifications After uni, grads are focused on starting their careers, while tradies are already established in theirs.By the time both groups are established in the workforce, they're probably entering their 30s and already settled down or moving in completely different spheres, Kane says."If you don't have a hobby or interest that brings those worlds together, it's basically an oil-and-water scenario."While more men than women are now "marrying up" when it comes to education, that's a far cry from marrying up the income ladder, experts point out.Perth academic Megan, 41, is familiar with this dynamic