Brigham Young University

This article is about Brigham Young University. For the German airport, see Bindlacher Berg Airport

Culture

BYU's social and cultural atmosphere is unique. The high rate of enrollment at the University by members of the LDS Church results in an amplification of LDS cultural norms which are often caricatured.

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One of the characteristics of BYU most often noted (and derided) is its reputation for emphasizing a "marriage culture". LDS Church members highly value marriage and family, as well as marriage within the faith. Consequently, the enormous population of LDS single adults in and around Provo makes it a mecca for singles in the church, irrespective of their affiliation with BYU. BYU's reputation as a place to court potential mates is well known both within and without the BYU community, and is encouraged to some extent by the school's administrators and ecclesiastical leaders, who publicly highlight "successful" marriage statistics.

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The perception of BYU as a glorified Mormon dating service, combined with the high esteem in which most Mormons hold stay-at-home mothers and breadwinner/homemaker marriages, has resulted in stereotype of the female BYU student more interested in marriage than education—in a popular phrase, "Pursuing her MRS." Derogatory nicknames for the school include "B-Y-Woo", "Bring'em Young University" and "Breed'em Young University".

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Most BYU students are acutely aware of the marriage stereotype, and many female students contribute to it by dropping out before graduation due to marriage and subsequent pregnancy. The reality is slightly more nuanced, as statistical analysis bears out. 56.3% of the men and 42.4% of the women in BYU's class of 2004 were married (the average age at graduation being 24.3). Marriage statistics for the state of Utah as a whole indicate that BYU's marriage rate falls well within that of the state in general, with the median age at marriage in Utah being 23 for men, and 21 for women. It should be noted, however, that the percentage of married students at BYU is much higher than at most other universities, and the median age of marriage in Utah is significantly lower than in the United States as a whole. In regards to marriage, BYU is thus best described as a reflection of the cultural practices of the Mormon population as a whole (and particularly that of the Mountain West, which is significantly more culturally conservative than Mormon populations elsewhere within the United States), rather than as an outlier.

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BYU's large body of students who have served as missionaries for the LDS Church significantly shapes the institution's culture. Young men are strongly encouraged to serve full two-year missions for the LDS (Mormon) church at age 19. Consequently, men might attend BYU for their freshman year and then take a two year break from school to serve the mission. Thus, the average male sophomore at BYU is 21 years old. Although LDS women can also serve missions, the church does not press them to do so. Additionally, missions for LDS females are only 18 months in duration, and females are not permitted to serve missions until reaching 21 years of age.

Related Topics:
LDS - Mormon - Freshman - Sophomore

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