When Rebecca Whitehead realized that her boyfriend Jake was about to propose, her first thought was about the ring.

“He picked it out himself…I was scared that it would be ugly and that I’d have to take it back. Romantic, I know.”

Though she may have questioned his fashion sense, she didn’t question what her answer would be. She became engaged as a sophomore at the University of Utah, and was married the winter of her junior year.

A survey by American Greetings says that 35 percent of Americans meet their future spouses during school, second only to “through a friend” at 37 percent. Despite this, an increasing number of people are waiting until after college to get married.

The average ages that American men and women get married for the first time has risen to about 27 and 25, respectively, from the 1980 averages of 25 and 22. The average age of a college graduate’s first marriage is even higher, at nearly 30.

Rebecca says that she understands many of the reasons students are waiting longer to get married.

“There is more emphasis on achievement in school and getting out of college as fast as possible to jumpstart that illustrious career. Starting a family comes second. It’s also financially smarter. A lot of students are under their parents’ wings in college. Marriage signals adult responsibility in the form of bills. Most students probably don’t find that appealing.”

The financial aspect of a wedding is undoubtedly one of the main concerns for college students. On average, a wedding in the United States costs over $26,000, according to a study by the Fairchild Bridal Group. This is a 73 percent increase over the last 15 years.