> Males generally dont marry up?

My wife has a PhD, and is a Senior Data Scientist (why not Chief, who knows), and belongs to a noble Swedish/Finnish family.

I am P.O.C. trash, from a (mostly) poor town in S Tacoma, WA.

I hit the jackpot.

> Unfortunately, their standards have really gone up since receiving said education. I'm not saying this to bash, it's simply my observation.

I suspect that part of it has to do with the circles you hang out in. If you are a non-professional man, you are less likely to interact with professional women. If you do, you will have more chance to pair-wise bond. Anecdotally, a guy I train Krav Maga with, works at the maintenance crew at a local hotel. His wife has a degree in Aerospace Engineering. They met at a gym.