The surprising ROI of grad school: Love

“I’m going to get my MBA.”

I replied, “I think that’s a great move for your career.”

“Actually, Chris, I’m just trying to find a husband.”

I nearly choked on my coffee.

My friend—talented, smart, and undeniably practical—had just revealed that her next dating strategy involved tens of thousands of dollars in tuition and two years of coursework. Not exactly your passive swipe-right approach.

“I’ve tried everything,” she continued, laughing. “The run clubs, the dinner parties, the meetups…even pickleball. All fun, but no ring.”

At first, it sounded like a rom-com plot from the 1980s—going to school to get her MRS degree. But as she explained her thinking, it started to click. She was not just going to grad school for the degree. She was making an investment in her personal life with a focus on the kind of return that does not show up on a pay stub. Or does it?

As CEO of a dating company, I understand her frustration and interest in a different approach. Many of our clients are professionals who have not found success with dating apps, partly because of the lack of commitment of those on them, and partly because they can’t find people who are at the same place in life.

A CURATED MARKET

Relationships where both partners have similar education levels, or even the same degrees, often show higher rates of success based on an understanding of each other’s career paths. Harvard Business Review reported that people with conscientious spouses, supportive of their goals, earn $4,000 or more a year. Not bad.

But it’s not just shared ambitions that matter; spending time together in meaningful settings matters too. In grad school, all-night study sessions, existential crises about your future, and shared exhaustion can create surprisingly strong bonds. Psychologists call it the “mere exposure effect,” meaning the more you are around someone, the more attractive they often become. In other words, sitting next to someone in a late-night accounting class might be a surprisingly effective path to personal connection. 

Not only that, but from my friend’s perspective, the MBA program is a curated market. Admissions officers have already filtered for ambition, intelligence, and commitment. According to Columbia Business School, the average MBA student has 5 years of work experience, meaning the classroom is full of career-focused, motivated people. And unlike dating apps, where quantity doesn’t guarantee quality, business school gives you a front-row seat to see how someone handles stress, teamwork, and leadership before you ever consider a first date.

If we framed it like a market analysis, my friend is moving from a chaotic, oversaturated dating environment to a niche segment with a high supply of eligible, motivated singles. A survey from Poets&Quants reports that over 30% of Harvard alumni ended up marrying someone they met during their time at school (undergrad or business school). If that were a stock, you might call it a buy signal.

Intentionality

My friend’s approach is part of a growing trend in dating: intentionality. In business, clearly defining your objectives and putting yourself in the right environment increases your odds of success. Relationships work the same way. Shared, high-stakes experiences, whether launching a startup in an accelerator or pulling an all-nighter before a strategy presentation, build trust and reveal character faster than casual meetups ever could.

I’m not saying grad schools should rebrand themselves as dating hotspots. (Although, admissions offices, feel free to thank me later.) But it’s a reminder that when you invest yourself in a place full of others doing the same, the dividends might include love. And in my friend’s case, I will be checking back in a semester or two to see how her portfolio is performing.

Chris Kumar is CEO of Tawkify.