The Impact of University Marriage on Academic Achievement Among Indonesian Islamic Education Students

Abstract

The relationship between marriage during university studies and academic achievement is widely assumed in sociological literature to be negative. Traditional frameworks suggest marriage introduces domestic responsibilities that aggressively compete with academic demands, producing role conflict and reduced academic performance. This study challenges this assumption within the specific context of Indonesian Islamic higher education. Utilizing a quantitative correlational design, the study examined the effect of student marriage (Variable X) on academic achievement (Variable Y) among 20 married students in the Islamic Religious Education (PAI) programme at Institut Agama Islam (IAI) Persis Bandung. Partial mean analysis yielded a Variable X mean of 3.84 (High) and a Variable Y mean of 4.23 (Very High). Pearson Product Moment correlation analysis revealed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.79), a coefficient of determination of 63%, and a t-value of 5.5359 (significant at α = 0.05). The null hypothesis is rejected: student marriage positively and significantly affects academic achievement. The counterintuitive positive direction is interpreted through Islamic marriage ethics and identity theory, highlighting an institutional context where marital and academic commitments serve as mutually constitutive dimensions of a student's religious and intellectual development rather than competing burdens