Abstract
Background: Marriage influences the physical and psychological health of human beings. Married people are healthier, more productive, and engage less in risky behaviour. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of marriage on male students’ academic performance, and to explore the determinant factors causing these effects.
Methodos: A cross-sectional study including 208 participants was conducted at the King Faisal University in Alhasa, Saudi Arabia, in February 2019. The variables examined were change in GPA after marriage, change in study duration after marriage, marriage duration, having children, income source, amount of monthly income, accommodation availability, the presence of a comfortable means of transportation, satisfaction with family life, the supportive attitude of the wife, the wife’s work status, family assistance in managing household chores, children’s issues and wife residency site.
Results: The majority of participants had an unchanged GPA (45.7%), and a minority had a decreased GPA (21.2%). By comparison, participants whose GPA increased were greater in number (33.2%). Having children, a monthly income, a satisfied married life, and a wife supportive to studying, all had a significant relationship.
Conclusion: This study concluded that marriage does not affect academic performance. Factors that contribute to having a worsened academic performance were having children and having a monthly income of 3000 SR or less. Factors contributing to a better academic performance were a high level of family life satisfaction and the positive, supportive attitude of the wife.

Key words: Marriage, academic performance, married students, undergraduate students