At least one of every five marriages is consanguineous (between couples who aresecond cousins or closer) in the Middle East and North Africa, and the rate ishigher than 50% in some parts of the world. We find that a Turkish education re-form that increased mandatory schooling by 3 years made women less likely tofind consanguineous marriage an acceptable practice. The reform reduced wom-en’s propensity to marry a first cousin or a blood relative, and it altered women’spreferences in favor of personal autonomy, indicating that educational attain-ment alters behaviors and attitudes that may be rooted in culture.