The authors of the article consider the problem of perceptions of marriage among modern student youth. The article presents brief results of the research carried out on a sample of students of pedagogical university. The total number of subjects is 100 people. The aim of the work was to study the peculiarities and comparison of the representation of marriage among young men and girls aged 18 to 21 years. The objectives of the study were: to identify the peculiarities of girls' and boys' perceptions of marriage; to compare and analyze the gender peculiarities of perceptions of marriage in adolescence. Based on the developed criteria, diagnostic methods were applied, the results of which are reflected in this article. The results of the analysis of empirical data reveal that the gender peculiarities of ideas about marriage among student youth are as follows: there is some interrelation between gender and ideas about marriage, which consists in the desire of girls "to be like everyone else", to have a family, the choice of a partner of different social origin, loving children; in the preference of young men in an outwardly attractive spouse with common interests, views and healthy lifestyle, in the desire of men to earn and distribute the family budget, as well as the coincidence of views about the family budget, and in the preference of young men in the family. The practical significance of the study is obvious: the results obtained can be used in the process of family education of young people in the framework of training courses on family psychology and family counseling.