[3] She continued her education at the University of Houston where she received an undergraduate degree in sociology.

She went on to earn her PhD in sociology from the University of Texas at Austin while a single parent to her children.

[7] McLanahan was editor-in-chief of the journal The Future of Children[8] and a trustee of the Russell Sage Foundation.

[4] More than 915 articles have been published which rely on data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, which she co-founded.

[4] McLanahan died of lung cancer on 31 December 2021 at her residence in Manhattan, New York.