I think there is a bit of a simpson's paradox thing going on here. Going by the BLS data here[1], in Q1 of 2000, 31.5% of workers (who are over the age of 25, a

I think there is a bit of a simpson's paradox thing going on here. Going by the BLS data here[1], in Q1 of 2000, 31.5% of workers (who are over the age of 25, all races and genders) had no college and 15.6% had some college but no degree, so people with some college but no degree were between percentiles 31.5 and 47.1 in terms of educational attainment. In Q1 of 2019, 21.9% of workers had no college and 18.6% of workers had some college but no degree, so people with some college but no degree are now between percentiles 21.9 and 40.5. In other words, in 2000, the 25th percentile worker by education level had no college education, and in 2019 the 25th percentile worker by education level does have some college education (but no degree). The 25th percentile worker by education level makes more money in 2019 than they did in 2000, even when adjusting for inflation, but which category they are counted in has changed as the population becomes more educated. (more can be said, and has been said elsewhere, about how much of the purpose of higher education is to develop one's skills and how much is to serve as an IQ / conscientiousness test that employers can't be sued for using) [1] https://www.bls.gov/webapps/legacy/cpswktab5.htm https://www.bls.gov/webapps/legacy/cpswktab5.htm