It's not that simple, but it could be a factor, in my experience. It's probably not one single thing. Overly generalized, formal education seems to give one mo

It's not that simple, but it could be a factor, in my experience. It's probably not one single thing. Overly generalized, formal education seems to give one more self awareness. Lesser educated peers overestimate their abilities which helps them getting hired and be successful through the first few years. Then a promotion would require a different skill set and they cannot appreciate the complexity of learning it, so they fail. Peers with a degree often are not confident enough, and overthink. But they can adapt quicker.