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The Non-College Economy

There are two Americas today: one for the college-educated, and one for those without four-year degrees. Workers in these economies are worlds apart—the type of work they do, how they receive their pay, and even when they start their workday are night and day. From the coasts to the heartland, the skills and credentials a worker has increasingly determines their success or precarity. From finding ways to save for a comfortable retirement to getting affordable health insurance, the economic playing field is tilted against those without a college degree.

Because educational attainment determines the life you experience, policymakers need to understand the economic situation facing the two-thirds of working-age America without a college degree. And they need to develop policies to make the middle class more affordable and attainable for them.

Learn more about Third Way’s research into non-college America below.


Report
Published September 5, 2025
Report
Published June 24, 2024
Report
Published February 2, 2024
Blog
Published January 5, 2024
Report
Published May 19, 2023
Blog
Published June 5, 2023
One-Pager
Published June 8, 2023
Report
Published September 12, 2023
Third Way in the News
Axios
Published May 19, 2023
Memo
Published October 24, 2023
Blog
Published November 1, 2023
Third Way in the News
The Hill
Published October 24, 2023
Third Way in the News
Axios
Published October 24, 2023
Blog
Published December 7, 2023
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Team

Gabe Horwitz, Senior Vice President for the Economic Program

Zach Moller, Director of the Economic Program

Curran McSwigan, Deputy Director, Economics

Anthony Colavito, Former Economic Policy Advisor

Fredrick Hernandez, Economic Fellow, 2023-2024