I don't even think that the message is likeable. "Oh no they don't go to college!" is schoolmarmish and patronizing. "College is for everyone!" and "you're not really an adult until you're 25!" have done an awful lot of societal harm.
As someone who was once <25, I think that version of me is stupid in a wide variety of ways. I hear you that it can be negative to divide things that way, but it seems reasonable to say “after you are either a non college graduate with a number of years of experience or a college graduate with ~2 years of post-college experience.
I hear you, though, it’s hard to sort people into buckets.
As another college non-graduate (although I'm currently going back to school). Have we ever figured out which way causation goes on this one? Does college actually have that much benefit, or do people who are motivated tend to go to college more?
People with support to go to college are more likely to go to college, less about motivation.
I think there needs to be more support for students failing/dropping out of college.