There is wide evidence that wage inequality has grown in western countries for the period covering the eighties and the first half of the nineties. A very common belief rests on the assumption that a more educated society would strongly reduce this inequality. Using data from the Portuguese Employment Survey covering the years 1998 to 2000, I intend to
show that there is no empirical evidence supporting this view.

Keywords: returns to education, quantile regression, wage inequality.