This article tries to outline an exploratory sociological approach to highereducation in Brazil. Its specific contribution would be to raise hypotheses toexplain some of the social and economic inefficiencies in Brazilian system ofhigher education. Beginning with the increasing differential returns this level ofeducation, this article explores the case of technologists in order to develophypothesis on the social meaning of third level schooling. We use studies on therelationship between education and work and two sociological models(meritocratic and credentialist) and the contribution of sociology of professionsto comprehend the role of knowledge and social position in determining thereturns to education.