From the Article: “Over a lifetime, workers with bachelor’s degrees typically earn $1.2 million more than those with only a high school diploma.”
This is a very deceptive statement because it focuses on earnings, not the cost of the education to achieve those earnings or the opportunities lost while pursuing the education.
A better comparison would be between high school graduates and college graduates in fields where a college education is discretionary. This would include not only trades, but many white-collar jobs where the job functions don’t require anything more than basic competencies and good training.