This paper aims to investigate the role of higher education in Brazilian economic development, as well as its effects on the reduction of income inequality and poverty in the long term. In addition to a bibliographical review, secondary data were used by the National Institute of Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira (INEP) - from which it was sought to show the evolution of the main indicators related to higher education in Brazil And the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD) of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) - with the objective of verifying the degree of income inequality, as well as other indicators related to income and level Of Instruction of the Economically Active Population (EAP) for the years 2004 and 2014. The results show that income inequalities have presented a descending trajectory over the last decade. However, people with higher education are among those who receive higher incomes, which ultimately contributes to increasing inequalities. Nevertheless, the average years of study of the EAP have increased and consequently the average income as well. In addition, wage differentials for years of study decline from 2004 to 2014, which may be related to an increase in the supply of more skilled labor, which increases the number of workers interested in occupying a job vacancy and pressures wages down.