Taxes are not the only factor. Just an example: the average salary of an Italian worker with a university degree is just 30% more than that of one with a "diploma di terza media" (middle school degree/8th grade). [1] A degree just doesn't seem a valuable asset in the Italian job market.

[1]: https://www.corriere.it/economia/18_settembre_22/trent-anni-... (link in Italian)