A large slice of voters self identify as independent, but their voting habits don’t match that self identification. It’s that classic independent streak myth so popular among Americans.
"In the 2016 election, a wide gap in presidential preferences emerged between those with and without a college degree. College graduates backed Clinton by a 9-point margin (52%-43%), while those without a college degree backed Trump 52%-44%. This is by far the widest gap in support among college graduates and non-college graduates in exit polls dating back to 1980."
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/11/09/behind-trum...
https://www.nytimes.com/elections/2012/results/president/exi...
No college degree Obama: 51%
Some college Obama: 49%.
College Romney: 51%
Postgrad. Obama: 55%
PS: Split tickets in 2020 are another indicator of more topical voting behavior.
An individual’s likelihood of being a Democrat decreases with every additional dollar he or she earns. Democrats have a huge advantage (63 percent) with voters earning less than $15,000 per year. This advantage carries forward for individuals earning up to $50,000 per year, and then turns in the Republicans’ favor — with just 36 percent of individuals earning more than $200,000 per year supporting Democrats.
https://www.debt.org/faqs/americans-in-debt/economic-demogra...