"What is the metrics-based relationship between levels of higher education and disaffection with traditional religious institutions?" 
As one of the thousands of priests who left after it became obvious that the reforms of the second Vatican Council were going to be undone, and the church was going to head BACKWARDS again,  I can assure you that as Catholics become better-informed, they can't help but learn about a whole slew of problems that I catalogue at my http://CatholicArrogance.org web site, and decide as I did to DIVORCE THEMSELVES from such a fraudulent and immoral institution!