The effect of education on incomes may reflect the rise of a meritocracy in the patterns of social stratification. Using survey data based on national samples, I analyze the dynamics of this relationship in Poland in 1988–2013 across educational levels controlling for social origin and demographic variables. The results show that the rise of a meritocracy began in the 1980s and continued until 2005, as indicated by an increase in returns to university education. In 2005–2013, the wage premium for higher education persisted despite the economic crisis, the growth of non-standard forms of work, and turmoil of varying kinds in the market economy. At the same time, social origin significantly affects the distribution of incomes, although it occurs indirectly via cultural capital and social connections.