How do median wages associated with University of Hawaiʻi four-year programs change during the first five years after graduation?
Workforce Understory Episode: Episode Two — Understanding Underemployment
Geography: Statewide
Topic: Associate-degree value, return on investment, geography, and equitable access
The takeaway
One year after graduation, the median wages associated with every University of Hawaiʻi four-year program shown remain below the living-wage threshold, generally ranging from approximately $25,000 to $50,000.
By year five, earnings have increased across many programs, and a small number have reached or exceeded the living-wage threshold. Most programs, however, still remain below it.
The range of outcomes also widens considerably over time, suggesting that graduates’ economic trajectories increasingly diverge depending on what they studied.
For most UH bachelor’s-degree programs, five years of wage growth is still not enough to produce median earnings above Hawaiʻi’s living-wage threshold.
What this visualization shows
This visualization follows the median wages associated with University of Hawaiʻi four-year academic programs during the first five years after graduation.
In the first year, program-level earnings are clustered within a relatively narrow range, and none reaches the living-wage threshold. This suggests that the transition from college into the workforce often begins with wages that do not yet provide economic security, even for graduates who have completed a bachelor’s degree.
Over the next several years, wages generally rise. But they do not rise at the same rate.
By year five, a small number of programs have moved clearly ahead, while many others remain substantially below the living-wage threshold. The widening spread suggests that program of study may become increasingly consequential as graduates gain experience and move further into their careers.
The visualization does not show that every graduate from a particular program earns the median wage or follows the same trajectory. Outcomes may differ based on occupation, industry, employer, location, additional education, work experience, and whether someone remains in Hawaiʻi.
It does show that a bachelor’s degree alone does not produce a uniform economic outcome.
Why this matters
Students are often encouraged to view a four-year degree as a dependable pathway toward economic stability.
For some graduates, that expectation may eventually prove accurate. But this visualization shows that the path can be slower and far less certain than the general message suggests.
Graduates who remain below the living-wage threshold for several years may struggle to repay educational debt, afford housing, begin saving, support a family, or remain in Hawaiʻi. Some may work multiple jobs or accept employment unrelated to their field of study. Others may pursue additional credentials or leave the state in search of higher wages.
The widening variation among programs also raises questions about how students make educational choices. Institution-level graduation and employment statistics may provide little insight into the very different wage trajectories associated with individual fields of study.
That does not mean earnings should be the only measure of a program’s value. Education can support personal growth, civic participation, cultural knowledge, public service, and many other important outcomes.
But students deserve a clear understanding of the likely economic consequences of the pathways they are being asked to pursue.
This evidence invites Hawaiʻi to ask:
Do students have an accurate picture of how long different four-year programs may take to produce economic stability—and whether they are likely to reach it at all?
Evidence:
Questions this visualization helps answer
What do program-level median wages look like one year after graduation?
How many programs reach or exceed the living-wage threshold within five years?
How quickly do earnings grow after students complete a bachelor’s degree?
Do wage outcomes become more similar or more varied as graduates progress through their early careers?
Does completing a four-year degree reliably lead to living-wage earnings within the first five years?
How much does a student’s field of study appear to shape their early economic trajectory?
Curiosity:
Questions this visualization raises
Which specific programs account for the highest wage outcomes in year five?
What occupations and industries do graduates from those programs enter?
Which programs remain furthest below the living-wage threshold?
Do those programs eventually reach living-wage earnings beyond the five-year window?
Are low early wages a temporary feature of career entry, or do they reflect persistent structural underpayment?
How do wage trajectories differ by campus?
How do outcomes vary by race, gender, family income, age, disability, or first-generation college status?
Are graduates working in jobs related to their academic programs?
How many graduates are underemployed or working in positions that do not typically require a bachelor’s degree?
How do student debt and education costs affect the practical value of the wages shown?
Are graduates from lower-wage programs more likely to pursue additional education?
Are they more likely to leave Hawaiʻi, and if so, do their earnings improve after relocating?
Do the wage records exclude graduates who move out of state, potentially changing how program outcomes appear?
Which programs combine relatively strong earnings with high completion rates and manageable costs?
What information should students receive before choosing a major or enrolling in a program?
Are program-level wage outcomes improving or declining for more recent graduating classes?
Youth Perspective
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