Episode 2:

System level trends

The canopy
What Can We Learn About What’s Working across the uh system as a whole?

Drawing on wage and retention data up to ten years after graduation, this section surfaces broad patterns in economic mobility and staying power — helping us understand not just what kinds of jobs graduates get, but whether those jobs are enough to keep them rooted in Hawaiʻi.

Rather than focusing on performance comparisons, this view helps surface patterns — revealing bright spots, bottlenecks, and points of leverage that can inform future investments. The goal of this episode is simple: use the data we already have to get clearer about where opportunities exist, who can access them, and what questions we still need to answer. This system-level view helps set the stage.

This section is guided by the following core questions:

How long does it take for different degrees to lead to a living wage?
Which programs are helping graduates stay in Hawaiʻi — and which ones see more outmigration?
Are the highest-value opportunities reaching large numbers of students — or just a select few?
And what might it take to connect more learners to strong, rooted careers?

system Level Guiding questions

Context: it’s not about one institution…it’s systemic

Hawaiʻi’s underemployment challenge isn’t just about a single campus or program — it’s structural. The question is bigger than assessing the performance of a single institution but rather: how well does our state economy reward educational attainment at all?
Recent ROI data from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce shows that Hawaiʻi institutions — both public and private — offer returns on investment that are roughly in line with national averages, especially considering the relatively low cost of in-state tuition. For example:
Chaminade University: $108K
Hawaiʻi Pacific University: $119K
UH Mānoa: $201K
UH West Oʻahu: $202K
For context, the national median 10-year ROI for public institutions is:

$174K for public bachelor’s degrees
$232K for associate’s degrees
$233K for certificates

These figures show that the value of a degree from a Hawaiʻi institution is comparable — and in some cases favorable — when factoring in tuition affordability. Yet despite that, too many local graduates still struggle to find jobs that match their training or enable them to build a life here.

This suggests that the challenge is about something bigger than the education system — it’s in our labor market and how education and labor market align. Too many jobs in Hawaiʻi remain low-wage, even in sectors that require degrees or advanced skills. Our economy structurally undervalues credentials in ways that erode the long-term return on education — especially for students who aspire to not just have a good job but to have a good job in Hawaiʻi.

This episode focuses on understanding outcomes across the UH System — not to pass judgment on any one institution, but because this is the most complete dataset available. If we had similar wage outcome data from other Hawaiʻi colleges, we’d expect to see comparable trends.

Note: Beyond this visualization, we will only focus on the University of Hawai’i system because that is where the wage outcome is data is available.

1A. From graduation to paycheck

This is our first glimpse into which degrees may be leading to better outcomes — and when. It also shows how long it can take for even the “successful” programs to pay off. When we talk about underemployment, this is what it looks like on the ground: talented, college-educated people working jobs that don’t yet provide economic stability.
And while this chart reflects only a subset of graduates — those working full-time and found in the wage records — it offers a powerful starting point for understanding what kinds of pathways are already working for local learners. It also helps illuminate the flip side of underemployment: not just a problem of not enough good jobs, but a system that delays economic payoff even for those who do everything “right.”

No UH four-year degree leads to a living wage in the first year after graduation. Some programs cross the line by Year 3 or 4 — but most don’t by Year 5.

Year One is sobering: Not a single four-year program in the UH system shows median earnings above the living wage threshold in the first year after graduation. Even the highest-earning program at this stage — Engineering and Engineering-Related Technologies — sits just under $61,000/year, with a very small graduate pool.
By Year Two, a few green dots start to appear. Electrical Engineering, Dental Support Services, Computer Engineering, and Registered Nursing are among the first to cross the threshold — but they’re the exceptions, not the rule.
- By Year Three and Four, we begin to see more programs climbing above the line: Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Design, Special Education and Teaching, and Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies. These represent a mix of STEM and public-sector fields with growing wage potential — but again, many programs still lag.
By Year Five, the pattern solidifies: A small group of programs produce living-wage jobs for the average graduate. But a large cluster of degree programs — especially in arts, humanities, social sciences, and service fields — remain below the line. For many graduates, even five years into their career, their wages aren’t keeping pace with the cost of living in Hawaiʻi.

1B. How many grads are earning enough?

This chart introduces a critical systems-level tension: some of the highest-value degrees in Hawaiʻi reach only a small number of people. Whether that’s due to limited program capacity, low student awareness, or workforce bottlenecks, the result is the same — we aren’t maximizing the potential of the programs that work.

At the same time, programs with high enrollment may reflect cultural values, interest areas, or institutional momentum — but if they aren’t leading to living-wage outcomes, we have to ask: What other supports or pathways need to be layered in to help graduates thrive? Hawaiʻi doesn’t just need more good jobs — it needs more people connected to them. And this chart helps us begin to ask: Where are the leverage points to scale what’s working?

Many of the degree programs that lead to living wages serve fewer than 500 students. What would it take to expand access to those opportunities?

As wages increase over time, we begin to see more programs cross the living wage threshold, but new patterns emerge.

The vast majority of living-wage-earning programs have fewer than 500 graduates over the full cohort.
Fields like Psychology, Biology, Business, and Social Work — which collectively graduate hundreds or even thousands of students — often sit firmly in the “below living wage” zone, even five years out.
Degree paths like Computer Engineering, Dental Support Services, Electrical Engineering, and Nursing appear consistently on the right side of the chart — but with modest graduate volumes. Some of this reflects real job market capacity. But it also raises a question: Could more learners be supported into these high-wage fields?

2. which degrees lead to a living wage within 5 years?

This chart answers one of the most common — and pressing — questions we hear from students, parents, and counselors: “What should I study if I want to stay in Hawaiʻi and earn enough to live?”

While the answer depends on more than just wage data, this chart provides a helpful baseline. It makes the structural challenge visible: even among college graduates, the economic payoff is not evenly distributed. And it invites a deeper conversation about how to build more equitable and viable pathways across a wider range of programs. A truly inclusive workforce strategy won’t just steer people into a narrow list of “high wage” fields — it will create ways for people in every field to earn a living and stay in Hawaiʻi if they choose.

By Year 5, a handful of UH programs cross the living wage line — but many don’t. Scroll to see which degrees offer the highest economic return.

In Year One, the entire chart sits below the living wage line. No program — even the best-paying ones — shows median earnings that meet the cost of living for a single adult in Hawaiʻi right after graduation.
By Year Two and Three, a few programs start to emerge above the line: Electrical Engineering, Nursing, Dental Support Services, Civil and Mechanical Engineering are among the early risers.
- By Year Four and Five, more programs join them — including Environmental Design, Special Education, and Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies.

3. wages VS. staying power

This chart invites viewers to reflect not only on what programs pay, but on which ones are most likely to lead to a life in Hawaiʻi. It challenges a false binary often heard in public discourse: “You can either do meaningful work here or earn a good wage somewhere else.” But the chart shows a more complex truth:

Some programs do offer both high wages and staying power.
Others offer neither.
And some offer strong roots, even without the wages — reminding us that people make decisions based on more than pay — a key theme of HWFC’s A Good Job in Hawaiʻi Report.

The goal isn’t just to push students into the green corner. It’s to expand the green corner — investing in job quality, career pathways, and economic infrastructure so more programs lead to both a good life and a life in Hawaiʻi.

🟢 At 1 Year:
- Most graduates are still in Hawaiʻi, across almost every program.
- But very few earn a living wage at this point — only health professions cross that threshold.
- Education grads stand out: 91% remain in Hawaiʻi, despite earning below the living wage.
- Philosophy, Math, and Natural Sciences have both low wages and lower rates of staying in Hawaiʻi.
🟡 At 5 Years:
- A few more programs cross the living wage threshold: Engineering, Computer Science, Architecture, and Health Professions.
- Some of the highest paying programs still show low retention, suggesting these grads may be leaving the islands for better opportunities.
Education still hasn’t reached living wage levels, but continues to anchor the high-retention corner of the chart.
🟢 At 10 Years:
- Many more programs reach a living wage.
- But now the chart begins to split:
  - Some high-wage programs show low geographic retention (e.g., Math, Physical Sciences, Multidisciplinary Studies).
  - Others, like Health Professions and Engineering, manage to achieve both: strong wages and strong staying power.
Education finally reaches the living wage line at 10 years, with 84% of grads still living in Hawaiʻi — a rare combination of purpose, stability, and place.

Ten years out, some degrees offer both high pay and staying power. Others don’t. Explore which programs land in the “green zone.”

4. which programs keep students in Hawaiʻi?

This horizontal bar chart shows which UH System four-year degree programs have the highest percentage of graduates still living in Hawaiʻi 5 and 10 years after graduation. While other visuals focus on wage outcomes, this chart lets you explore which pathways are most likely to lead to staying local — an equally important outcome for students and families.

By default, the chart displays data from 5 years after graduation, where the top programs for local retention include:

Education (85%)
Engineering (78%)
Public Administration and Social Services (76%)
Business, Marketing, and Related Fields (74%)
Psychology (73%)
Agricultural/Plant/Veterinary Sciences (72%)
Health Professions (72%)

When filtering to view data 10 years after graduation, Education continues to lead with 84% of graduates still in Hawaiʻi. Other high-retention programs include Family and Consumer Sciences, Engineering, and Public Administration and Social Services — pointing to sectors where graduates not only find work but are likely to stay rooted.

This visual invites deeper questions: Are these high-retention programs meeting workforce needs in Hawaiʻi? What can we learn from fields like education and public service about how to support students to stay and thrive locally?

5. Which programs see more graduates Leave Hawaiʻi?

Retention isn’t just about wages — it’s about belonging, opportunity, and system design. This data helps us identify where local ecosystems may not be keeping pace with the aspirations or needs of graduates. It also offers a way to target future workforce investments — especially if we want to retain talent in fields like environmental science, math, and public safety.

By pairing this chart with the previous one, Episode 2 provides a more complete picture of where our postsecondary systems are retaining, losing, or under-serving local talent. These trends raise important questions about where opportunity gaps exist, especially for graduates in fields like the sciences, law enforcement, and humanities. Some may be following graduate school or career opportunities elsewhere; others may be facing structural wage and hiring barriers in Hawaiʻi that push them to relocate.

Unlike the high-retention programs seen in the previous chart — which often align with public service, education, and community-rooted sectors — these fields may lack clear local pathways, mentorship pipelines, or stable employment options. The result is a quiet erosion of talent in sectors that could otherwise support a vibrant, locally-grounded workforce.

- Philosophy and Religious Studies has the lowest retention (27%)
- Physical Sciences and Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies also show low staying power (both at 39%)
- Other fields with relatively low local retention include Natural Resources and Conservation, History, and General Liberal Arts and Humanities
- Philosophy and Religious Studies remains the lowest (31%)
- Physical Sciences, Homeland Security and Law Enforcement, and Mathematics and Statistics all have fewer than 40% of graduates still in Hawaiʻi
- Notably, Communications Technology and Support Services drops to just 46%

6. The opportunity matrix

This chart shows that Hawaiʻi’s higher education system does deliver value — but that value is unevenly distributed, both across disciplines and in relation to our local economy.

Some high-wage programs serve too few students.
Some high-retention programs don’t pay enough.
Some of our best-paid grads are leaving the state.

All of this points to the need for coordinated, sector-specific strategies that focus not just on increasing degree completion, but on building pathways to living-wage, rooted opportunity...and leads us to the following questions:

How can we increase enrollment in high-opportunity programs?
Can low-wage, high-retention sectors (like teaching) be uplifted through better wages or working conditions?
Why are some high-paying sectors seeing higher outmigration — and what would it take to retain those grads locally?
How should we design new programs or wraparound supports to move more learners into the top-right quadrant?

This is the kind of data that enables shared understanding — and invites shared action.

In a later section of the episode, we’ll talk about what it would take to build on what’s working, fix what’s not, and fill in the gaps in our understanding through better, linked data.

These degrees lead to good-paying jobs that keep people in Hawaiʻi.
Programs like:
- Registered Nursing ($109K, 72% retention)
- Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering (all ~$77K–$86K, 78% retention)
- Special Education ($63K, 85% retention)
- Dental Support Services ($70K, 72% retention)
🌱 These are the green shoots of a resilient workforce. They’re the programs where investment today can create immediate value for learners, employers, and communities.
Degrees that lead to high salaries, but graduates are more likely to leave Hawaiʻi.
Programs like:
- Computer and Information Sciences ($67K, 53% retention)
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies ($69K, 39%)
- Environmental Design ($65K, 58%)
🔍 These raise important questions:
Are graduates leaving for better career advancement? Higher cost-of-living in Hawaiʻi? Or are these sectors not well-represented locally?
Degrees that don’t reach the living wage, but graduates stay rooted.
Programs like:
- Teacher Education and Professional Development ($59K, 85% retention)
- Accounting and Related Services ($57K, 74%)
- Public Administration and Social Work (under $51K, 76%)
❤️ This quadrant is a signal of values-based retention — graduates staying connected to mission-driven work despite wages not keeping pace with the cost of living. That’s powerful — but it also flags the need for job quality investments in some of our most essential sectors.
The most concerning zone: low wages and low likelihood of staying in Hawaiʻi.
Programs include:
- Philosophy & Religious Studies ($46K, 27%)
  Chemistry and Atmospheric Sciences (around $44K–$48K, ~39%)
- Graphic Communications and Journalism (~$40K–$50K, ~50%)
- Nutrition Sciences, English, Sports & Kinesiology
These programs may need pathway redesign, better advising, or improved labor market alignment. They’re not “bad programs” — but they highlight a structural disconnect between what students are studying and where opportunity exists locally.