Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Hawaii Pacific University

Hawaii Pacific University's liberal arts bachelor's program sits in an awkward spot: the estimated $27,000 debt load equals the national median, but comparable programs in Hawaii typically produce first-year earnings of just $24,831—nearly $12,000 below the national figure this estimate is based on. That's a significant gap for a state where the cost of living runs high and educational outcomes in this field vary wildly, from University of Hawaii-West Oahu's $29,588 down to UH Manoa's $20,074.

The 0.74 debt-to-earnings ratio looks manageable on paper when you're using national benchmarks, but it's less reassuring when you consider that Hawaii's liberal arts graduates often earn substantially less than their mainland counterparts. If this program performs closer to the state median than the national one, you're looking at debt nearly equal to a full year's salary—a tougher proposition for someone paying Honolulu rent. With only six schools offering this degree in Hawaii and data suppressed for most, there's genuine uncertainty about where Hawaii Pacific falls in that range.

Before committing to this program, your family needs clarity on actual graduate outcomes from Hawaii Pacific specifically. Contact their career services office and ask for employment data: where recent liberal arts graduates are working, what they're earning, and how long it took them to find jobs. The numbers here suggest middle-of-the-road value at best, but in Hawaii's unique economy, you need more than national estimates to make an informed choice.