Business Administration, Management and Operations at University of Hawaii at Hilo

University of Hawaii at Hilo's business program produces graduates earning $36,810 in their first year—about $9,000 below the Hawaii median and nearly $9,000 less than what graduates earn from the state's flagship Manoa campus. While this places the program at the 40th percentile statewide, it falls to just the 14th percentile nationally, meaning 86% of business programs across the country deliver stronger initial earnings. For context, graduates from University of Phoenix-Hawaii's business program earn $58,000, nearly 60% more.

The program does offer one significant advantage: extraordinarily low debt. At $18,500, graduates carry about $1,500 less than Hawaii's state median and roughly $7,500 below the national average. This creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.50, which is manageable—most graduates should be able to handle monthly loan payments without severe financial strain. Earnings do grow 11% by year four, reaching $40,698, though this remains well below what peers at other Hawaii schools achieve much earlier.

For Hawaii families planning to keep their student in-state, this program represents a budget option that avoids crushing debt but doesn't position graduates competitively in the job market. If your child can gain admission to UH Manoa (similar selectivity) or Hawaii Pacific, the earnings advantage would likely justify modestly higher debt loads.