HONOLULU (KHON2) — For students at the University of Hawaiʻi, choosing a major often starts with interest. But things like long-term earnings vary widely across fields.
Some of the most popular majors lead to strong job prospects, while others rank amongst the lowest paying nationwide.
KHON2.com did a comparison of UH’s most popular majors with data on the highest and lowest earning degrees and careers.
Top 10 most popular majors at UH Mānoa
- Exploratory/Pre-Business.
- Kinesiology (Health & Exercise Science).
- Psychology.
- Biology.
- Computer Science.
- Exploratory (Undecided).
- Marine Biology.
- Mechanical Engineering.
- Pre-Engineering.
- Pre-Nursing.
Degrees with the highest median earnings nationwide
- Chemical Engineering.
- Computer Engineering.
- Aerospace Engineering.
- Electrical Engineering.
- Mechanical Engineering.
- Computer Science.
- Finance.
- Industrial Engineering.
- General Engineering.
- Miscellaneous Engineering.
Highest paying careers for college grads
- Surgery.
- Psychiatry.
- Physician/Specialist.
- Oral Medicine.
- Nurse Anesthetist.
- Computer Network Architect.
- IT Manager.
- Pharmacist.
- Petroleum Engineer.
- Nurse Practitioner.
Degrees with the lowest median earnings nationwide
- Liberal Arts.
- Performing Arts.
- Theology and Religion.
- Leisure and Hospitality.
- General Social Sciences.
- History.
- Miscellaneous Biological Sciences.
- Fine Arts.
- Treatment Therapy.
- Nutrition Sciences.
How popular UH majors compare with national income data
Computer science:
Its popularity is ranked #5 for UH students; and it’s ranked #6 for national income rank.
National income rank: #6 highest paying major.
Amongst the careers available to computer science majors are IT manager, which ranks at #7, and network architects, which comes in at #6, for highest paying careers for recent college graduates.
This major is both popular and high earning. Students interested in tech will find strong job prospects in Hawaiʻi and beyond.
Mechanical engineering:
This degree’s popularity is ranked #8 for UH students. Its national income rank comes in at #5 for highest paying university major.
This major also offers avenues to access careers in general and industrial engineering.
Mechanical engineering is in demand and leads to some of the highest starting salaries nationwide. UH students choosing this are on a strong financial path.
Pre-nursing and pore-medical tracks (biology, pre-nursing, kinesiology):
Biology comes in at #4, Kkinesiology at #2 and pre-nursing #10 for most popular majors at UH.
These degree paths also offer career opportunities for nurse anesthetist, which ranks at #5, Nurse Practitioner at #10 and Surgeon at #1 for highest paying careers for recent college graduates.
While undergraduate degrees in these fields may not pay much alone, they are common steppingstones to some of the top-earning health care careers that often require further education or advanced degrees.
Exploratory/pre-business:
This degree’s popularity ranks at #1 for UH students, and it offers access to jobs in finance which rank at #7 amongst highest paying majors
Business is a practical choice, but future earnings depend on specialization. Finance, accounting or information systems offer better salary outcomes than general business.
Psychology:
It comes in at #3 for most popular majors at UH; however, in order to earn a great salary, one needs to pursue an advanced degree via medical school to become a psychiatrist, which ranks at #2 for highest paying jobs for recent college graduates.
Psychology is a widely chosen major, but jobs with this degree alone tend to rank low in earnings. Advanced study is usually needed to increase income potential.
Marine biology and biology
These majors popularity at UH come in at #7 for Marine Biology and #4 for Biology. However, miscellaneous biological sciences rank #7 on the lowest-paying majors list.
These majors are often chosen for passion and interest in Hawaiʻi’s environment, but they tend to lead to lower-paying roles unless followed by graduate research or professional school.
Key comparison insights
- Overlap between popularity and high pay is limited. Only two of UH’s top 10 majors –computer science and mechanical engineering — appear on national lists of highest paying degrees.
- Health care careers offer long-term payoff but require years of additional education. Majors like biology, kinesiology and pre-nursing are popular because they lead toward top jobs like nurse anesthetist and physician.
- Several popular majors rank low in national income data. Psychology, biology and marine biology are common at UH but fall within fields that typically report lower starting salaries without advanced degrees.
- Business and engineering fields show the strongest earnings potential. Students entering finance, computer science and engineering disciplines are best positioned to enter high-paying careers directly after graduation and have the potential for long-term income growth throughout one’s career.
At UH, many students choose majors based on interests, familiarity or pre-professional goals. But when compared with national income data, only a few of those popular majors rank high in terms of post-graduation pay.
You can click here to learn more about the UH school system. You can click here and here to read more about the nationally ranked highest and lowest paid majors and jobs for recent graduates.
Students who are exploring their path need to weigh both personal interest and future earnings. This is especially if they plan to enter the job market after a bachelor’s degree.