The median salary for a Roxbury Community College graduate five years after graduation is $58,807. For a graduate of Bunker Hill Community College, 5 miles away, the median salary is $73,433.
(The data, provided to the Globe by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, includes students who graduated between 2014 and 2018.)
There are differences between the Boston colleges. Roxbury is smaller than Bunker Hill and serves students who are more likely to be low-income, Black, or entering college as an adult. The schools offer different academic programs. But are there lessons Roxbury can learn from Bunker Hill about how to better support graduates in entering the workforce?
Amid an ongoing debate over the value of higher education, the Department of Higher Education for the first time released data on post-graduation earnings of public college graduates. The data is available through the state’s Performance Measurement Reporting System and in a report released Nov. 19.
As Americans are increasingly questioning whether college is worth the money, the answer provided by this report — a resounding yes — is important. The report finds that five years after graduation, the typical Massachusetts public college graduate with an associate’s degree will earn approximately $20,000 more a year than a typical high school graduate, while a bachelor’s degree holder will earn $30,000 more.
As Governor Maura Healey said at a State House press conference, college degrees can be tools of economic mobility. “They’re equalizers, tickets to the middle class and far beyond,” Healey said.
But equally important is the report’s nuances, which suggest the value of a degree also depends on what you study and where.
Higher education leaders and policy makers should dig into the data to figure out where improvements are needed. How do colleges ensure more students complete, not just start, college? Do universities adequately inform students about the wage implications of their chosen major? How do schools expand course offerings in high-wage and high-demand majors while doing a better job connecting students in low-wage majors to jobs? Colleges can learn from one another about what works.
Unsurprisingly, one predictor of post-graduation wages is field of study. Someone who earns an associate’s degree from a Massachusetts public college who majored in health sciences will earn a median salary of $76,480 five years after graduation, while the median salary of someone with an associate’s degree in education is $45,400. The median salary for someone with a bachelor’s degree in health care or a STEM field (science, technology, engineering, and math) is more than $85,000, while those with bachelor’s degrees in arts and humanities or education will earn a median salary under $60,000, the report found.
Of course, high wages aren’t the only reason someone enters a field. Massachusetts desperately needs more early educators and special educators, and someone who loves teaching children should be encouraged to study education. But it’s also important that students choosing a major know the wage data and can make an informed decision.
Additionally, the data could be a tool for colleges to shape their programs. Perhaps colleges seeking to be engines of economic mobility could expand programs in health care, the trades, and STEM. College administrators running programs in arts and humanities could redouble their efforts to craft experiential learning experiences, allowing students to gain real-world skills and connections that make it easier to find jobs.
Bunker Hill Community College, for example, got a grant to fund internships for 300 liberal arts students. Bunker Hill president Pam Eddinger (who holds a degree in Japanese literature) said there is a need for students trained in both sciences and liberal arts. “The goal is not that you choose one or the other but how to get the liberal arts grads connected into career in a more meaningful way,” Eddinger told the editorial board.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy has the highest median wage five years after graduation for all public colleges, $98,418. The college is unique because of its focus on maritime trades along with engineering, emergency services, and STEM. Mass Maritime President Rear Admiral Francis McDonald said every degree is aimed at making students employable upon graduation. Every student does a six-month work experience, and they participate in military-style leadership training.
Beyond that, the University of Massachusetts, which is more selective in admissions than other public colleges, generally has the highest post-graduation wages, ranging from $73,000 to $81,000 depending on the campus. The other colleges’ post-graduation earnings range from a median salary of around $54,000 five years post-graduation at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Holyoke Community College, and Bristol Community College to a median salary of more than $70,000 at Berkshire and Bunker Hill community colleges and Worcester State University.
The report also found that simply enrolling in postsecondary education doesn’t drive a meaningful gain in earnings; only completing a degree does.
As this board has argued previously, public colleges and universities must do more to help students graduate. In addition to the significant financial aid Massachusetts already offers, schools should provide services like academic advising, tutoring, and help with unexpected financial expenses. Colleges can work to schedule classes at convenient times for students and ensure students can easily enroll in required courses.
The new data suggest that attending public college can provide a strong return on investment. But colleges should always be seeking ways to enhance that payoff.
Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us @GlobeOpinion.