More Hawaiʻi Residents Are Graduating From College

The number of Hawaiʻi residents who hold a college degree is growing, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

According to a press release from the University of Hawaiʻi, about 46 percent of working age adults in Hawaiʻi have earned a two-or-four-year college degree, a 1.4 percent increase from 2017.

The Hawaiʻi P-20 council, an advisory council of education, business, and government leaders, is hoping that figure reaches 55 percent by 2025. The council set that goal back in 2008.

With six years remaining to until the deadline, the council launched a new dashboard to highlight the stateʻs progress in reaching the goal.

The dashboard shows that more students are graduating from high school, college enrollment rates are rising, and more high school graduates are enrolling in postsecondary education without the need for remediation.

Other findings indicate that college retention rates are higher and more underrepresented students, particularly Native Hawaiians, are enrolling in college and earning degrees.

To help Hawaiʻi reach its 55 by ʻ25 goal, the council is urging for more scholarship opportunities and more funding for UHʻs Hawaiʻi Promise Program, which helps cover education costs for students in need.