Two Recent Analyses Demonstrate UH Education Pays Grads Back
Stellar academics, strong career prospects for graduates and affordability are among the reasons the 葫芦影业 has been featured in The Princeton Review鈥檚 2017 edition of 鈥�.鈥� In addition, a study released last month by the shows UH is among the best universities in the U.S. at turning low-income students into top earners.
At UH, 45 percent of undergraduates receive need-based scholarships or grants. Despite the challenges faced by many students, UH is among the best universities in the U.S. for return on investment and the upward mobility of its students.
鈥淗igher education is a big investment, but a degree from UH pays off鈥攐ur students tell us so and the data supports it,鈥� said UH President Renu Khator. 鈥淭he University is committed to affordability and value, and our graduates see the return on that investment with career opportunities and earnings.鈥�
UH graduates are among the most upwardly mobile in the U.S. UH was ranked among the highest selective public colleges for 鈥渟hare of students who moved from the bottom to the top income quintile鈥� in the recent study led by from Stanford, Brown and Harvard. The study collected data on 30 million college students from millions of anonymous tax records and compared peer institutions in economic diversity and student outcomes.
Outcomes
鈥渟elective public colleges鈥� in:
- highest median income for women at age 34
- share of students who ended up in the top 5 percent
- share of students who ended up in the top 10 percent
- highest average income percentile of a poor student
Mobility
- 4.9 percent of students at UH came from a poor family (bottom income quintile) but became a rich adult (top income quintile), compared to the average upward mobility rate for U.S. colleges of 1.9 percent.
- 32 percent of UH students moved up two or more income quintiles.
- UH鈥檚 overall mobility index was No. 38 out of the 369 selective public colleges.
In an effort to keep student debt low, the University offers a number of programs, including the Cougar Promise, which guarantees free tuition and mandatory fees to new in-state freshmen with family incomes at or below $45,000; UHin4, a four-year fixed rate tuition program; a $10,000 degree option; and a number of university-funded academic scholarships. In UH鈥檚 profile in the Princeton Review鈥檚 鈥淐olleges that Pay You Back,鈥� students describe UH鈥檚 financial aid packages as 鈥渃onsiderably higher than other institutions,鈥� and instrumental in 鈥渉elping bright kids from low-middle-income households build an optimistic future.
The Princeton Review chose the schools for 鈥淐olleges That Pay You Back鈥� (Penguin Random House / Princeton Review Books) based on ratings for 650 schools last year. The ratings weighted 40 data points that covered everything from academics, cost and financial aid to graduation rates, student debt and alumni salaries. Data from surveys of administrators and students in 2015-16 and from PayScale.com surveys of alumni conducted through April 2016 were also used in the ratings. According to PayScale.com, UH graduates with at least a bachelor's degree have a median starting salary of $51,600 and median mid-career salary of $85,700.
"We highly recommend the 葫芦影业, and all of our Colleges That Pay You Back schools. They stand out not only for their outstanding academics but also for their affordability via comparatively low sticker prices and/or generous financial aid to students with need 鈥� or both," said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review鈥檚 senior vice president/publisher and lead author of the book. "Students at these colleges also have access to extraordinary career services programs from their freshman year on, plus a lifetime of alumni connections and post-grad support."
- Shawn Lindsey