A project linking student data from the Regents for Higher Education and employment information from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission allows officials to see how degree earners enter and move through the workforce, along with their pay as they enter and work their way up the career ladder.
Regents for Higher Education Vice Chancellor of Economic and Workforce Development Tony Hutchison described the data sharing system at a recent meeting of the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.
Oklahoma is one of 33 states in which higher education officials have access to data elements from the state labor/workforce agency, Hutchison said.
From the data, the regents produce the Employment Outcomes Report, which analyzes employment data for graduates of Oklahoma public colleges and universities one year and five years after graduation.
The most recent report shows 81 percent of students who received a bachelor’s degree in 2008-2009 were employed in Oklahoma one year after graduation.
One year after graduation, the degree earners’ salaries range from $16,871 for students who received associates in arts or science to $57,939 for those with professional degrees.
Five years out, associates in arts or science degree recipients continue to have the lowest salaries at $27,394 annually and professional degree recipients hold the top pay at $96,272 per year, the data shows.
Hutchison said 2004-2005 bachelor’s degree recipients employed in Oklahoma were earning $40,654 on average five years after graduation.