Have you ever wondered what graduates of Roxbury Community College earn with a computer and information science degree? Or what graduates of UMass Amherst make with a psychology degree versus a business degree? Or salaries of graduates from some other public college with a different degree? There’s a free, online tool that tells you!
What is PSEO Explorer?
The US Census Bureau developed the Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) Explorer tool to show earnings and employment outcomes for US public college and university graduates. It gathers this data through collaborations with universities, state education departments, and labor market information offices, supplemented by various surveys. The PSEO Explorer can help you explore the earnings of public college graduates by degree level, degree major, and postsecondary institution.
How to Use PSEO Explorer Data
College graduates’ earnings should be a key consideration for all students and families, but especially for low-income students, as they consider which programs and institutions to enroll in. The PSEO Explorer tool lets you filter information by college/university, degree level (certificate, associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral), degree major, cohort, and more.
The PSEO Explorer displays earnings data for graduates one year, five years, and ten years after graduation¹. You can download state-specific datasets for a comprehensive view of all partner state universities in the United States.
When analyzing the PSEO Explorer data, ask yourself:
- Will graduates of X degree program earn a livable wage?
- Will they see a good economic return on their college investment?
The answers to these questions can help assess whether a program is of high value in the regional labor market.
Another Essential Resource: College Scorecard
Another valuable tool in assessing the worth of a degree is the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard. This tool offers detailed information on various postsecondary institutions and programs, including median loan debt on different college programs.
How the PSEO Explorer & College Scorecard Differ
Why Earnings Data Matters
Data on expected earnings may help students make more informed decisions and better understand the potential return on their educational investment. While money should never be the only consideration when deciding where to enroll or what to study, understanding potential earnings relative to the cost of a postsecondary credential is especially important for students without a financial safety net. Most young people attend college to earn a credential that leads to a family-sustaining career. Providing students with clear information about what graduates of specific college programs typically earn may empower them to reach for goals and make wiser financial and postsecondary decisions.
¹The most recent PSEO data is adjusted to 2021 dollars.
Susan Goldberger is a co-founder of NextGen Talent and provides pro bono product management services for NextGen’s data products. She also serves as a Senior Project Manager at the Burning Glass Institute, a non-profit data analytics firm focused on advancing the goals of equity and inclusion in the new economy. Susan holds a Ph.D. in Social Policy from the Heller School and a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University.
