Best Colleges in Hawaii

Why Should I Consider Studying in Hawaii?

Are you up for the challenge of trying to hunker down in the classroom for 4 years while trapped amongst white sand beaches on a tropical island? If so, Hawaii is waiting for you. Home to many of the world’s most renowned beaches, there’s beauty all around every single school in the state. From the Big Island to Maui and the smaller islands, the state can provide a truly one of a kind college experience filled with outdoor exploration, cultural richness, and impressive academics.

Located in Honolulu, the University of Hawaii is one of the state's oldest colleges, and is often considered the state’s flagship university. As a diverse public institution, there are now more than 20,000 students and the research opportunities are of an incredible breadth given how small the school is relative to other public university powerhouses. Right downtown students will find Hawaii Pacific University, one of several smaller, private universities that still manages to offer a deep array of degree choices and particularly graduate programs. There tends to be a strong focus on global studies, which can prove very enjoyable as there’s already such a rich culture among the residents of Hawaii.

The University of Hawaii at Hilo is on the island of Hawaii, and with less than 5,000 students it still boasts great science and arts programs and is a great private college selection. In regards to community colleges, the state is also filled with unique opportunities, Hawaii Community College being one such option that provides a more intimate environment. It’s located in Hilo and also happens to be Hawaii's oldest such 2 year college.

Hawaii Higher Education By The Numbers

Colleges in Hawaii

Hawaii has the 7th fewest colleges in America with 21 colleges. For reference, that's 97% fewer colleges than the leading state. 52% of colleges in Hawaii are public, and 48% of its colleges are private. (11 public colleges & 10 private colleges). It has the 8th highest public to private college ratio of any state.

Our favorite colleges in Hawaii are University of Hawaii at Manoa, Brigham Young University-Hawaii, and Chaminade University of Honolulu. University of Hawaii at Manoa has the most students of any public college in the top 25 colleges (20,702). Hawaii Pacific University has more students than all other private colleges in our top 25 (5,274).

Students in Hawaii

The most popular state has 3,747,479 college students. Hawaii has 3,667,391 fewer. There are 66,891 public college students and 13,197 private college students in Hawaii. It has fewer public college students than 39 states and fewer private college students than 44 states. Its 80,088 total students make it the 8th least popular locale in the USA. 84% of students in Hawaii go to public colleges which is the 15th highest percentage across the country.