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Best Colleges in Hawaii

Best Colleges in Hawaii

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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.

Best Colleges in Hawaii

Best Colleges in Hawaii

A−

Rating

#1 Best Colleges in Hawaii

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, HI | https://manoa.hawaii.edu/

84%

Acceptance

20,702

Students

#407

Ranking

$34K

Tuition

B+

Rating

#2 Best Colleges in Hawaii

Brigham Young University-Hawaii

Laie, HI | www.byuh.edu/

75%

Acceptance

3,583

Students

#598

Ranking

$6K

Tuition

C

Rating

#3 Best Colleges in Hawaii

Chaminade University of Honolulu

Honolulu, HI | https://www.chaminade.edu/

89%

Acceptance

2,649

Students

#1301

Ranking

$27K

Tuition

C

Rating

#4 Best Colleges in Hawaii

Hawaii Medical College

Honolulu, HI | www.hmi.edu/

0%

Acceptance

864

Students

#1348

Ranking

$26K

Tuition

D+

Rating

#5 Best Colleges in Hawaii

University of Hawaii at Hilo

Hilo, HI | https://hilo.hawaii.edu/

74%

Acceptance

3,889

Students

#1684

Ranking

$21K

Tuition

D+

Rating

#6 Best Colleges in Hawaii

Hawaii Pacific University

Honolulu, HI | https://www.hpu.edu/

81%

Acceptance

5,274

Students

#1696

Ranking

$29K

Tuition

D+

Rating

#7 Best Colleges in Hawaii

Kauai Community College

Lihue, HI | https://www.kauai.hawaii.edu/

0%

Acceptance

1,829

Students

#1818

Ranking

$8K

Tuition

D

Rating

#8 Best Colleges in Hawaii

Kapiolani Community College

Honolulu, HI | https://www.kapiolani.hawaii.edu/

0%

Acceptance

9,547

Students

#1966

Ranking

$8K

Tuition

D

Rating

#9 Best Colleges in Hawaii

University of Hawaii-West Oahu

Kapolei, HI | https://westoahu.hawaii.edu/

95%

Acceptance

4,086

Students

#2002

Ranking

$21K

Tuition

F

Rating

#10 Best Colleges in Hawaii

Honolulu Community College

Honolulu, HI | https://www.honolulu.hawaii.edu/

0%

Acceptance

4,852

Students

#2437

Ranking

$8K

Tuition

F

Rating

#11 Best Colleges in Hawaii

Leeward Community College

Pearl City, HI | www.leeward.hawaii.edu/

0%

Acceptance

10,085

Students

#2542

Ranking

$8K

Tuition

F

Rating

#12 Best Colleges in Hawaii

Hawaii Community College

Hilo, HI | www.hawaii.hawaii.edu/

0%

Acceptance

3,372

Students

#2591

Ranking

$8K

Tuition

F

Rating

#13 Best Colleges in Hawaii

University of Hawaii Maui College

Kahului, HI | maui.hawaii.edu/

0%

Acceptance

4,311

Students

#2689

Ranking

$8K

Tuition

F

Rating

#14 Best Colleges in Hawaii

Windward Community College

Kaneohe, HI | https://windward.hawaii.edu/

0%

Acceptance

4,218

Students

#2703

Ranking

$8K

Tuition

F

Rating

#15 Best Colleges in Hawaii

Mauna Loa Helicopters

Kailua Kona, HI | maunaloahelicopters.com/

0%

Acceptance

36

Students

#3840

Ranking

$0

Tuition

F

Rating

#16 Best Colleges in Hawaii

Hawaii Institute of Hair Design

Honolulu, HI | www.hihdhawaii.net/

0%

Acceptance

97

Students

#3875

Ranking

$0

Tuition

F

Rating

#17 Best Colleges in Hawaii

Paul Mitchell the School-Honolulu

Honolulu, HI | paulmitchell.edu/honolulu

0%

Acceptance

181

Students

#4245

Ranking

$0

Tuition

F

Rating

#18 Best Colleges in Hawaii

Pacific Rim Christian University

Honolulu, HI | https://www.pacrim.edu/#home

60%

Acceptance

177

Students

#4389

Ranking

$12K

Tuition

F

Rating

#19 Best Colleges in Hawaii

IBS School of Cosmetology and Massage

Kahului, HI | ibs-hi.com/

0%

Acceptance

87

Students

#5046

Ranking

$0

Tuition

F

Rating

#20 Best Colleges in Hawaii

University of Phoenix-Hawaii

Kapolei, HI | https://www.phoenix.edu/

0%

Acceptance

249

Students

#5591

Ranking

$10K

Tuition

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