Best Colleges in Hawaii
We’ve ranked the best colleges in Hawaii to help you find a school that matches with your academic and career interests.
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Hawaii’s beaches and island lifestyle attract people from around the world, but colleges in Hawaii have given students another reason to make the trip. Featuring more than two dozen colleges and universities, including some of the top schools in the country, Hawaii offers a blend of public and private two-year and four-year institutions.
Hawaii has made great strides toward improving educational outcomes in the state, with 46% of adults holding a college degree as of 2019 — approaching the state’s goal of 55% by 2025. Given its relatively small size, Hawaii residents and visiting students may not have the most schools to choose from, but there are several high-quality options. We ranked the best colleges in Hawaii to help degree-seekers find a school and program that fits their needs.
Related Programs That Might Interest You
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Best Accredited Colleges in Hawaii
How We Rank Schools
To create this ranking, BestColleges sourced the most recent data available from the National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. We then ranked each school according to the top variables college students selected in our College Choice and Admissions Survey. To learn more, check out our full rankings methodology or read the summary below.
To qualify for our rankings lists, each school must be an accredited public or private, nonprofit institution. Each eligible school was then ranked based on a formula measuring:
- Affordability (30%)
- Student outcomes (30%)
- Reputation (20%)
- Diversity and social mobility (20%)
In addition, we only included colleges with graduation rates in the top third of all online colleges.
University of Hawaii-West Oahu
Kapolei, HI4 yearCampus + Online
$7,344
$20,304
96%
96%
N/A
N/A
69%
2,913
Public
Yes
$7,344
$20,304
Kapolei, HI4 yearCampus + Online
$7,344
$20,304
96%
96%
N/A
N/A
69%
2,913
Public
Yes
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Honolulu, HI4 yearCampus + Online
$11,304
$33,336
73%
14%
$15,600
$33,648
79%
19,074
Public
Yes
$11,304
$33,336
Honolulu, HI4 yearCampus + Online
$11,304
$33,336
73%
14%
$15,600
$33,648
79%
19,074
Public
Yes
Chaminade University of Honolulu
Honolulu, HI4 yearCampus + Online
$28,430
$28,430
93%
67%
$25,200
$25,200
71%
1,892
Private
Yes
$28,430
$28,430
Honolulu, HI4 yearCampus + Online
$28,430
$28,430
93%
67%
$25,200
$25,200
71%
1,892
Private
Yes
University of Hawaii at Hilo
Hilo, HI4 yearCampus
$7,344
$20,304
84%
83%
$11,736
$26,568
68%
2,977
Public
Yes
$7,344
$20,304
Hilo, HI4 yearCampus
$7,344
$20,304
84%
83%
$11,736
$26,568
68%
2,977
Public
Yes
Top Degree Programs in Hawaii
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