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2024 Best Colleges in Hawaii

12 Colleges
$43,747 Avg Salary*
31% Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*

With all of the options you have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Top Hawaii Colleges ranking is part of that endeavor.

Our analysis looked at 12 schools in Hawaii to determine which ones were the best in terms of overall quality. To come up with this ranking, we look at more than 20 factors that are all objective measurements. These factors include freshman retention, graduation rate, student-to-faculty ratio, and post graduate earnings, among other things.

Find out more about our ranking methodology.

Customizing Your List

We know that one set of rankings doesn't always help you determine the best school for you, so we've created the ability to narrow your list by location and field of study as well as alternative rankings that prioritize different factors such as those of importance to veterans and returning adults or those who value diversity and value for your money.

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One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head!

Top Colleges in Hawaii

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

1

Our analysis found Honolulu Community College to be the best school for overall quality in Hawaii in this year’s ranking.Honolulu, Hawaii is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 756 students in 2020-2021.

The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Honolulu CC is $40,612 during the early years of their career.

Read full report on Honolulu Community College

2

Out of the 12 schools in Hawaii that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Hawaii at Manoa landed the #2 spot on the list. UH Manoa is a public institution located in Honolulu, Hawaii. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4,461 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $52,862 during the early years of their career..

Full University of Hawaii at Manoa Report

3

The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Brigham Young University - Hawaii helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in Hawaii. BYU - H is located in Laie, Hawaii and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 759 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from BYU - H is $49,232 during the early years of their career.

Full Brigham Young University - Hawaii Report

4

A rank of #4 on our Best Colleges in Hawaii list means Chaminade University of Honolulu is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Chaminade University of Honolulu is a private not-for-profit institution located in Honolulu, Hawaii. The school has a small population, and it awarded 653 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Chaminade University of Honolulu go into careers with an average salary of $44,647 during the early years of their career.

Read More…

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Kapiolani Community College. The school came in at #5 in Hawaii on this year’s overall quality ranking. This medium-sized public school is located in Honolulu, Hawaii, and it awarded 1,084 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Kapiolani CC is $44,467 during the early years of their career.

Read full report on Kapiolani Community College

6

With a ranking of #6, Hawaii Pacific University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in Hawaii list. Hawaii Pacific University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Honolulu, Hawaii that handed out 777 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. During the early years of their career, graduates from Hawaii Pacific University make an average of $56,483 a year.

Full Hawaii Pacific University Report

7

University of Hawaii - West Oahu did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges in Hawaii ranking, coming in at #7. University of Hawaii - West Oahu is a small public school located in Kapolei, Hawaii that handed out 706 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. During the early years of their career, graduates from UH West Oahu make an average of $48,268 a year.

Read More…

8
Leeward CC crest
Leeward Community College
Pearl City, Hawaii

Leeward Community College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Colleges in Hawaii list.Pearl City, Hawaii is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,293 students in 2020-2021.

The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Leeward CC is $38,747 during the early years of their career.

Read full report on Leeward Community College

9

University of Hawaii Maui College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges in Hawaii ranking, coming in at #9. UH Maui College is a small public school situated in Kahului, Hawaii. It awarded 572 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. During the early years of their career, graduates from UH Maui College make an average of $39,250 a year.

Full University of Hawaii Maui College Report

10

University of Hawaii at Hilo did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges in Hawaii ranking, coming in at #10. UH Hilo is a small public school situated in Hilo, Hawaii. It awarded 775 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

During the early years of their career, graduates from UH Hilo make an average of $43,823 a year.

Read full report on University of Hawaii at Hilo

11

Hawaii Community College landed the #11 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in Hawaii ranking.Hilo, Hawaii is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 530 students in 2020-2021.

Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $31,054 during the early years of their career..

Read More…

12

With a ranking of #12, Windward Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in Hawaii list. Windward CC is located in Kaneohe, Hawaii and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 279 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.

Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Windward CC make an average of $35,517 per year during the early years of their career.

Full Windward Community College Report

Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region

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Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 12 schools only.

References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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