by our College Data Analytics TeamIf you’re seeking a diverse and multi-faceted college experience, you’ve come to the right place. We have ranked 20 institutions ranked on economic diversity in Hawaii, using our 2026 methodology.
This ranking is based on the economic backgrounds of the student body (the mix of income levels). So you can compare your options, College Factual analyzed 20 colleges, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Diversity means different things to different students. Narrow your list by location, or explore the overall, racial-ethnic, gender, economic, and age diversity rankings, or other rankings below.
Ready to build your own comparison? We built a tool called College Combat to weigh schools on the factors you care about most.
Learn more about these economically diverse colleges below:
Chaminade University of Honolulu earned the #1 spot in this year's Most Economically Diverse Colleges ranking in Hawaii. On economic diversity, it scores 99.0 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 84.6, with a gender-diversity score of 85.4.
Kauai Community College came in at #2 on this year's Most Economically Diverse Colleges ranking in Hawaii. Kauai Community College scores 99.0 out of 100 for economic diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 73.1, and gender diversity 94.7.
Hawaii Community College came in at #3 on this year's Most Economically Diverse Colleges ranking in Hawaii. Hawaii Community College scores 99.0 out of 100 for economic diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 74.9, and gender diversity 93.7.
You'll find a welcoming community at Hawaii Medical College, which ranked #4 this year. Hawaii Medical College scores 99.0 out of 100 for economic diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 74.9, and gender diversity 42.2.
Out of the 20 colleges in Hawaii in this year's ranking, Hawaii Institute of Hair Design landed the #5 spot. The school's economic diversity score is 98.6 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 75.1, with a gender-diversity score of 98.2.
University of Hawaii at Hilo came in at #6 in this year's ranking. It scores 98.6 out of 100 for economic diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 78.0, alongside a 93.7 gender-diversity score.
Makana Esthetics Wellness Academy ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the most economically diverse colleges. On economic diversity, it scores 98.6 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 74.4, with a gender-diversity score of 7.0.
University of Hawaii-West Oahu ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the most economically diverse colleges. On economic diversity, it scores 94.3 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 67.2, and gender diversity 92.9.
Windward Community College landed the #9 spot in Hawaii this year. Windward Community College scores 94.3 out of 100 for economic diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 74.7, and gender diversity 92.8.
Hawaii Pacific University placed #10 among the most economically diverse colleges in Hawaii. The school's economic diversity score is 91.5 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 86.7, and gender diversity 94.5.
Leeward Community College landed the #11 spot in Hawaii this year. On economic diversity, it scores 91.5 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 70.4, alongside a 96.2 gender-diversity score.
University of Hawaii Maui College landed the #12 spot in Hawaii this year. On economic diversity, it scores 91.5 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 74.5, and gender diversity 91.0.
Kapiolani Community College ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the most economically diverse colleges. The school's economic diversity score is 85.5 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 75.2, with a gender-diversity score of 93.1.
University of Hawaii at Manoa placed #14 among the most economically diverse colleges in Hawaii. The school's economic diversity score is 84.2 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 76.8, with a gender-diversity score of 96.6.
Honolulu Community College ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the most economically diverse colleges. It scores 84.2 out of 100 for economic diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 72.3, with a gender-diversity score of 99.9.
Pacific Rim Christian University ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the most economically diverse colleges. Pacific Rim Christian University scores 84.2 out of 100 for economic diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 87.6, and gender diversity 99.9.
IBS School of Cosmetology and Massage came in at #17 in this year's ranking. IBS School of Cosmetology and Massage scores 82.7 out of 100 for economic diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 76.8, and gender diversity 34.6.
University of Phoenix-Hawaii placed #18 among the most economically diverse colleges in Hawaii. On economic diversity, it scores 72.2 out of 100.
Brigham Young University-Hawaii landed the #19 spot in Hawaii this year. It scores 61.0 out of 100 for economic diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 69.2, alongside a 98.1 gender-diversity score.
Mauna Loa Helicopters ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the most economically diverse colleges. Mauna Loa Helicopters scores 0.0 out of 100 for economic diversity.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
We measure this ranking on the economic backgrounds of the student body (the mix of income levels). The racial-ethnic minorities percentage is calculated by taking the total number of students, subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity is unknown, and dividing by total enrollment.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition.
References
See our data sources and methodologies.
