Universities in Hawaii
The University of Hawaii (UH) is a public, co-educational institution that confers associate, bachelor, master, doctoral and post-doctoral degrees. It is the largest university in Hawaii, composed of three university campuses, seven community college campuses, four education centers, an employment training center and various other research facilities spread out over the entire state. The university is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Universities
- University of Hawaii at Manoa
- University of Hawaii at Hilo
- University of Hawaii – West Oahu
Community Colleges
- Hawaii Community College
- Honolulu Community College
- Kapiolani Community College
- Kauai Community College
- Maui Community College
- Windward Community College
Graduate Schools
- John A. Burns School of Medicine
- William S. Richardson School of Law
Research Facilities
- East-West Center
- Institute for Astronomy
- Lyon Arboretum
- Mauna Kea Observatory
- Waikiki Aquarium
Education Centers
- Molokai Education Center
- Lanai Education Center
- Hana Education Center
- Waianae Education Center
The University of Hawaii at Manoa is by far the largest campus and the flagship
of the University of Hawaii System. It’s located in Manoa, an urban community of
Honolulu on the island of Oahu, about three miles northeast from downtown Honolulu.
The university is governed by the Hawaii State Legislature and a semi-autonomous
twelve-member Board of Regents, which hires a president to be the administrator.
Founded in 1907 under the auspices of the Morrill Act as a land-grant college of
agriculture and mechanic arts, the University of Hawaii at Manoa today offers 87
bachelor’s degrees, 87 master’s degrees and 53 doctorates. Currently, more than
20,400 students are enrolled in Manoa courses. Of these, about 65 percent are undergraduates,
57 percent are of Asian or Pacific Islander ancestry and 56 percent are women.
Hawaii Pacific University (HPU) is a private, independent, co-educational,
non-sectarian, not-for-profit and career-oriented university located in downtown
Honolulu. Founded
in 1965, it is the largest private university in the central Pacific today.
The university has two main campuses, one in downtown Honolulu and the Hawaii Loa
campus, located near Castle Junction in Kaneohe. HPU also operates satellite campuses
on U.S. military bases, including Pearl Harbor, Hickam Air Force Base, Camp Smith,
Schofield Barracks, Tripler Army Medical Center and Kaneohe Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
Furthermore, the Oceanic Institute is affiliated with HPU, so students have access
to research programs in the marine and oceanic sciences.
The university is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges of
the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the National League for Nursing.
HPU is also a member of nationally recognized groups, such as the National League
of Nursing and the Executive MBA Council. HPU confers associate, bachelor and master
degrees.
The university is most noted for its diverse student body. The more than 9,000 students
come from all 50 U.S. states and over 100 countries. Students can choose from over
50 undergraduate degrees and 11 graduate degree programs. HPU’s largest academic
programs are in nursing and business administration.
Brigham Young University Hawaii (BYU Hawaii) is a private, co-educational
university located in Laie on Oahu’s windward coast, about 35 miles from Honolulu.
The university is affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
and named after the American religious leader, colonist and first territorial governor
of Utah and founder of Salt Lake City.
The university is an undergraduate institution serving some 2,400 students from
Asia, the Pacific Islands, the continental United States and other parts of the
world. Students come from over 70 countries. Nearly 50 percent of all students come
from foreign countries.
One of the prime institutions of BYU Hawaii is the Polynesian Cultural Center, the
largest living museum of Polynesian culture and traditions in the state of Hawaii.
The Center is also the number one paid tourist attraction in Hawaii. More than 30
percent of BYU Hawaii students work there as performers, guides, food service personnel
and in other positions to help pay for their educations.
Brigham Young University Hawaii features programs in business, education, computers,
technology, the sciences and fine arts, 24 degree programs in total. It is accredited
by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western
Association of Schools and Colleges.
Chaminade University of Honolulu is a private, co-educational, not-for-profit
university in Honolulu. It was founded in 1955 by the Society of Mary, a Roman Catholic
religious order also known as the Marianists. The university is named after Father
William Joseph Chaminade, a French priest and the group’s founder.
Located in Honolulu’s district of Kaimuki, Chaminade confers associate, bachelor
and master degrees in the arts and sciences. The university specializes in business,
communication, education, interior design, law and religious studies degree programs.
The university is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Total enrollment is over 2,750.
Argosy University is a private, co-educational university with locations
in 18 U.S. states. Argosy University Hawaii was founded in 1994. It confers bachelor,
master and doctoral degrees.
The campus is located in downtown Honolulu. The institution also has satellite locations
on Maui and in Hilo on the Big Island. Argosy University is accredited by the Higher
Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges
and Schools.
Hawaii Tokai International College (HTIC) is a two-year liberal arts college
located in Honolulu. It is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community
and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). HTIC
is the only campus in the U.S. of the Tokai University Educational System of Japan
(TES).
Currently, the college offers three academic programs: the College Preparatory program,
the Associate of Arts degree (Liberal Arts program) and the International Programs.
Honolulu University is a private, co-educational, not-for-profit institution
offering undergraduate and postgraduate distance learning degree programs. The university
was founded by Warren Walker as Golden State University in California and has been
in Hawaii since the early 1990s.
The institution is accredited by the Akademie fuer Internationale Kultur- und Wissenschaftsfoerderung
(APICS), which is located in Switzerland. Honolulu University is also a member of
the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE). However, Honolulu
University is not accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States
Secretary of Education.
The university claims to follow university models such as the Excelsior College
in New York or the Open University in England, but these are accredited institutions.
Its approach to learning is that knowledge can be gained in non-traditional settings
and college credit can be gained based upon assessment of former learning.
Honolulu University offers undergraduate, master and doctoral degrees and credit
for career and life-learning experiences. The institution’s programs are designed
primarily for career professionals or self-learners.
The International College and Graduate School is a private, co-educational,
Christian college and seminary located in Honolulu. Established by James R. Cook
and J. William Cook in 1971, the school grew out of the International Baptist Church
of Honolulu and Western Seminary, a theological institution located in Portland,
Oregon. It is accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges
and Schools.
In 2006, International College and Graduate School changed its name to Hawaii
Theological Seminary. The seminary confers the Certificate in Biblical Studies,
Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies, Master of Arts in Religion, Master of Divinity
and Doctor of Ministry.
Remington College – Honolulu Campus is a private, co-educational college
offering associate and bachelor degrees and diplomas in certain fields. The institution
is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools. Current
enrollment is 538.
The college offers degrees in business, computer science, electronics and the medical
field. It is located in downtown Honolulu. Remington College also has 21 other campuses
on the continental United States.
Heald College Honolulu is a private, co-educational, not-for-profit institution
offering associate degrees and certificate programs. Established in 1993, the Honolulu
Campus is conveniently located in the Ala Moana district of Honolulu. The college
offers degree programs in business, technology and healthcare. Each semester the
average enrollment is about 900. Heald College also has ten campuses on the U.S.
mainland. The institution is regionally accredited.
Established in 1973 by the late Mitsuru Omori, Hawaii Business College is
a private, co-educational institution located in Honolulu. The college confers associate
degrees in business, computer and healthcare. Current enrollment is about 350. Hawaii
Business College is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges
and Schools.
TransPacific Hawaii College is a private, co-educational institution offering
intensive ESL programs and associate degrees. The college’s goal is to educate international
students first in ESL (an intensive English language course that typically lasts
for six months) and then in a college-level curriculum so that they can complete
an American Associate of Arts degree after another 18 months. They are then prepared
to transfer to a 4-year college or university.
The college was founded in 1978 and was known as Kansai Gaidai Hawaii College. It
changed its name to TransPacific Hawaii College in 1998. The college is accredited
by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association
of Schools and Colleges. It is located in East Honolulu, about five miles (8 km)
east of Waikiki. TransPacific Hawaii College accepts applications from students
whose second language is English and whose goal is to transfer to a 4-year institution
in the United States or another country.
| University | Location | Tuition (2008/2009) |
| University of Hawaii at Manoa | Oahu | In-state: $5,952 per year, Out-of state: $16,608 per year (undergraduate tuition) |
| Hawaii Pacific University | Oahu | $13,900 per year ($14,400 for graduate) |
| Brigham Young University Hawaii | Oahu | $3,600 per year |
| Chaminade University of Honolulu | Oahu | $16,140 per year |
| Argosy University | Oahu | $500 to $985 per credit hour |
| Honolulu University | Oahu | $3,000 to $4,000 per year |
| Remington College | Oahu | $13,040 to $35,625 for entire programs |
| Heald College | Oahu | $9,900 per year |
| Hawaii Business College | Oahu | N/A |
| TransPacific Hawaii College | Oahu | $16,000 to $19,000 per year, $35,000 for entire program |
| Hawaii Tokai International College | Oahu | $3,000 per quarter |
| Hawaii Theological Seminary | Oahu | N/A |









