Hawaii Universities

Listed below are public and private colleges and universities in Hawaii, including tuition information:

University Location  Tuition & Fees (2016/2017)
University of Hawaii at Manoa Oahu Resident: $10,872 per year, Nonresident: $32,904 per year (undergraduate)
Resident: $15,288 per year, Nonresident: $36,768 per year (graduate)
Hawaii Pacific University Oahu $23,160 per year (undergraduate), $17,190 per year (graduate)
Chaminade University of Honolulu Oahu $23,310 per year (undergraduate), $18,600 per year (graduate)
Brigham Young University Hawaii Oahu $10,480 (2 semesters for non-LDS), $5,240 (2 semesters for LDS)
Argosy University Oahu $575-$578 per credit hour (undergraduate), $581-$1,197 per credit hour (graduate)
Hawaii Tokai International College Oahu $3,850 per quarter
Remington College Oahu Not available
Honolulu University Oahu $250-$500 per credit hour
LIGS University Oahu $5,000+ per program
Hawaii Theological Seminary Oahu Not available


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
  • Leeward Community College

Graduate Schools

  • John A. Burns School of Medicine
  • William S. Richardson School of Law
  • Shidler College of Business
  • School of Architecture

Research Facilities

  • East-West Center
  • Lyon Arboretum
  • Waikiki Aquarium
  • Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology
  • Pacific Biosciences Research Center
  • Cancer Research Center
  • Industrial Relations Center
  • Hawaii Natural Energy Institute
  • Water Resources Research Center
  • Institute for Astronomy
  • Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology

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 is located in Manoa, an urban community of Honolulu on the island of Oahu. 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 92 bachelor's degrees, 84 master's degrees and 51 doctoral degrees. Currently, more than 20,400 students are enrolled in Manoa courses. Of these, about 72 percent are undergraduates and about 7 percent are international students.

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 part of 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 7,400 students come from all 50 states and over 80 countries. Students can choose from over 50 undergraduate degrees and 14 graduate degree programs. HPU's largest academic programs are nursing and business administration.

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 Kaimuki, a Honolulu neighborhood, 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 2,700.

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 operated by 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 2,500 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. It is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

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 Kapolei. 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.


Remington College - Honolulu Campus is a private, co-educational college offering associate and bachelor degrees, as well as diplomas. The institution is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges. The college is located in downtown Honolulu. Remington College also has campuses on the continental United States.

Honolulu University is a private, not-for-profit institution of nontraditional higher education (distance learning). It is not accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Secretary of education. The university was founded by Warren Walker as Golden State University in California and has been in Hawaii since the late 1980s. 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.

LIGS University is a private university established in 2012. If offers online BBA, MBA, MSc and PhD degrees, as well as English language programs. LIGS University is accredited by the International Association for Distance Learning (IADL) and the American Association for Management Education and Accreditation (AAMEA). However, the university is not accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Secretary of education.

The Hawaii Theological Seminary, formerly known as 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. The seminary confers the Certificate in Biblical Studies.