Public Universities and Colleges in Hawaii: Systems, Flagships and How Admission Works

The University of Hawaii System

Public higher education in Hawaii runs through a single system: the University of Hawaii (UH) System . It covers 10 campuses across the islands, split between 3 four-year universities and 7 community colleges. One Board of Regents governs all 10, but each campus sets its own admission standards, majors and campus culture.

Your choice depends on what you want out of college. A research university with graduate schools and Division I athletics points you to UH Manoa. A smaller four-year campus closer to home on Hawaii Island or Oahu's leeward side points to UH Hilo or UH West Oahu. A low-cost start on general education credits before transferring points to one of the community colleges.

UH Manoa: The Flagship

UH Manoa sits in Honolulu and serves as the system's flagship and only major research university. It offers the widest range of undergraduate majors in the system, plus graduate and professional programs in law, medicine, business and more.

Admission runs on your GPA and coursework, not class rank. Hawaii residents who complete the required college-prep curriculum with at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA get guaranteed admission, according to UH Manoa's freshman admission requirements . That curriculum covers 4 units of English, 3 units of math through Algebra II and geometry, 3 units of science, 3 units of social studies, and 4 more college-prep units, plus electives.

Manoa is test-optional. Submitting an SAT or ACT score is your choice, and the university applies a "Do No Harm" review so a submitted score never counts against you. Among admitted students who did submit scores, the middle range ran 1130-1350 on the SAT and 21-29 on the ACT.

Beyond standard undergraduate majors, Manoa hosts Hawaii's only law school and medical school, along with graduate and doctoral programs across dozens of fields. Its location gives Manoa strengths that are hard to find elsewhere, including astronomy through the Institute for Astronomy and ocean and earth science through the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology.

Deadlines carry more weight than test scores at Manoa. For fall entry, the priority deadline is January 5, the regular deadline April 1, and a late window stays open through May 1. Nursing, business and education programs often set earlier deadlines or add supplemental requirements, so check your intended major directly.

UH Hilo and UH West Oahu: Regional Four-Year Campuses

UH Hilo sits on Hawaii Island and UH West Oahu on Oahu's leeward coast in Kapolei. Both grant bachelor's degrees and run smaller, teaching-focused programs rather than Manoa's research model. Review still centers on GPA and completed coursework, and both accept homeschool transcripts, GED credentials, and AP or IB credit toward placement.

Both campuses admit a broader range of applicants than Manoa and set lower tuition. UH Hilo also extends resident-adjacent pricing to nonresidents from Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) states, charging 150% of the resident tuition rate instead of full nonresident tuition, according to UH Hilo's residency regulations .

The Seven Community Colleges

UH's 7 community colleges, Hawaii, Honolulu, Kapiolani, Kauai, Leeward, UH Maui College and Windward, sit across Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii Island. Honolulu, Kapiolani, Leeward and Windward serve Oahu alone, so most students find one within reach of home.

Admission is open door. A high school diploma or GED gets you in, with no GPA cutoff to clear. Community colleges cost far less per credit than the four-year campuses and share a common course numbering system with UH Manoa, Hilo and West Oahu, so completed credits transfer directly into a bachelor's program. Many students start at a community college to cover general education requirements cheaply, then transfer.

Beyond transfer-track associate degrees, the community colleges run career and technical programs tied to Hawaii's economy, including health care, hospitality, culinary arts and applied technology, leading directly to workforce certificates rather than a bachelor's degree.

How to Apply

All 10 UH campuses share one online application through the UH System, so you fill out a single form and select every campus you want considered. Each four-year application asks for your official transcript and whichever standardized test scores you choose to submit. Community college applications skip test scores and coursework requirements entirely.

Because Manoa, Hilo and West Oahu share a common general education core and course numbering system with the community colleges, credits you earn at any UH campus transfer across the system without a separate review. That makes it straightforward to start at a community college, build your GPA, and move to a four-year campus for your degree.

Which Campus Fits You

Apply through the UH System application , which sends one application to as many UH campuses as you select. Tuition and financial aid differ sharply by campus and residency status, so check the numbers before you decide.