University of Hawaii at Hilo is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Hilo, Hawaii. It enrolls 2,160 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Selective). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Strong
70/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes30
Value84
Affordability78
Selectivity42
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
With an acceptance rate of 60.6%, University of Hawaii at Hilo is moderately selective.
Acceptance Rate
60.6%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
945 – 1175
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
15 – 22
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether University of Hawaii at Hilo is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
38.2 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending University of Hawaii at Hilo isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $11,856 per year. That's below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$11,856
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
40%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
30%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$7,838
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$20,798
Room & Board (on-campus)
$11,586
Room & Board (off-campus)
$15,678
Books & Supplies
$1,360
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$4,984
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$13,354
Total Cost of Attendance
$21,173
Application fee: $50 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$8,983
$30,001 – $48,000
$9,243
$48,001 – $75,000
$11,535
$75,001 – $110,000
$14,734
Over $110,000
$17,403
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$3,21510%percentile
$5,50025%percentile
$20,500Medianpercentile
$24,88075%percentile
$34,42690%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $15,000
↓ $5,500
No Pell $8,250
↓ $12,250
Dependent students $10,250
↓ $10,250
Independent students $19,267
↓ $1,233
Female students $12,500
↓ $8,000
Male students $12,500
↓ $8,000
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,250, less than completers ($20,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
43% of full-time students who enrolled at University of Hawaii at Hilo graduate within six years, and 71% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
43%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
71%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered University of Hawaii at Hilo earn a median of $47,856 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$47,856
Earning > $25K
71%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$40,700
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$43,400
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$39,200
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$44,700
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$43,400
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
9.7 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 77% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
University of Hawaii at Hilo is home to 2,160 students, a mid-sized community. Some distinctive traits: 37% are first-generation college students.
Total Enrolled
2,160
Part-Time
18%
First-Generation
37%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
Other 44.7%965
White 19.7%425
Hispanic 16.5%357
Asian 13.0%281
International 4.6%99
Black 1.4%30
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at University of Hawaii at Hilo. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Town: RemoteHilo, Hawaii
Housing
Partly residential744 beds available
Adult Learners
19%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
University of Hawaii at Hilo offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
41 distinct programs across
22 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at University of Hawaii at Hilo is 12:1, close to the national average.
Student : Faculty
12:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$23,136
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$325,111
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$103,978
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
178 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
75
42%
$118,073
Associate Professors
53
30%
$103,709
Assistant Professors
26
15%
$89,365
Instructors
24
13%
$76,355
Pros & Cons of University of Hawaii at Hilo
A quick at-a-glance summary of how University of Hawaii at Hilo tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Below-average net price
Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
Wide reach of need-based federal aid
CONS
Below-average completion rate
Modest first-year retention
Frequently Asked Questions about University of Hawaii at Hilo
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about University of Hawaii at Hilo.
Is University of Hawaii at Hilo hard to get into?
Admissions at University of Hawaii at Hilo are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 60.6%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Hawaii at Hilo?
University of Hawaii at Hilo has an acceptance rate of 60.6%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
What SAT score do you need for University of Hawaii at Hilo?
The middle 50% of admitted students at University of Hawaii at Hilo scored between 945 and 1175 on the SAT (Reading + Math combined). Scores at the higher end of that range improve admissions odds materially. Per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
What ACT score do you need for University of Hawaii at Hilo?
The middle 50% of admitted students at University of Hawaii at Hilo scored between 15 and 22 on the ACT composite. Scores in the upper half of that range strengthen an application. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does University of Hawaii at Hilo cost?
The average net price after aid at University of Hawaii at Hilo is $11,856 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is University of Hawaii at Hilo worth it?
Solid return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $47,856 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $11,856 per year. That's roughly 4.0x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is University of Hawaii at Hilo known for?
University of Hawaii at Hilo is best known for its programs in Psychology, Business Administration, Ecology. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do University of Hawaii at Hilo graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering University of Hawaii at Hilo are $47,856, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is University of Hawaii at Hilo accredited?
Yes. University of Hawaii at Hilo is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.
How many students attend University of Hawaii at Hilo?
University of Hawaii at Hilo enrolls 2,160 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at University of Hawaii at Hilo?
University of Hawaii at Hilo graduates 43% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is University of Hawaii at Hilo a public or private college?
University of Hawaii at Hilo is a Public institution.
Where is University of Hawaii at Hilo located?
University of Hawaii at Hilo is located in Hilo, Hawaii.
What programs does University of Hawaii at Hilo offer?
University of Hawaii at Hilo offers 41 distinct programs. The most popular include Psychology, Business Administration, Ecology.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at University of Hawaii at Hilo?
The student-to-faculty ratio at University of Hawaii at Hilo is 12:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Hawaii
Other colleges in Hawaii share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Rankings That Feature University of Hawaii at Hilo
University of Hawaii at Hilo appears in these rankings, built from the same federal data and the UCD Score.
Most Affordable Transportation Colleges
The most affordable colleges for Transportation, ranked by net price with earnings and outcomes shown.
$1,300 Lowest Net
$19,518 Avg Net
87 UCD Score
$90,610 Top Earn
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
