University of Hawaii at Hilo

Public · Moderately Selective · HI

Photo: Vreed (CC BY-SA 3.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationHI · West

SettingRural

Undergrads2,160

Student:faculty11:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate30.1%

6-yr grad rate48.4%

Drop-out rate27.2%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$8k

Out-of-state tuition$21k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity80.3%

Gender diversity62.5%

International4.6%

Identity—

Overview

UH Hilo sits on the rainy, lush east side of the Big Island, a small public university whose academic identity is inseparable from its physical setting, one of the most geologically and ecologically distinctive places a college campus can be.

Academics

Astronomy is a marquee strength, with direct ties to the observatories atop nearby Maunakea, alongside volcanology and geology programs that treat the island's active volcanic landscape as a living laboratory. Marine science and tropical agriculture draw on the surrounding Pacific and rainforest environment, and UH Hilo is home to one of the world's leading Hawaiian language revitalization programs, including a Hawaiian-medium college.

Campus & student life

The campus is small and personal, set in Hilo's wet, green climate rather than the drier tourist-facing coasts of the island. Student life is quieter and more local in character than at UH Manoa, with a strong sense of place tied to Native Hawaiian culture and the surrounding natural environment.

Worth knowing

Students drawn to astronomy, volcanology, or Hawaiian language and culture find genuinely distinctive, hard-to-replicate programs here that few mainland schools can match, though the remote location and small scale mean a more limited range of majors overall.

hilo.hawaii.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate60.6%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 945–1175 · ACT 15–22

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Regular decisionJul 1

AdmissionRolling

Verified from the school’s admissions page ↗

Applying