University of Hawaii at Manoa

Public · Moderately Selective · HI

Photo: Sdkb (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationHI · West

SettingUrban

Undergrads15,029

Student:faculty15:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate44.1%

6-yr grad rate64.3%

Drop-out rate19.3%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$12k

Out-of-state tuition$34k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity79.9%

Gender diversity59.1%

International3.1%

Identity—

Overview

The University of Hawaii at Manoa is the state's flagship research university, located in Honolulu's Manoa Valley just minutes from Waikiki. Its academic identity is built directly around its Pacific location, with distinctive strength in ocean and space sciences alongside a strong Native Hawaiian, Asian, and Pacific Islander studies focus, and it functions as the primary gateway for research and graduate training across the entire state, including its own medical and law schools.

Academics

The School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology gives students direct access to research vessels and Pacific field sites that most oceanography and marine biology programs simply can't offer. The Institute for Astronomy connects students to the telescopes atop Maunakea, among the best astronomical viewing sites on Earth, though that access exists alongside real, ongoing tension between the observatories and Native Hawaiian sovereignty and land-use concerns that students should understand rather than treat as background noise. Hawaiian-language and Hawaiian studies programs are woven into much of the university's identity, not offered as a separate track, and the John A. Burns School of Medicine and William S. Richardson School of Law extend that research depth into professional education.

Campus & student life

The Manoa Valley campus is lush and often rain-cooled, close to Waikiki's beaches but culturally distinct from the tourist corridor, and campus life centers Hawaiian place and culture rather than a mainland-transplanted college-town feel. As the main research university for the entire state, it draws a mix of local Hawaii students, mainland transplants, and a substantial international population, particularly from Asia and the Pacific. Rainbow Warriors athletics, competing in the Mountain West Conference, give campus a real if modestly scaled Division I sports culture, and outdoor and ocean-based recreation are a natural extension of daily life here rather than a special event.

Getting in

Admission is moderately selective, with competitive programs in the sciences and Pacific/Asian studies drawing strong regional and international interest, and out-of-state and international applicants form a larger share of the pool than at many mainland flagships given Hawaii's small resident population. The process is generally credentials-based rather than essay-heavy, though Hawaiian studies and language-immersion tracks may expect demonstrated cultural or linguistic background. Cost and distance from the mainland are real practical factors non-resident applicants should weigh carefully.

After graduation

Graduates in oceanography, astronomy, and the earth sciences go on to federal research agencies, national labs, and observatories worldwide, trading directly on the university's Maunakea and Pacific research access. Medical and nursing graduates often stay to serve Hawaii's own healthcare system, which faces real workforce needs given the state's geographic isolation. Hawaiian and Pacific studies graduates frequently move into cultural preservation, education, and public-policy roles specific to the islands.

Worth knowing

Being the only major research university in the state gives UH Manoa an outsized role in Hawaii's scientific and cultural life, and its Maunakea telescope access and oceanography research fleet are resources few mainland schools can match. Students should also understand the Maunakea telescope debate is a live, serious issue on campus and in Hawaiian communities, not a settled footnote. Cost of living and distance from the mainland are practical realities for non-resident students to plan around.

manoa.hawaii.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate86.6%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1081–1293 · ACT 17–25

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Applying