University of Hawaii-West Oahu

Public · Moderately Selective · HI

Photo: Derrick Coetzee (CC0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationHI · West

SettingSuburban

Undergrads2,519

Student:faculty17:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate28.6%

6-yr grad rate49.5%

Drop-out rate22%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$8k

Out-of-state tuition$21k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity93.5%

Gender diversity65.4%

International0.4%

Identity—

Overview

The University of Hawaii-West Oahu, in Kapolei, is the newest four-year campus in the University of Hawaii system, built to serve Oahu's rapidly growing west side. It serves a heavily local student body, including a significant share of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students, and functions largely as a commuter campus rather than a traditional residential college.

Academics

Business, education, and public administration are core programs, but the campus's creative-media program is a genuine point of distinction — its production facility, tied to the University of Hawaii's Academy for Creative Media system, serves as a real hub connecting students to Hawaii's film and digital-media industry.

Worth knowing

As a young, still-growing campus, UH West Oahu offers a smaller-scale, more personal alternative to Manoa within the same university system, and its creative-media pathway is a distinctive asset for students interested in film or digital production in a Hawaii context specifically.

westoahu.hawaii.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate95.3%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 931–1103 · ACT 15–21

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying