Honolulu, Hawaii Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)
TL;DR
EDsmart Data analysis of 2024 College Scorecard data for Honolulu, Hawaii shows: median public in-state tuition $13,580 (+146.4% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $57,624 (+6.1% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 85.7% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $13,000 (-3.2% vs U.S.) 25,358 students enrolled statewide.
Key Facts
- Institutions in this profile: 10 campuses
- Total college enrollment: 25,358 students
- Median public in-state tuition: $13,580 (+146.4% vs U.S.)
- Median earnings 10 years after entry: $57,624 (+6.1% vs U.S.)
- Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 85.7% (-2.2 pp vs U.S.)
- Median net price: $20,970 (+110.4% vs U.S.)
- Median student debt at graduation: $13,000 (-3.2% vs U.S. $13,432); regional median $11,750
- Average completion rate (institutions in state): 50.4%
- Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 70.4%
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Overview
EDsmart Data summarizes higher-education outcomes for campuses in Honolulu, Hawaii—costs, debt, enrollment, completion, earnings, and standout institutions—against Hawaii and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.
Honolulu vs Hawaii & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, Hawaii | $13,580 | $20,970 | $13,000 | 50.4% | 25,358 |
| Hawaii (state median) | $3,268 | $8,556 | $11,750 | 42.0% | 41,568 |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Honolulu, Hawaii vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, Hawaii | $57,624 | 85.7% | 70.4% | 3.8% | — | 74.2% | 0.37 |
| Hawaii (state median) | $52,209 | 82.5% | 73.1% | 5.3% | — | 74.7% | 0.35 |
| United States | $54,323 | 87.9% | 76.3% | 5.0% | — | 73.7% | 0.41 |
Other cities in Hawaii (3+ campuses)
Other cities in the same state with at least three reporting campuses.
| City | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, Hawaii | $13,580 | $20,970 | $13,000 | 50.4% | 25,358 | $57,624 | 85.7% |
| Kapolei | $12,072 | $10,327 | $23,026 | 24.8% | 2,543 | $52,075 | 86.6% |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 | $54,323 | 87.9% |
Top 10 colleges in Honolulu, Hawaii by graduation rate (150% time)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate (4-year bachelor's-predominant institutions, enrollment ≥ 500). Higher rate = more students finishing within 150% of normal time.
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Rank 1, Graduation Rate, 64.3%, University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Hawaii at Manoa
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Rank 2, Graduation Rate, 55.4%, Chaminade University of Honolulu
Chaminade University of Honolulu
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Rank 3, Graduation Rate, 34.9%, Hawaii Pacific University
Hawaii Pacific University
Top 10 colleges in Honolulu, Hawaii by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Ranked by share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate. Enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 87.3%, University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Hawaii at Manoa
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 85.7%, Hawaii Pacific University
Hawaii Pacific University
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Rank 3, Employment Outcome, 72.9%, Chaminade University of Honolulu
Chaminade University of Honolulu
Top 10 most selective colleges in Honolulu, Hawaii (lowest admission rate)
Ranked by lowest admission rate (most selective first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500 and a reported admission rate.
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Rank 1, Admission Rate, 85.9%, Hawaii Pacific University
Hawaii Pacific University
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Rank 2, Admission Rate, 86.6%, University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Hawaii at Manoa
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Rank 3, Admission Rate, 91.4%, Chaminade University of Honolulu
Chaminade University of Honolulu
Top 10 colleges in Honolulu, Hawaii by entry-level earnings (1 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings one year after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; reflects completers in reported CIP programs, not all entrants.
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Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $94,216, University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Hawaii at Manoa
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Rank 2, Entry-Level Earnings, $81,125, Chaminade University of Honolulu
Chaminade University of Honolulu
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Rank 3, Entry-Level Earnings, $75,892, Hawaii Pacific University
Hawaii Pacific University
Top 10 colleges in Honolulu, Hawaii by early-career earnings (4 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings four years after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; program cohort, not institution-wide median.
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Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $120,258, University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Hawaii at Manoa
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Rank 2, Early-Career Earnings, $112,964, Hawaii Pacific University
Hawaii Pacific University
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Rank 3, Early-Career Earnings, $108,622, Chaminade University of Honolulu
Chaminade University of Honolulu
Top 10 colleges in Honolulu, Hawaii by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings six years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $48,773, Hawaii Pacific University
Hawaii Pacific University
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $48,660, Chaminade University of Honolulu
Chaminade University of Honolulu
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Rank 3, Mid-Career Earnings, $45,701, University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Top 10 colleges in Honolulu, Hawaii by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings eight years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $53,836, Hawaii Pacific University
Hawaii Pacific University
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $52,625, University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Hawaii at Manoa
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Rank 3, 8-Yr Earnings, $48,369, Chaminade University of Honolulu
Chaminade University of Honolulu
Top 10 colleges in Honolulu, Hawaii by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings ten years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $59,593, Hawaii Pacific University
Hawaii Pacific University
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $57,624, University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Hawaii at Manoa
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Rank 3, 10-Yr Earnings, $52,343, Chaminade University of Honolulu
Chaminade University of Honolulu
Top 10 colleges in Honolulu, Hawaii by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year return on investment (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200 and a computed ROI in the EDsmart dataset.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $194,332, University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Hawaii at Manoa
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $117,436, Hawaii Pacific University
Hawaii Pacific University
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Rank 3, 10-Yr ROI, $107,938, Chaminade University of Honolulu
Chaminade University of Honolulu
Top 10 most affordable colleges in Honolulu, Hawaii (net price)
Ranked by lowest average net price (most affordable first). Uses overall net price, or mid-income bracket net price for public schools when available. Enrollment ≥ 300.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $15,664, University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Hawaii at Manoa
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Rank 2, Net Price, $28,856, Chaminade University of Honolulu
Chaminade University of Honolulu
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Rank 3, Net Price, $29,657, Hawaii Pacific University
Hawaii Pacific University
Top 10 colleges in Honolulu, Hawaii by first-year retention (full-time)
Ranked by first-year, full-time retention rate (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, First-Year Retention, 80.7%, University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Hawaii at Manoa
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Rank 2, First-Year Retention, 70.4%, Chaminade University of Honolulu
Chaminade University of Honolulu
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Rank 3, First-Year Retention, 56.5%, Hawaii Pacific University
Hawaii Pacific University
In-state tuition: Honolulu, Hawaii vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Honolulu, Hawaii median in-state tuition is $13,580, +146.4% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Honolulu, Hawaii vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Honolulu, Hawaii is $13,000 (-3.2% vs U.S. median $13,432). Regional median: $11,750.
Median earnings (10 years out): Honolulu, Hawaii vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Honolulu, Hawaii center around $57,624 (+6.1% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Honolulu, Hawaii vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 85.7% at the median Honolulu, Hawaii campus (-2.2 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
Honolulu, Hawaii median public in-state tuition is $13,580, about +146.4% vs the national median. Versus the Far West region, tuition is +313.5%.
Median graduate debt is $13,000 (-3.2% below the U.S. median of $13,432). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Honolulu, Hawaii are $57,624, about +6.1% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,323).
The median campus reports 85.7% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 87.9% (-2.2 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 70.4% vs a U.S. median of 76.3%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 3.8% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 74.2% (U.S. 73.7%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include University of Hawaii at Manoa (87.3%), Hawaii Pacific University (85.7%), Chaminade University of Honolulu (72.9%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Honolulu, Hawaii is 50.4% (national institution average about 50.3%).
FAQ
How many colleges are in Honolulu?
EDsmart Data analysis: this city profile covers 10 campuses in Honolulu, Hawaii with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.
How much does college cost in Honolulu?
EDsmart Data analysis: median in-state tuition in Honolulu is $13,580 and median net price is $20,970. For Hawaii overall, medians are $3,268 and $8,556; U.S. medians are $5,512 and $9,967.
What do graduates earn in Honolulu?
EDsmart Data analysis: median 10-year earnings for campuses in Honolulu is $57,624 vs $52,209 for Hawaii and $54,323 nationally.
What is student debt like for Honolulu colleges?
EDsmart Data analysis: median completer debt in Honolulu is $13,000 vs $11,750 for Hawaii and $13,432 nationally.
What are the best colleges in Honolulu?
EDsmart Data analysis: top campuses on this page include University of Hawaii at Manoa (graduation) and Hawaii Pacific University (10-yr earnings). See Top 10 lists for admission, affordability, and employment metrics.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Honolulu?
EDsmart Data analysis: among 10 campuses in Honolulu, Hawaii, 1 campus with at least 25% Hispanic enrollment in College Scorecard demographics—a common Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) eligibility proxy; examples include Hawaii Pacific University; 2 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campuses (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: Roman Catholic (1), Other Protestant (1).
Sources & related
- Hawaii college profile
- All college profiles
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
- Download: JSON