skip to main content

University of Hawaii at Hilo

Overview

At a Glance

School type

Public, 4-year or above

School Size & Setting

Remote | Town

Students-to-Faculty Ratio

13:1

Religious affliation

Not applicable

Mission Statement

The University of Hawaii at Hilo is a comprehensive, primarily baccalaureate institution on the island of Hawaii, offering a rigorous education in a caring, personalized atmosphere. As a regional, state-supported university, UH Hilo serves students from Hawaii Island and from around the state. Additionally, UH Hilo enrolls students from the U.S. mainland and from many other nations, especially from Asia and the Pacific islands.

Read More
No Information for this section

cost & financial aid

Annual tuition & fees

Undergraduate

In state

$7,838

Out of state

$20,798
Graduate

In state

$12,230

Out of state

$27,062

Financial Aid: Undergraduates

Received financial aid
93%
Type of aid % of students receiving aid Average amount
Federal grants 87.0% $3,318
State/local grants 11.0% $3,387
Institutional grants 59.0% $4,042
Loans 40.0% $9,022

Other Estimated Costs

Housing

$8,248 per year

Books & Supplies

$1,350 per year

Personal Expenses

$3,904 per year

Financial aid resources

Paying for college

Learn about different ways to cover costs, incluing financial aid, GI Bills, grants and scholarships

Applying for financial Aid

Review this step-by-step guide on everything you need to do to complete your application.

No Information for this section

Academics

Most Popular Undergraduate majors

  • Business Administration and Management, General
  • Pharmacy
  • Psychology, General
  • Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
  • Exercise Science and Kinesiology
Full List of Majors

Undergraduate Majors X

  • BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
    • Biology/Biological Sciences, General
      • A general program of biology at the introductory, basic level or a program in biology or the biological sciences that is undifferentiated as to title or content. Includes instruction in general biology and programs covering a variety of biological specializations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography
      • A program that focuses on the scientific study of the ecology and behavior of microbes, plants, and animals inhabiting oceans, coastal waters, and saltwater wetlands and their interactions with the physical environment. Includes instruction in chemical, physical, and geological oceanography; molecular, cellular, and biochemical studies; marine microbiology; marine botany; ichthyology; mammalogy; marine population dynamics and biodiversity; reproductive biology; studies of specific species, phyla, habitats, and ecosystems; marine paleocology and palentology; and applications to fields such as fisheries science and biotechnology. See other colleges that offer this major
  • BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Business Administration and Management, General
      • A program that generally prepares individuals to plan, organize, direct, and control the functions and processes of a firm or organization. Includes instruction in management theory, human resources management and behavior, accounting and other quantitative methods, purchasing and logistics, organization and production, marketing, and business decision-making. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Accounting
      • A program that prepares individuals to practice the profession of accounting and to perform related business functions. Includes instruction in accounting principles and theory, financial accounting, managerial accounting, cost accounting, budget control, tax accounting, legal aspects of accounting, auditing, reporting procedures, statement analysis, planning and consulting, business information systems, accounting research methods, professional standards and ethics, and applications to specific for-profit, public, and non-profit organizations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Computer Science
      • A program that focuses on computer theory, computing problems and solutions, and the design of computer systems and user interfaces from a scientific perspective. Includes instruction in the principles of computational science, computer development and programming, and applications to a variety of end-use situations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS
    • English Language and Literature, General
      • A general program that focuses on the English language, including its history, structure and related communications skills; and the literature and culture of English-speaking peoples. See other colleges that offer this major
  • FOREIGN LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND LINGUISTICS
    • Linguistics
      • A program that focuses on language, language development, and relationships among languages and language groups from a humanistic and/or scientific perspective. Includes instruction in subjects such as psycholinguistics, behavioral linguistics, language acquisition, sociolinguistics, mathematical and computational linguistics, grammatical theory and theoretical linguistics, philosophical linguistics, philology and historical linguistics, comparative linguistics, phonetics, phonemics, dialectology, semantics, functional grammar and linguistics, language typology, lexicography, morphology and syntax, orthography, stylistics, structuralism, rhetoric, and applications to artificial intelligence. See other colleges that offer this major
  • HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS
    • Pharmacy
      • A program that prepares individuals for the independent or employed practice of preparing and dispensing drugs and medications in consultation with prescribing physicians and other health care professionals, and for managing pharmacy practices and counseling patients. Includes instruction in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacognosy, pharmacy practice, pharmacy administration, applicable regulations, and professional standards and ethics. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
      • A program that generally prepares individuals in the knowledge, techniques and procedures for promoting health, providing care for sick, disabled, infirmed, or other individuals or groups. Includes instruction in the administration of medication and treatments, assisting a physician during treatments and examinations, Referring patients to physicians and other health care specialists, and planning education for health maintenance. See other colleges that offer this major
  • HISTORY
    • History, General
      • A program that focuses on the general study and interpretation of the past, including the gathering, recording, synthesizing and criticizing of evidence and theories about past events. Includes instruction in historiography; historical research methods; studies of specific periods, issues and cultures; and applications to areas such as historic preservation, public policy, and records administration. See other colleges that offer this major
  • HOMELAND SECURITY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIREFIGHTING AND RELATED PROTECTIVE SERVICES
    • Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
      • A program that focuses on the criminal justice system, its organizational components and processes, and its legal and public policy contexts. Includes instruction in criminal law and policy, police and correctional systems organization, the administration of justice and the judiciary, and public attitudes regarding criminal justice issues. See other colleges that offer this major
  • LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES, GENERAL STUDIES AND HUMANITIES
    • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
      • A program that is a structured combination of the arts, biological and physical sciences, social sciences, and humanities, emphasizing breadth of study. Includes instruction in independently designed, individualized, or regular programs. See other colleges that offer this major
  • MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS
    • Mathematics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the analysis of quantities, magnitudes, forms, and their relationships, using symbolic logic and language. Includes instruction in algebra, calculus, functional analysis, geometry, number theory, logic, topology and other mathematical specializations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES
  • PARKS, RECREATION, LEISURE, FITNESS, AND KINESIOLOGY
    • Exercise Science and Kinesiology
      • A scientific program that focuses on the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and biophysics of human movement, and applications to exercise and therapeutic rehabilitation. Includes instruction in biomechanics, motor behavior, motor development and coordination, motor neurophysiology, performance research, rehabilitative therapies, the development of diagnostic and rehabilitative methods and equipment, and related analytical methods and procedures in applied exercise and therapeutic rehabilitation. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES
    • Philosophy
      • A program that focuses on ideas and their logical structure, including arguments and investigations about abstract and real phenomena. Includes instruction in logic, ethics, aesthetics, epistemology, metaphysics, symbolism, and history of philosophy, and applications to the theoretical foundations and methods of other disciplines. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PHYSICAL SCIENCES
    • Astronomy
      • A general program that focuses on the planetary, galactic, and stellar phenomena occurring in outer space. Includes instruction in celestial mechanics, cosmology, stellar physics, galactic evolution, quasars, stellar distribution and motion, interstellar medium, atomic and molecular constituents of astronomical phenomena, planetary science, solar system evolution, and specific methodologies such as optical astronomy, radioastronomy, and theoretical astronomy. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Chemistry, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of the composition and behavior of matter, including its micro- and macro-structure, the processes of chemical change, and the theoretical description and laboratory simulation of these phenomena. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Geology/Earth Science, General
      • A program that focuses on the scientific study of the earth; the forces acting upon it; and the behavior of the solids, liquids and gases comprising it. Includes instruction in historical geology, geomorphology, and sedimentology, the chemistry of rocks and soils, stratigraphy, mineralogy, petrology, geostatistics, volcanology, glaciology, geophysical principles, and applications to research and industrial problems. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Physics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of matter and energy, and the formulation and testing of the laws governing the behavior of the matter-energy continuum. Includes instruction in classical and modern physics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, mechanics, wave properties, nuclear processes, relativity and quantum theory, quantitative methods, and laboratory methods. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PSYCHOLOGY
    • Psychology, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of individual and collective behavior, the physical and environmental bases of behavior, and the analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders. Includes instruction in the principles of the various subfields of psychology, research methods, and psychological assessment and testing methods. See other colleges that offer this major
  • SOCIAL SCIENCES
    • Anthropology, General
      • A program that focuses on the systematic study of human beings, their antecedents and related primates, and their cultural behavior and institutions, in comparative perspective. Includes instruction in biological/physical anthropology, primatology, human paleontology and prehistoric archeology, hominid evolution, anthropological linguistics, ethnography, ethnology, ethnohistory, socio-cultural anthropology, psychological anthropology, research methods, and applications to areas such as medicine, forensic pathology, museum studies, and international affairs. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Economics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the systematic study of the production, conservation and allocation of resources in conditions of scarcity, together with the organizational frameworks related to these processes. Includes instruction in economic theory, micro- and macroeconomics, comparative economic systems, money and banking systems, international economics, quantitative analytical methods, and applications to specific industries and public policy issues. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Geography
      • A program that focuses on the systematic study of the spatial distribution and interrelationships of people, natural resources, plant and animal life. Includes instruction in historical and political geography, cultural geography, economic and physical geography, regional science, cartographic methods, remote sensing, spatial analysis, and applications to areas such as land-use planning, development studies, and analyses of specific countries, regions, and resources. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Political Science and Government, General
      • A general program that focuses on the systematic study of political institutions and behavior. Includes instruction in political philosophy, political theory, comparative government and politics, political parties and interest groups, public opinion, political research methods, studies of the government and politics of specific countries, and studies of specific political institutions and processes. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Sociology, General
      • A program that focuses on the systematic study of human social institutions and social relationships. Includes instruction in social theory, sociological research methods, social organization and structure, social stratification and hierarchies, dynamics of social change, family structures, social deviance and control, and applications to the study of specific social groups, social institutions, and social problems. See other colleges that offer this major
  • VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
    • Art/Art Studies, General
      • A general program that focuses on the introductory study and appreciation of the visual arts. Includes instruction in art, photography, and other visual communications media. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Music, General
      • A general program that focuses on the introductory study and appreciation of music and the performing arts. Includes instruction in music, dance, and other performing arts media. See other colleges that offer this major

Most Popular Graduate programs

  • Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other
  • Counseling Psychology
  • American Indian/Native American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
  • Cultural Resource Management and Policy Analysis
  • Education, General
Full List of Programs

Graduate ProgramsX

  • EDUCATION
    • Education, General
      • A program that focuses on the general theory and practice of learning and teaching, the basic principles of educational psychology, the art of teaching, the planning and administration of educational activities, school safety and health issues, and the social foundations of education. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other
  • FOREIGN LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND LINGUISTICS
    • American Indian/Native American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
      • A program that focuses on one or more of the languages native to the Western Hemisphere, with an emphasis on American Indian languages, but including other Native American languages. Includes instruction in philology; oral and written literatures; Inuit and Aleut languages; North American language families, including, but not limited to, Algonkian, Athabascan, Siouan, Muskogean, Iroquoian, Kumeyaay, Yuman, Mayan, Zapotecan, and Uto-Aztecan; South American language families, including, but not limited to, Andean-Equatorial, Ge-Pano-Carib, and Macro-Chibchan; and other minor languages. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Hawaiian Language and Literature
      • A program that focuses on the Hawaiian language and related dialects. Includes instruction in philology; dialects; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings. See other colleges that offer this major
  • MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES
    • Cultural Resource Management and Policy Analysis
      • A program that focuses on the application of cultural studies, public policy analysis, and management skills to planning, promoting, and implementing programs to preserve and protect cultural heritage sites and artifacts. Includes instruction in historical preservation and conservation, business management, policy analysis, applied economics, public relations, applied history, historical archaeology, and environmental impact studies. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PSYCHOLOGY
    • Counseling Psychology
      • A program that prepares individuals for the independent professional practice of psychological counseling, involving the rendering of therapeutic services to individuals and groups experiencing psychological problems and exhibiting distress symptoms. Includes instruction in counseling theory, therapeutic intervention strategies, patient/counselor relationships, testing and assessment methods and procedures, group therapy, marital and family therapy, child and adolescent therapy, supervised counseling practice, ethical standards, and applicable regulations. See other colleges that offer this major
No Information for this section

Admissions

Undergraduate acceptance rate

Acceptance rate
84.24%
  • Apply 2,595
  • Accepted 2,186
  • Attend 392

Application Fee

Undergraduate
$50
Graduate
$50

Undergraduate application requirements

  • High school transcript

    Required
  • High school GPA

    Required
  • Recommendation letter

    Not applicable
  • Admissions test
    (SAT or ACT)

    Not applicable
  • TOEFL
    (international students)

    Not applicable
  • Completion of college
    prep program

    Not applicable
  • Demonstration of
    competencies

    Not applicable

Average Test Scores

SAT Math
460-580
ACT Composite
16-21
SAT Reading
500-620
No Information for this section

Student Life

Student Demographics

Female Students
65%
Male Students
35%

Student Ethnicities
  1. Two Or More Ethnicities39.55%
  2. Caucasian19.85%
  3. Asian15.42%
  4. Hispanic/Latino15.18%
  5. Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander7.69%
  6. Black1.07%
  7. American Indian/Alaska Native0.97%
  8. Not Specified0.27%

Student body breakdown

Total students enrolled

3,739

Undergraduate students

3,239

Graduate students

500

Full Time Students
70%
Part Time Students
30%

Student services

  • Meal plan
  • Counseling services
  • Remedial services
  • Work-study
  • Placement services
  • Study abroad
  • Weekend/evening classes
  • On-campus day care for student's children

Top five largest sports teams

Male sports:
  • Baseball
  • Soccer
  • Basketball
  • Tennis
  • Golf
Female sports:
  • Soccer
  • Softball
  • Volleyball
  • Basketball
  • Tennis
Full List of Athletics

Full List of Athletics X

    • Male

    • Baseball
    • Soccer
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Female

    • Soccer
    • Softball
    • Volleyball
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Cross Country
    • Golf
No Information for this section