Colleges & Universities in Hawaii
Hawaii's higher-education landscape centers on the University of Hawaii System's real, distinct flagship and its sister campuses, this pass's own August 2026 research found: the University of Hawaii at Manoa, in Honolulu, ranked #169 nationally among U.S. News's 2026 National Universities (#92 among public universities); the University of Hawaii at Hilo, on the Big Island, ranked #329 nationally (#178 among public universities); and Hawaii Pacific University, a private Honolulu institution, ranked #86 among Regional Universities West.
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Learn moreThe University of Hawaii at Manoa ranked #169 nationally among U.S. News's 2026 National Universities
This pass's own research found U.S. News & World Report's 2026 Best Colleges rankings placed the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UH Manoa) -- the UH System's flagship, research-intensive campus, located in Honolulu on Oahu -- at #169 nationally among National Universities and #92 among public universities. UH Manoa anchors Honolulu's real status as Hawaii's primary higher-education hub, detailed further on this project's regions-guide topic page alongside the flagship market page for Honolulu this project has separately built.
The University of Hawaii at Hilo ranked #329 nationally, anchoring the Big Island's own higher-education presence
This pass's own research found U.S. News's 2026 rankings placed the University of Hawaii at Hilo (UH Hilo) at #329 nationally among National Universities and #178 among public universities -- a real, current result this record credits directly rather than omitting the Big Island's own four-year public university, distinct from UH Manoa's larger flagship campus on Oahu and detailed further on this project's regions-guide topic page.
Hawaii Pacific University, a private Honolulu institution, ranked #86 among U.S. News's 2026 Regional Universities West
This pass's own research found Hawaii Pacific University (HPU), a private university based in Honolulu, ranked #86 among U.S. News's 2026 Regional Universities West category -- a real, differently-scoped ranking category than UH Manoa's and UH Hilo's National Universities placement, this record discloses precisely rather than comparing the two categories as though they were the same measure. HPU rounds out Honolulu's status as Hawaii's clear higher-education center, alongside UH Manoa and the UH System's separate community-college campuses spread across multiple islands.
Confirm current, program-specific rankings directly, given Hawaii's genuinely concentrated higher-education geography
Hawaii's higher-education landscape concentrates substantially on Oahu -- UH Manoa and Hawaii Pacific University both sit in Honolulu -- with UH Hilo standing as the Big Island's own distinct four-year public option, a real, genuinely more concentrated pattern than several mainland states this project has documented, where flagship and regional universities more often spread across multiple metros. A prospective student or family should confirm current, program-specific rankings and each campus's specific admissions and cost details directly rather than relying on a single National-Universities or Regional-Universities placement alone.
Key takeaways
- The University of Hawaii at Manoa (UH Manoa), in Honolulu, ranked #169 nationally among U.S. News's 2026 National Universities (#92 among public universities) -- the UH System's flagship, research-intensive campus.
- The University of Hawaii at Hilo ranked #329 nationally (#178 among public universities) in the same 2026 cycle, anchoring the Big Island's own distinct four-year public university presence.
- Hawaii Pacific University, a private Honolulu institution, ranked #86 among U.S. News's 2026 Regional Universities West -- a differently-scoped ranking category than the two UH System campuses' National Universities placement.
- Hawaii's higher-education landscape concentrates substantially on Oahu (UH Manoa, Hawaii Pacific University), with UH Hilo standing as the Big Island's own distinct option -- confirm current, program-specific rankings directly for a target school.
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