Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Schools are assigned a value from 1-100, where 100 is best for students from households earning up to $30,000. This value is multiplied by the percentage of the school’s student body that received a Pell Grant, to calculate the economic mobility score. A higher score is better. Read the full explanation
The percentage of a school’s student body that has received a Pell Grant.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
The total debt accrued by the median student at the time of graduation.
The debt-to-earnings ratio is calculated by dividing student debt upon graduation by the annual salary. A debt to earnings ratio of 1 means that annual educational debt is the same as annual earnings.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Mixed in among beautiful scenery and picture-perfect beaches, the best colleges in Hawaii have campuses on Hilo, Oahu, and Maui. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu are ranked as the best in the state.
Reflective of its culture and history, the state is also home to the World Medicine Institute (WMI) and Institute for Clinical Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ICAOM), which both offer accredited degrees in acupuncture and oriental medicine.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$11,753
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$57,624
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate66%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, or UH Mānoa, is a public research university located in the beautiful Mānoa Valley, a stone’s throw away from downtown Honolulu. UH Mānoa offers a quality higher education experience to the people of Hawaiʻi at an affordable cost.
The school prides itself on its multicultural student body, reputable NCAA Division I athletics program, and unique research opportunities in diverse fields like oceanography, astronomy, volcanology, and tropical agriculture.
Originally established as an agricultural and mechanic arts university, UH Mānoa has since expanded its offerings to 200 degree programs across bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate levels.
The most popular majors at University Hawaiʻi at Mānoa include:
Psychology
Communication and Media Studies
Biology
Nursing
Marketing
Its broader UH system school motto is Maluna aʻe o nā lāhui a pau ke ola ke kanaka (“Above all nations is humanity”).
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$8,454
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$52,075
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate55%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$15,623
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$52,064
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate68%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Brigham Young University-Hawaii, or BYU-Hawaii, is a small private college in Laie, Hawaii owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
The school stresses its low tuition cost, international student body, and integration of “spiritual and secular learning” in the classroom as factors that set it apart nationally.
Popular majors at BYU-Hawaii include:
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Biology
Psychology
Accounting
Hospitality Administration
Hawaiian Studies, Pacific Island Studies, and Intercultural Peacebuilding are a few of the more unique academic programs offered by the college. Apart from on-campus learning, online study is also available.
As a religiously affiliated school, BYU requires its students to attend religious education courses (8-14 credits) to graduate. The school also enforces the Church Educational System (CES) Honor Code, a set of standards for dress and behavior in line with the LDS Church.
BYU-Hawaii offers lower-than-average tuition to its students, due largely to financial support from the LDS Church. That said, its tuition fees are slightly higher for non-church members.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$29,540
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$59,593
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate49%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$27,738
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$52,343
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate57%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Chaminade University is a small private college in Kaimuki, Hawaii, close to Honolulu. Founded in 1955 by the religious congregation Society of Mary, it is the only Catholic higher education institution in Hawaii. Alongside its standard academic programs, Chaminade University emphasizes a focus on the spiritual and character growth of its students in its mission.
The school offers undergraduate programs (on campus and online) and graduate degree and certification programs. Its few master's and doctoral degrees are concentrated in the psychology, education, and/or nursing fields.
The top (most enrolled) programs in Chaminade University include:
Registered Nursing
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Teacher Education
Psychology
Business Administration
In the last decade, the school has renovated many of its oldest buildings dating back to its 1955 founding, as well as added several brand-new student facilities, such as Dr. & Mrs. Lawrence K.W. Tseu Center for Nursing Education and the Silversword Training Center.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$13,444
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$47,856
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate41%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
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Average income based on education level
The average salaries in Hawaii at each education level are provided below. These figures come from College Scorecard, a Department of Education-led initiative to bring government data on higher education to the public, and the Department of Education’s IPEDS.
Average Income
The average income of people in this state with a high-school diploma, certificate, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree, 10 years after enrollment, based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
HS Diploma$41,441
Certificate$45,867
Associate$88,628
Bachelor$60,695
Master$65,490
Cost of attending college in Hawaii
In-state-tuition$13,751
The average in-state tuition, before financial aid, of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Out-of-state-tuition$20,387
The average tuition for out-of-state students, before financial aid of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Most popular degrees in Hawaii
In Hawaii, the most popular degrees are Business Administration, General Psychology, and Registered Nursing. By most popular, we mean that these programs have the most graduates annually (bachelor’s and master’s level) in the state of Hawaii. Data comes from IPEDS and College Scorecard.
Popular degrees
1Business Administration 826graduates
2General Psychology 392graduates
3Registered Nursing 386graduates
4Education-grades & methods 293graduates
5Biology 254graduates
6Comms & Media Studies 240graduates
7Health & Fitness 225graduates
8Social Work 201graduates
9Public Administration 182graduates
10Computer Science 143graduates
Fastest growing careers
Hawaii job growth
15.3%
Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors
53.8%
Nurse Practitioners
52.5%
Massage Therapists
49.6%
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers
39.7%
Information Security Analysts
38.1%
Statisticians
36.8%
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
36.3%
Physical Therapist Assistants
35.3%
Physician Assistants
32.3%
Medical and Health Services Managers
31.5%
Best bachelor’s degrees in Hawaii
These majors are most likely to pay off economically after graduation.
Higher ed is supposed to act as an economic elevator that lifts students from low-income households into the middle class. But not all colleges do this: unfortunately, many of the nation’s most “prestigious” schools accept very few students from low-income backgrounds.
To determine what colleges are doing the best job at lifting students out of poverty, we have devised a Social Mobility Index (SMI).
The best colleges for social mobility in Hawaii are shown below.
Bachelor's degree holders or higher
33%
Filters
Hawaii
15.3%
