Study in Honolulu, The United States
3 schools in Honolulu, The United States. Universities (3).
Universities in Honolulu 3
- Chaminade University of Honolulu
Chaminade University of Honolulu is a Catholic university in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. It was founded in 1955 by five Marianists and describes…
- Hawaii Pacific University
Hawaiʻi Pacific University (HPU) is a private, nonprofit university with an urban campus in downtown Honolulu, Hawaii. It serves students from Hawaiʻi, the c…
- University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UH Mānoa) is a public research university in Honolulu, on the island of Oʻahu. Founded in 1907, it is the largest and old…
About Honolulu
Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii and the main city of the island of Oʻahu, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. For students it combines a large public research university with two smaller private universities, in a city with a warm climate all year.
Students choose Honolulu for subjects that make the most of its location, such as oceanography, tropical agriculture and medicine, astronomy and Asian and Pacific studies, for an urban campus downtown, or for a small Catholic university. All three universities in our list are on Oʻahu and connected by the city's bus network.
Studying in Honolulu
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UH Mānoa) was established in 1907 and is the oldest and largest of the 10 campuses of the University of Hawaiʻi. Its 320-acre campus is in Mānoa Valley, just outside downtown Honolulu. In fall 2024 it had 20,028 students, 15,375 of them undergraduates; 6% were international students, from 122 countries and regions. UH Mānoa is an R1 research university, with recognised strengths in tropical agriculture and medicine, oceanography, astronomy, and Hawaiian, Pacific Islands and Asian studies.
Hawaiʻi Pacific University (HPU) is a private, not-for-profit university based at Aloha Tower Drive in downtown Honolulu, serving students from Hawaii, the U.S. mainland and around the world. According to College Navigator, it has 4,921 students, 3,533 of them undergraduates, and a student-to-faculty ratio of 15 to 1.
Chaminade University of Honolulu, founded in 1955, is the only Catholic university in Hawaii and one of three Marianist universities in the United States. Its 65-acre campus is in Kaimuki. It has 1,583 undergraduates and 786 master's and doctoral students, more than 60 undergraduate majors and minors in five schools, and a student-to-faculty ratio of 11 to 1.
Teaching is in English. At UH Mānoa, applicants who were not born in the United States must prove their English: a TOEFL iBT score of 100 or IELTS 7.0 gives direct admission, while lower scores (from TOEFL iBT 61 or IELTS 5.5) lead to admission with courses at the university's English Language Institute. The U.S. academic year typically runs from September to May.
Student visa
International degree students usually need an F student visa. Once admitted, you receive a Form I-20 (or a DS-2019 for J exchange programmes) from the university's international student office and present it when you apply at a U.S. embassy or consulate. With that office's permission, international students may work on campus up to 20 hours a week in their first year.
Cost of living for students
According to College Navigator, UH Mānoa charged out-of-state undergraduates $34,218 in tuition and fees in 2024-25, with an estimated total of $54,348 for a student living on campus. At HPU, tuition and fees were $34,392 and the estimated total with on-campus housing $58,714. Public transport is more affordable: a single bus ride costs $3.25 in cash, a HOLO card 2-hour pass $3.00 and a monthly pass $90.00, and students at Chaminade, HPU and UH can ask their university about the reduced U-Pass fare.
Getting around and daily life
TheBus and the Skyline rail line share one fare system through the HOLO card, which gives a 2-hour transfer between buses and trains and caps fares per day and month. Many students may already have a pass loaded on their student ID.
The climate is warm and stable. NOAA's 1991-2020 normals for Honolulu International Airport give an average of 73.6 °F (about 23 °C) in January and 81.6 °F (about 28 °C) in July, with average July highs of 88.1 °F (about 31 °C).
Frequently asked questions
Which universities are in Honolulu?
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (public, founded in 1907), Hawaiʻi Pacific University (private, downtown) and Chaminade University of Honolulu (Catholic, founded in 1955).
How much does it cost to study at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa?
For 2024-25, College Navigator gives out-of-state tuition and fees of $34,218 and an estimated total of $54,348 for an undergraduate living on campus.
What English level do I need for UH Mānoa?
For direct admission, a TOEFL iBT score of 100 or IELTS 7.0. With TOEFL iBT 61 or IELTS 5.5 you can be admitted with English courses at the university's English Language Institute.
Do students get cheaper public transport in Honolulu?
Yes. Chaminade, HPU and the University of Hawaiʻi offer a reduced U-Pass for TheBus and Skyline; the regular adult monthly pass costs $90.00.