Hawaii Hilo acceptance rate and admissions profile
Hawaii Hilo is a public university in Hawaii that admits most qualified applicants (around 61%), which puts it in the moderately selective range. A rate like this means it admits more applicants than it rejects; the bar is less about clearing a single cutoff and more about how your full profile compares to admitted students.
Use this page to see what Hawaii Hilo weighs, where it ranks among Hawaii schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1120, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
Will I get into Hawaii Hilo?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Hawaii Hilo, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Hawaii Hilo?
At Hawaii Hilo, your real chance depends on far more than the published 61% admit rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Hawaii Hilo in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Hawaii Hilo hard to get into?
Hawaii Hilo is moderately selective: it admits more applicants than it rejects, with about a 61% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Hawaii Hilo?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Hawaii Hilo, but admitted students often present roughly a 3.2 to 3.7 GPA. Hawaii Hilo reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
What SAT score do you need for Hawaii Hilo?
Hawaii Hilo does not publish a required score, but the admitted-student 75th-percentile SAT is around 1120. A score at or above that range strengthens your application, while a lower score puts more weight on your rigor, activities, and essays. CollegeCalcAI shows how your exact score shifts your odds at Hawaii Hilo.
What Hawaii Hilo looks for
What Hawaii Hilo weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
Hawaii Hilo signals that it values rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores above the rest of the file. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Hawaii Hilo's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Hawaii Hilo
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability — your full profile determines the real estimate.
How Hawaii Hilo compares in Hawaii
Hawaii Hilo ranks #1 most selective of 4 schools in Hawaii in our database.
Among the 4 Hawaii schools we track, Hawaii Hilo ranks the most selective by acceptance rate. Nothing else in the state is harder to get into; the next tier down includes Hawaii Pacific University at 86%. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to Hawaii Hilo
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
If Hawaii Hilo is on your list, schools with a similar admit profile are worth a look: Ohio State University, Colorado School of Mines, and College of Charleston. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What does Hawaii Hilo value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Hawaii Hilo weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Hawaii Hilo favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, Hawaii Hilo generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at Hawaii Hilo?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Hawaii Hilo specifically.
Is Hawaii Hilo test-optional?
Test-optional policies change year to year, so confirm Hawaii Hilo's current policy on its official admissions site. If you do submit scores, the admitted 75th-percentile SAT is around 1120; if you do not, more weight falls on your GPA, course rigor, and essays.
How does residency affect admission to Hawaii Hilo?
As a public university, Hawaii Hilo typically admits in-state students at a higher rate, and tuition differs sharply by residency. Select your home state in the calculator to fold the in-state effect into your estimate.
Acceptance rate and admitted test ranges reflect publicly reported data (U.S. Department of Education / NCES IPEDS / Common Data Sets). Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.