University of Hawaiʻi acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
University of Hawaiʻi, a public university in Hawaii, reports a 87% acceptance rate and sits in the accessible band. In practice that means it admits most qualified applicants, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.
Use this page to see what University of Hawaiʻi 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 1220, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at University of Hawaiʻi?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into University of Hawaiʻi?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into University of Hawaiʻi, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into University of Hawaiʻi?
Your odds at University of Hawaiʻi are not the same as its 87% acceptance 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 University of Hawaiʻi in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is University of Hawaiʻi hard to get into?
University of Hawaiʻi is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 87% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into University of Hawaiʻi?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at University of Hawaiʻi, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. University of Hawaiʻi reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at University of Hawaiʻi by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at University of Hawaiʻi for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at University of Hawaiʻi with a 3.1 GPA and a 1190 SAT?
About 98% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1190 SAT, the middle of University of Hawaiʻi's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1290 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/university-of-hawaii.
How to get into University of Hawaiʻi
Built from University of Hawaiʻi's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
There is no formula that guarantees a spot at University of Hawaiʻi, but the applicants who get in tend to do the same four things. Here is what the numbers say each one looks like.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at University of Hawaiʻi carries about a 3.04 core GPA and a 1243 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 1081 to 1293 SAT (17 to 25 ACT). Submit a score at 1187 or higher; below 1081, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
University of Hawaiʻi rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by University of Hawaiʻi's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at manoa.hawaii.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to University of Hawaiʻi, and how many get in?
University of Hawaiʻi admitted 13,388 of the 19,211 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 69.7%. 3,042 enrolled. Only about 23% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. University of Hawaiʻi enrolls about 15,029 undergraduates in total, 59% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 15 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for University of Hawaiʻi?
Admitted students at University of Hawaiʻi post SAT scores of 1081 to 1293 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1102. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 17 to 25. A score above 1293 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1081 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. University of Hawaiʻi is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What University of Hawaiʻi looks for
What University of Hawaiʻi weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
The factors that carry the most weight at University of Hawaiʻi are rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from University of Hawaiʻi'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 University of Hawaiʻi
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does University of Hawaiʻi cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at University of Hawaiʻi (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $26,433 a year. Tuition and fees are $12,186 for HI residents and $34,218 for out-of-state students, a $22,032 gap that makes residency the single biggest lever on cost. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $15,664 a year, and it ranges from $10,675 for families earning under $30,000 to $22,562 for families earning over $110,000. 26% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do University of Hawaiʻi graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for University of Hawaiʻi students ten years after entry are $57,624 ($45,701 at the six-year mark). 64% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 81% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $18,500; 27% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How University of Hawaiʻi compares in Hawaii
University of Hawaiʻi ranks #3 most selective of 4 schools in Hawaii in our database.
Among the 4 Hawaii schools we track, University of Hawaiʻi ranks #3 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Hawaii Hilo (61%) and Hawaii Pacific University (86%) sit nearby, which makes Hawaii a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to University of Hawaiʻi
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Applicants targeting University of Hawaiʻi often weigh Boise State University, George Mason University, and North Carolina Central University, which sit at a similar level. 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 is University of Hawaiʻi's acceptance rate?
University of Hawaiʻi admitted 13,388 of 19,211 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 69.7% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 23% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for University of Hawaiʻi?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1081 to 1293 on the SAT and 17 to 25 on the ACT. A score above 1293 is in the top quarter of admits. University of Hawaiʻi is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is University of Hawaiʻi test-optional?
Yes. University of Hawaiʻi reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does University of Hawaiʻi cost after financial aid?
The average net price at University of Hawaiʻi, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $15,664 a year against a sticker price of about $26,433. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $10,675 on average.
What do University of Hawaiʻi graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering University of Hawaiʻi are $57,624 a year among students who received federal aid, and 64% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does University of Hawaiʻi value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, University of Hawaiʻi weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does University of Hawaiʻi favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, University of Hawaiʻi 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 University of Hawaiʻi?
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 University of Hawaiʻi specifically.
What are the admission requirements for University of Hawaiʻi?
University of Hawaiʻi reviews GPA, course rigor, test scores (where submitted), activities, and essays. With a more accessible acceptance rate, meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.