UH Hilo enrollment dips as graduation rates, first-time students rise

The university has set a record high four-year graduation rate while maintaining relative stability in its six-year graduation rate.

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While enrollment at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo has dropped from last year, graduation rates are rising. Contributing to the decline in total enrollment is the record high on-time graduation rates for first-time, full-time freshmen.

“As we emerge from the pandemic, UH Hilo is returning to our hallmark hands-on experiences,” says UH Hilo Chancellor Bonnie D. Irwin “These will once again bring more students to our campus.”

Compared to last fall, enrollment has dropped 8.2% year-to-year to 2,977 students. In context, enrollment fell by 1.1% nationally in fall 2022, according to preliminary data and has been trending downward since reaching a record high in 2010–11 after the Great Recession.

But the good news is that the university set a record high four-year graduation rate (30.1%) while maintaining relative stability in its six-year graduation rate (42.5%).

Increases

UH Hilo serves many community college transfer students and achieved a record high four-year graduation rate (59.0%) for full-time transfer students.

Further, Hawaiʻi Island’s only four-year university is up year-to-year in enrollment of Early Admit students with an 89% increase, and in first-generation students by 3.6%. UH Hilo had its biggest drop in enrollment in graduate students with a 20% decrease.

A new director of admissions will be charged with focusing on increasing recruitment, after a period of transition during COVID-19.

See full story at UH System News.