Connecting Learning, Life and Aloha
‘O ka ‘imi na‘auao, ke ola a me ke aloha kā kākou e huliāmahi ai

Office of University Relations

Facts about UH Hilo

  • UH Hilo has consistently ranked as one of the "Most Diverse National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in its 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 Best Colleges Rankings.
  • In 2018, the Chronicle of Higher Education Almanac ranked UH Hilo #1 for the most diverse 4-year public university in the nation.
  • The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo was recognized as one of the top 300 universities in America. Out of more than 4,200 degree-granting postsecondary institutions, UH Hilo earned a 181–190 spot on a national list released in 2020 by Quacquarelli Symon.
  • The Ph.D. in Hawaiian and Indigenous Language and Culture Revitalization has a unique status within the University of Hawai‘i system - it is the first doctorate in Hawaiian Studies and the first doctorate in the world specific to the growing field.
  • The Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy at UH Hilo is the only college of pharmacy in the Pacific region.
  • With UH Hilo class sizes averaging 20 or less, our students and faculty form personal connections that allow them to discover the world together through research and hands-on learning, both inside and outside the classroom.
  • Hawaiʻi Island is a natural living laboratory of active volcanoes, deep oceans, lush rainforests and a rich cultural landscape. UH Hilo’s bachelors and masters degree programs make the most of it all.
  • With one of the most affordable resident tuition rates in the state and more than $60 million awarded annually in financial aid and scholarships, UH Hilo is helping to break down barriers to higher education and open the doors of opportunity.
  • Through UH Hilo’s various distance learning programs, you have the flexibility of taking online classes from home. For those who work during the day, now you can earn your degree at night.
  • UH Hilo offers more than 250 online classes per academic year and serves over 4,000 students. You could be one of them.
  • The UH Hilo Vulcans compete in 12 sports at the NCAA Division II level in the Pacific West Conference.
  • UH Hilo offers over 50 different degrees. From Astronomy and Agriculture to Hawaiian Studies and Computer Science, UH Hilo has a path for you.
  • UH Hilo's College of Business and Economics is one of only two business schools in Hawaii accredited by the AACSB. This is a distinction shared by fewer than five percent of business schools world-wide.
  • Want to see the world? UH Hilo can be your starting point. Through the Study Abroad programs, you can pay resident tuition at the University of Hawai‘i, and study in faraway places including Brazil, China, New Zealand, South Korea, Scotland, and Japan.
  • Love the Ocean? UH Hilo students in the Semester-at-Sea program receive college credit while visiting a dozen different countries traveling on an educational cruise ship. Scholarships are available for this once in a lifetime learning opportunity.
  • UH Hilo students can participate in the National Student Exchange program, spending an academic year at one of over 150 colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam - at resident tuition rates.