#643 in the world · QS 2027

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Hawaiʻi's flagship research university in Honolulu's Mānoa Valley, strongest where ocean, earth and Pacific meet.

Honolulu, Hawaii, United States Public land-grant research university Founded 1907 Official website

See my chances at UH Mānoa Admissions office

Acceptance rate: 88%; First-year applicants for fall 2025
Students: 20,028; 15,375 undergraduates
International: 6%; of students
Student–faculty: 15:1; ratio
Tuition: $33,792; 2026-27

About UH Mānoa

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa was established in 1907 as a land-grant college of agriculture and mechanic arts and is now the oldest and largest of the ten University of Hawaiʻi campuses. It sits on 320 acres in Mānoa Valley, a few minutes from Waikīkī and downtown Honolulu. In fall 2024 it enrolled 20,028 students, 15,375 of them undergraduates; 59% came from Hawaiʻi, 35% from the U.S. mainland and other U.S. jurisdictions, and 6% from abroad.

Teaching runs through 8 degree-granting colleges and 7 schools, with 93 bachelor's programs. Mānoa is an R1 research university and one of a handful of land-, sea- and space-grant institutions, and its location drives its research: it is strongest in oceanography, atmospheric and earth sciences, astronomy, volcanology, tropical agriculture and medicine, and Asian, Pacific and Hawaiian studies. It brought in $464.9 million in new extramural research funding in 2024.

Admission is broad rather than selective: 88% of first-year applicants were admitted for fall 2025, and Hawaiʻi residents with a 3.2 GPA and the required coursework are guaranteed a place. Mānoa describes itself as a Hawaiian place of learning and aims to be the leading Indigenous-serving university in the country. It suits students who want a large research university with real access to field science, a multicultural, Asia-Pacific student body and island life, and who can handle being 2,500 miles from the mainland.

Maluna aʻe o nā lāhui a pau ke ola ke kanaka

“Above all nations is humanity (University of Hawaiʻi System motto)” — university motto

Why students choose UH Mānoa

The School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology puts undergraduates next to programs that ShanghaiRanking placed 7th in the world for oceanography and 13th for atmospheric sciences.

Resident tuition is $11,760 for 2026-27, and students from Western Undergraduate Exchange states pay $17,640 instead of the $33,792 non-resident rate.

Direct-admission pathways let strong first-years start straight away in the Shidler College of Business or the four-year nursing BS.

Hawaiian and Pacific studies, including the Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, are taught where they are lived, with a student body in which no single ethnic group is a majority.

Admissions

First-year applicants for fall 2025

15,302 admitted from 17,389 applicants

SAT 1130–1350

1000120014001600

Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.

ACT 21–29

2024283236

Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.

3,319 first-years enrolled in fall 2025. Admit rates were 90% for Hawaiʻi residents, 83% for U.S. out-of-state applicants outside WUE states, 90% for WUE-state applicants and 76% for the 395 international applicants. Hawaiʻi residents with at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA who complete the required courses are offered admission.

Testing Test-optional for fall 2027: SAT or ACT scores may be submitted but are not required, under a 'Do No Harm' policy that ignores any score that would hurt your admission or scholarship chances. Some scholarships and direct-entry programs may require scores.

Grades Admitted first-years for fall 2025 had a cumulative high school GPA of 3.49 to 4.04 (25th-75th percentile). SAT and ACT ranges are for admitted students who submitted scores; only a small share of enrolled first-years submit them (1% SAT and 3% ACT in fall 2024, per IPEDS).

Typical entry requirements

U.S. high school coursework	4 units English, 3 math (including Algebra I, II and geometry), 3 science, 3 social studies, 4 other college-prep and 5 electives; some programs such as nursing add requirements
International secondary school record	Completed or completing secondary school with a GPA comparable to a U.S. B (3.00 on a 4.00 scale) or higher; math and science grades are looked at closely
English language	IELTS 7 · TOEFL iBT 100 Scores shown are for direct admission without English Language Institute (ELI) courses; Duolingo 135, PTE-A 68 and Cambridge 185 are also accepted. Applicants with lower scores (TOEFL iBT 61, IELTS 5.5, Duolingo 90) can be admitted with required ELI coursework. Native English speakers and those with six years of schooling in listed English-speaking countries are exempt.

Deadlines

Priority deadline Non-binding Next deadline · In ~3 months

January 5, 2027

Recommended for the best access to financial aid, scholarships and student housing. Some programs such as nursing have earlier deadlines.
Final deadline Non-binding In ~6 months

April 1, 2027

Final deadline for domestic and international first-year applicants for fall entry.
Late application deadline Non-binding In ~7 months

May 1, 2027

Late applications may be accepted after the final deadline, subject to space.

UH Mānoa has no early action or early decision round; it publishes the same annual fall dates each year without a year attached, applied here to fall 2027. File the FAFSA by the February 1 financial aid priority date.

How to apply

UH Mānoa's own online application (self-reported academic record; official transcripts only when requested); $70 fee, waived for Hawaiʻi residents; optional SAT or ACT; recommendations and a personal statement are considered but not required. International applicants add official transcripts sent directly by the school, the Supplementary Information Form with proof of funding for one year, and English test scores.

What admissions looks for

Completion of the required high school college-prep courses, reviewed holistically.
Grade performance and academic trends across those courses, with the cumulative GPA as a key measure of preparedness.
The rigor of the curriculum you took.
For international applicants, a B average or better with particular attention to mathematics and science marks.

Tips for applying to UH Mānoa

1 Apply by the January 5 priority deadline: housing is limited (18% of undergraduates live on campus) and aid and scholarship funds go first to early applicants.
2 If you live in a WUE state or territory, check the WUE box: it cuts 2026-27 tuition from $33,792 to $17,640 for every undergraduate major.
3 Submit test scores only if they help; the Do No Harm policy discards scores that would lower your chances, but some scholarships and direct-admit programs want them.
4 If you are aiming for business or nursing, apply for the Shidler Freshman Direct Admit Program or nursing direct entry, which have their own criteria and dates.
5 Look at the New Warrior Scholarships, which need supplemental materials beyond the admission application; Academic Merit Scholarships are automatic.

What are your chances?

Costs & financial aid

2026-27 · figures in USD

Hawaiʻi residents (plus $914 university fee) Tuition $11,760

+ housing and food, on campus (budget uses the highest-cost meal plan) $15,690 ≈ $27,450 per year

Non-residents, including international students (plus $914 fee); students from WUE states pay $17,640 Tuition $33,792

+ housing and food, on campus (budget uses the highest-cost meal plan) $15,690 ≈ $49,482 per year

Tuition Housing and food, on campus (budget uses the highest-cost meal plan)

Official cost of attendance $55,760

Financial aid

Need-based federal aid and grants are awarded through the FAFSA, with a February 1 priority date. The Office of Admissions awards automatic Academic Merit Scholarships to admitted students and selective New Warrior Scholarships that require supplemental materials; international students can apply for scholarships administered by International Student Services.

$33,728 / $39,608 / $55,760, including $1,330 books, $2,698 personal and $1,336 transportation
2026-27 cost of attendance (resident / WUE / non-resident): 66%, averaging $8,039
Full-time first-years receiving grant or scholarship aid (2023-24, IPEDS): $17,202
Average net price for in-state first-years receiving aid (2023-24, IPEDS)

Academics

Academic calendar: Semesters (fall and spring)

Oceanography and earth sciences (SOEST)

Ranked 7th in the world for oceanography in ShanghaiRanking's 2024 subject rankings, with atmospheric sciences 13th.

Hospitality and tourism management (Shidler College of Business)

Ranked 32nd in the world by ShanghaiRanking in 2024, in one of the world's main tourism economies, with a freshman direct-admit route.

Hawaiian and Pacific Islands studies

Taught through the Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge at a university that calls itself a Hawaiian place of learning.

Astronomy

UH Mānoa lists astronomy among its best-known research fields, backed by its own Institute for Astronomy.

Nursing (direct entry)

High school graduates can be admitted straight into the four-year BS in nursing and start nursing courses in year two.

Research

R1 research university and one of a handful of land-, sea- and space-grant institutions, with $464.9 million in new extramural research funding in 2024.
Lyon Arboretum, the only U.S. research facility located in a tropical rainforest, holds more than 5,000 species of tropical and subtropical plants.
Known for pioneering work in oceanography, astronomy, volcanology, linguistics, cancer research and genetics.
The UH Translational Health Science Simulation Center trains students on real-life clinical scenarios with high-tech simulation.

Schools & faculties

College of Arts, Languages & Letters
College of Natural Sciences
College of Social Sciences
College of Education
College of Engineering
College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resilience
Shidler College of Business
Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge
School of Ocean & Earth Science & Technology
School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene
John A. Burns School of Medicine
William S. Richardson School of Law

Graduation rate

62%

First-year students who return

81%

College Scorecard: median earnings of $57,624 ten years after entry (and $45,701 six years after entry) for federally aided students.

Student life

Most UH Mānoa undergraduates commute or live off campus: 18% live in the university's 10 residence halls and 2 apartment complexes. Campus life runs through more than 135 student organizations and a Division I athletics program with about 450 athletes on 21 teams, competing in the Mountain West and Big West conferences. The mix of students from Hawaiʻi, the mainland, Asia and the Pacific shapes daily life, and the beaches, trails and ridges of Oʻahu are part of the routine.

NCAA Division I athletics with 21 varsity teams, including football, volleyball, sailing and water polo, competing in the Mountain West and Big West conferences.
More than 135 registered student organizations.
Honors Program, Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program and combined bachelor's and master's (BAM) pathways.
Study abroad and the Mānoa International Exchange, plus the National Student Exchange with mainland campuses.

Housing. About 18% of undergraduates live on campus in 10 residence halls and 2 apartment complexes, so applying by the priority deadline matters if you want a room.

Location

The campus sits in Mānoa Valley on the island of Oʻahu, just outside downtown Honolulu and minutes from Waikīkī, the state capital's best-known beach district. Students live in a real city with the ocean and mountain trails close by, and TheBus serves the campus. Honolulu is an expensive place to live, especially for off-campus housing, and the U.S. mainland is a long flight away, so plan travel costs into your budget.

Nearest airport: Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)

Notable alumni

DI
Daniel Inouye

U.S. Senator for Hawaiʻi (BA 1950)
MH
Mazie Hirono

U.S. Senator for Hawaiʻi (BA 1970)
TD
Tammy Duckworth

U.S. Senator and former Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs (BA 1989)
PM
Patsy Mink

U.S. Congresswoman and co-author of Title IX (BA 1948)
JL
Jong-wook Lee

Director-General of the World Health Organization (MPH 1981)
RD
Richard D. Parsons

Former chairman of Citigroup and CEO of Time Warner (attended UH Mānoa, where he played varsity basketball)
NT
Nainoa Thompson

Polynesian voyaging navigator (BA 1986)
AD
Ann Dunham

Anthropologist and mother of President Barack Obama (PhD 1992)

Frequently asked questions

What is the acceptance rate at UH Mānoa?

UH Mānoa admitted 15,302 of 17,389 first-year applicants for fall 2025, or 88%. International applicants were admitted at 76%.

Does UH Mānoa require the SAT or ACT?

No. It is test-optional with a Do No Harm policy, so a submitted score that would hurt you is ignored. Admitted students who submitted scores had a 1130-1350 SAT or 21-29 ACT.

How much does UH Mānoa cost for out-of-state and international students?

Non-resident tuition is $33,792 for 2026-27 plus a $914 fee, for a total cost of attendance of $55,760. Students from WUE states pay $17,640 tuition.

When is the UH Mānoa application deadline?

The priority deadline for fall entry is January 5, the final deadline April 1 and late applications may be accepted until May 1. There is no early decision or early action.

What English test score does UH Mānoa require?

For direct admission you need TOEFL iBT 100, IELTS 7.0 or Duolingo 135. With lower scores (from TOEFL 61, IELTS 5.5 or Duolingo 90) you can be admitted with English Language Institute courses.

Sources & methodology

Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.