Affordable Colleges in Hawaii
All 13 colleges in Hawaii, ordered by average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships, not the sticker price on the brochure.
The most affordable is Leeward Community College at about $5,137 a year; the costliest here is Hawaii Pacific University at $29,657. A typical Hawaii school on this list lands near $10,327.
Cheapest first, that means Leeward Community College, Kapiolani Community College and Honolulu Community College. A low average is not a low bill for everyone — aid depends on your family's income — but it is the right place to start looking.
Narrow it down
Every college in Hawaii, cheapest first · 13
Ranked by average net price per year after grants and scholarships — the figure beside each name, with the share of students on federal Pell grants where the school reports it. Schools that report no net price are listed last.
- Leeward Community College
- Kapiolani Community College
- Honolulu Community College
- University of Hawaii Maui College
- Windward Community College
- Hawaii Community College
- University of Hawaii-West Oahu
- Kauai Community College
- University of Hawaii at Hilo
- University of Hawaii at Manoa
- Brigham Young University-Hawaii
- Chaminade University of Honolulu
- Hawaii Pacific University
Questions families ask
- What is the most affordable college in Hawaii?
- By average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships — it is Leeward Community College at about $5,137 a year. That is an average across all students there; your own cost depends on your family's income, so check the school's net price calculator.
- What is the difference between sticker price and net price?
- Sticker price is the published tuition before any aid. Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted — not loans, which you pay back. Net price is usually far lower, and at expensive private colleges the gap can be tens of thousands a year, which is why every figure on this page is net price rather than tuition.
- How much does college in Hawaii cost on average?
- Across the 13 colleges in Hawaii that report a figure, the middle of the range is about $10,327 a year after aid, running from $5,137 to $29,657.
- Are community colleges cheaper in Hawaii?
- On this data, yes. The typical two-year college in Hawaii has a net price around $8,169 a year, against about $15,664 at the typical four-year school — a difference of roughly $7,495 a year. Credits often transfer, so two years at a community college can cut the cost of a four-year degree substantially.
- What does the Pell grant percentage mean?
- It is the share of undergraduates at that school receiving a federal Pell grant — need-based aid that does not have to be repaid. A higher share usually means the school enrols more students from lower-income families. Across the colleges listed here it runs from 15% to 41%, with a middle of about 21%. It is the only aid figure the Department of Education publishes per school, so it is the only one shown.
Which of these actually fits you?
A list is a starting point, not an answer. Two minutes of questions gives you a shortlist ranked on cost, academics, size and location — with the reaches labelled honestly.
Find your match — free