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# Best Colleges for Social Mobility in Hawaii (2026)

Updated October 1, 2026

Best Colleges for Social Mobility in Hawaii lists 5 four-year nonprofit schools in Hawaii. Schools are ordered by Azimuth's mobility pillar for Hawaii, highest first.

The pillar measures historical low-income earnings relative to peers, the scale of Pell enrollment and Pell completion, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. [University of Hawaii at Manoa](/school/university-of-hawaii-at-manoa/majors/) ranks 1st on this list and reports median earnings of $61,903 for its graduates four years after completing.

Of the 5 schools, 3 are public and 2 are private. University of Hawaii at Manoa ranks 258th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. University of Hawaii-West Oahu posts the lowest average net price at $10,327.

## The ranked list

5 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Median earnings, 4 years after completion | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | University of Hawaii at Manoa · Honolulu, HI | $61,903 | $15,664 | $10,675 | 86.6% |
|  | [University of Hawaii at Manoa](/school/university-of-hawaii-at-manoa/majors/) reports [median earnings of $61,903](/school/university-of-hawaii-at-manoa/outcomes/) for its graduates four years after completing, and its six-year completion rate of 64% is the highest on this list. |
| 2 | University of Hawaii-West Oahu · Kapolei, HI | $53,969 | $10,327 | $7,674 | 95.3% |
|  | With an admission rate of 95%, University of Hawaii-West Oahu carries an average net price of $10,327, the lowest among the 5 schools on the page. |
| 3 | University of Hawaii at Hilo · Hilo, HI | $49,763 | $11,856 | $8,983 | 60.6% |
|  | University of Hawaii at Hilo ranks 3rd on this list and shows the most selective admission rate at 61%, alongside a six-year completion rate of 48%. |
| 4 | Chaminade University of Honolulu · Honolulu, HI | $59,437 | $28,856 | $31,589 | 91.4% |
|  | Chaminade University of Honolulu, a private nonprofit university in Honolulu, posts median earnings of $59,437 for its graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $28,856. |
| 5 | Hawaii Pacific University · Honolulu, HI | $58,128 | $29,657 | $25,758 | 85.9% |
|  | Hawaii Pacific University graduates earn a median of $58,128 four years after completing, and the university reports an average net price of $25,758 for families earning under $30,000. |

## How this list is ordered

Schools are ordered by Azimuth's mobility pillar for Hawaii, highest first. The pillar measures historical low-income earnings relative to peers, the scale of Pell enrollment and Pell completion, as set out on [Azimuth's methodology page](/methodology/#mobility). The pillar draws on the median earnings of each institution's federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. It does not adjust for cost or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The list includes 3 public and 2 private nonprofit schools.