What’s better than spending your college years in the amazing paradise of the Pacific? If you ask the lucky college students who are here, they’ll probably tell you nothing can compare to it. With ten public and ten private higher education institutes, there’s an abundance of exceptional programs across a broad range of subjects to be studied. In all, there almost 300 colleges and universities. But when students have free time at colleges in Hawaii, there’s a whole other world out here to be explored. From exotic mountain ranges and volcanic grounds, to historically rich sites and plantations, to the sandy beaches, to an unparalleled night life, it’s safe to say these students could probably never be bored.
Students attending colleges in Hawaii have amazing resources at their disposal. The Hawaii State Library is public, and the largest in the state. There are libraries found all across the state with not only your traditional books, but other collections that offer insight beyond the text books.
Hawaii is a very diverse state that offers students at colleges in Hawaii the opportunity to learn and explore a variety of things first hand. The fact that it also brings to the table an array of internships, learning experiences, and jobs doesn’t hurt either.
The state university is the University of Hawaii, and they have campuses at West Oahu, Manoa, and Hilo. Below is some information about a few of the other top colleges in Hawaii.
Hawaii Pacific University
Founded in September of 1965, Hawaii Pacific University has grown to be the largest university throughout the central pacific. The largest degree programs offered at Hawaii Pacific University are business administration and nursing. If you’re looking for an enormous sports program, this may not be the place for you unless you’re into cheerleading or dance. Their cheer and dance teams hold national championship titles.
University of Hawaii at Manoa
There are about 14,000 undergraduates who attend the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Of all the colleges in Hawaii, this is the only one that competes in NCAA Division I sports. This may be the right college for you if you want to go into agriculture or human resources. Agriculture is a large part of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, being the only college in Hawaii that emphasizes tropical agriculture.
Chaminade University of Honolulu
There are quite a few notable academic programs at the Chaminade University of Honolulu. Some of them include communications, interior design, business, criminal justice, and forensic science. In fact, it was named one of the top three most diverse universities by U.S. News and World Report. Founded in 1955, Chaminade University of Honolulu has about 2,000 undergraduate students.
University of Hawaii at Hilo
This actually began as a vocational college in 1941. The University of Hawaii at Hilo has excellent academic programs in place for volcanology, marine biology, and astronomy. They even have one for Hawaiian studies and the indigenous language, which is Hawaiian (They were the first of colleges in Hawaii and the U.S. to offer that). Their sports teams compete at the NCAA Division II level.