Best Private Colleges in Hawaii 2025
Private colleges, unlike large public institutions, can be a great option for students wanting a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Here is our list of the best private colleges in Hawaii.
Key Takeaways
- The best private colleges in Hawaii offer a distinctive learning environment with strong connections to Hawaiian culture, history, and the natural beauty of the islands, providing a unique educational setting that appeals to students seeking a diverse cultural experience.
- Hawaii’s private colleges often integrate sustainability into their curriculum, with programs focused on marine biology, environmental science, and conservation, appealing to students interested in ecological issues and hands-on field research.
- Many of the best private colleges in Hawaii emphasize close-knit academic communities, offering smaller class sizes and greater opportunities for one-on-one interaction with faculty, fostering personalized learning experiences.
Best Private Colleges in Hawaii
- Chaminade University of Honolulu 93%
- Hawaii Pacific University 87%
- Brigham Young University–Hawaii 34%
- Hawaii Pacific University 16 to 1
- Brigham Young University–Hawaii 15 to 1
- Chaminade University of Honolulu 11 to 1
- Hawaii Pacific University $31,940
- Chaminade University of Honolulu $28,544
- Brigham Young University–Hawaii $6,250
- Chaminade University of Honolulu $25,200
- Hawaii Pacific University $20,306
- Brigham Young University–Hawaii 34%
- Hawaii Pacific University 87%
- Chaminade University of Honolulu 93%
- Chaminade University of Honolulu 11 to 1
- Brigham Young University–Hawaii 15 to 1
- Hawaii Pacific University 16 to 1
- Brigham Young University–Hawaii $6,250
- Chaminade University of Honolulu $28,544
- Hawaii Pacific University $31,940
- Hawaii Pacific University $20,306
- Chaminade University of Honolulu $25,200
2025 Ranking Update
Our Influence Ranking Engine™ leverages machine learning to track the real-world influence of colleges and universities over time. Below you’ll see which schools gained or lost ground for the 2025 school year.
There are no changes to our ranking of the best private colleges in Hawaii for 2025. This was a result of all the schools in the ranking making similar improvements to their curriculum, internship opportunities, and other program features.
This list is composed entirely of private colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 3 private universities in Hawaii. To be included in the list below of the best private universities in Hawaii, schools must be fully accredited, private, non-profit institution, and must offer a broad range of bachelor’s degrees.
Best Private Colleges in Hawaii
- #1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Hawaii 2025 #2 Best Colleges in Hawaii 2025 #3 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #1 Best Online Associate Degrees in Hawaii 2024
Other Rankings
- #1 Best Online MBA Programs in Hawaii
- #2 Best Online Master's Programs in Hawaii 2024
- #3 Best Online Colleges in Hawaii 2024
- #3 Best Online Associate in Mathematics 2025
- #9 Best Online Bachelor’s in Public Administration Degree Programs for 2025
- #19 Best Online Associate in Business Administration
- #20 Best Online Associate in Cybersecurity
Tuition + fees
$32K
Acceptance
87%
Graduation
45%
Student body
6K
Median SAT/ACT
1150/23
Career Outlook for degree at Hawaii Pacific University
Cost of Degree: $36,080Expenses: $19,492Starting Salary: $56,400Cost Recoup Time: 16 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Hawaii Pacific University known for?
Hawaii Pacific University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Social Work
- Nursing
- Literature
- Business
- Political Science
- Computer Science
- Biology
- Criminal Justice
- Earth Sciences
- Communications
Most Influential Alumni
Hawaii Pacific University’s Online Degrees
BS in Business Administration
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Human Resource Development
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Criminal Justice
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Public Administration
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #23 The Best Catholic Colleges and Universities Ranked for 2024 #2 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Hawaii 2025 #4 Best Colleges in Hawaii 2025 #4 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024
Other Rankings
- #2 Best Online Associate in Criminal Justice
- #2 Best Online Associate Degrees in Hawaii 2024
- #3 Best Online Master's Programs in Hawaii 2024
- #3 Best Online MBA Programs in Hawaii
- #4 Best Online Colleges in Hawaii 2024
- #5 Best Online Bachelor's in Religious Studies Degree Programs for 2024
- #11 Best Online Doctorate in Organizational Leadership Degree Programs 2025
- #12 Best Online Associate in Liberal Arts 2025
- #16 Best Online Bachelor's in Criminal Justice
- #17 Best Online Bachelor’s of Elementary Education Degree Programs for 2025
Tuition + fees
$29K
Acceptance
93%
Graduation
66%
Student body
3K
Career Outlook for degree at Chaminade University of Honolulu
Cost of Degree: $29,970Expenses: $20,962Starting Salary: $41,000Cost Recoup Time: 18 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Chaminade University of Honolulu known for?
Chaminade University of Honolulu’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Criminal Justice
- Nursing
- Psychology
- Business
- Biology
- Political Science
- Education
- Religious Studies
- Computer Science
- Communications
Most Influential Alumni
Chaminade University of Honolulu’s Online Degrees
BA in Business Administration
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Criminology And Criminal Justice
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Early Childhood Education
Degree Concentrations
- Montessori Credential
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Elementary Education
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Elementary Education For Oceania
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Secondary Education
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Special Education
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in English
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Historical And Political Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Religious Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #2 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #3 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Hawaii 2025 #3 Most Affordable Colleges in Hawaii 2025 #5 Best Colleges in Hawaii 2025
Tuition + fees
$6K
Acceptance
34%
Graduation
66%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1129/22
Career Outlook for degree at Brigham Young University–Hawaii
Cost of Degree: $6,438Expenses: $19,386Starting Salary: $49,100Cost Recoup Time: 11 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Brigham Young University–Hawaii known for?
Brigham Young University–Hawaii’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Social Work
- Physics
- Political Science
- Anthropology
- Biology
- Education
- Mathematics
- History
- Business
- Communications
Most Influential Alumni
Hawaii’s Best Private Colleges in Your Area Interest
2021 Ranking Archive
Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.
Check out our directory of private colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top private schools in every state.