Many of Hawaii's colleges and universities boast a strong web presence, offering a range of bachelor's degrees entirely online. These schools provide a convenient and first-class learning environment to distance learners. Hawaii Pacific recently added three new programs entirely online, and the University of Hawaii's system provides a mix of fully online programs and courses.
Before we dive into our list of the best online colleges in Hawaii for 2018, let's start with the state of higher education and online education in Hawaii today.
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Overview of Online Colleges in Hawaii
A Brief Overview of Higher Education in Hawaii
Prospective college students in Hawaii benefit from the state's variety of degree-granting institutions. Hawaiian college students attend 20 institutions of higher education, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. This number includes 10 public institutions, which all participate in the Distance Learning at the University Hawaii program, six private nonprofit schools, and four for-profit institutions. The state's 65,860 students attend classes both online and on campus, with more than 21,000 students enrolled in at least one online class — according to the Online Learning Survey.[dataviz-stats public="10" non-profit="6" for-profit="4"]Tuition rates vary depending on the type of institution and the degree level. Students attending on campus and online colleges in Hawaii pay an average tuition of $3,920 at two-year public colleges and $10,800 at four-year public institutions for the 2018-2019 academic year, according to College Board. The state's flagship university, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, charged $11,970 a year in tuition during the 2018-2019 school year, around average for a flagship institution. Private schools typically charge higher tuition rates. Online students may qualify for tuition discounts at certain institutions.College students in Hawaii benefit from financial aid packages that include state-issued grants. The National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs reports on both need-based and non-need-based grants offered in the state. The Hawaii B Plus scholarship provided nearly $3 million in support for undergraduate students, who received a total of more than $4 million in-state grants from 2015-2016. These programs also support students enrolled at the best online colleges in Hawaii.
Higher Education in Hawaii
Featured Online Programs
The State of Online Higher Education in Hawaii
Online higher education provides a flexible alternative to fully on-campus programs. In Hawaii, more than 21,000 students take at least one online class, according to a 2017 Online Learning Survey. Nearly one in three Hawaiian college students, or 31.1% of all students, take at least one online course, exceeding the national average of 29.7%. This includes students who took Hawaii community college online courses. Of the students who took at least one online course in Hawaii, the vast majority enrolled as undergraduates, with only 1,590 enrolling as graduate students.[dataviz-nces online="11.7" undergrad="89.2" in-state="87.8"]A significant number of college students enrolled in Hawaiian higher education take all of their courses online: 8,130 students enroll as fully online students, representing 11.7% of all students. Of that number, 7,140 enroll as undergraduates and 710 enroll as graduate students. The majority of these students live in Hawaii, representing 87.8% of exclusively online students, with the rest enrolling from out of state.Most online students in Hawaii enroll in a public institution. Leeward Community College, Kapiolani Community College, and the University of Hawaii at Manoa enroll the largest number of online students. The state's public university system offers the Distance Learning at the University Hawaii program, which offers online courses through the University of Hawaii's 10 campuses. Students can earn certificates, associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, and master's degrees through the program. Online students benefit from the program's easy enrollment process, tutoring services, and technology services.
Tuition Breaks for Out-of-State Students
Many online colleges in Hawaii offer tuition discounts designed to support out-of-state students. These discounts can include a lower tuition rate for online classes or the ability to pay in-state tuition for fully online students. Out-of-state students also benefit from the support offered by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). The commission works to increase access to higher education and the quality of institutes in its 16 member states. WICHE also offers the Western Undergraduate Exchange program, which helps qualifying out-of-state students save on tuition at online colleges in Hawaii.The program caps out-of-state tuition at 150% of the in-state tuition rate at member state institutions. WICHE member states include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. More than 40,000 students participated in the Western Undergraduate Exchange through WICHE during the 2017-2018 school year, which saved students more than $365 million on out-of-state tuition.WICHE also runs the Internet Course Exchange, which helps students access online courses offered by western colleges and universities. Students enrolled in Hawaii community college online classes may use the exchange to take courses at other western community colleges.
Best Online Colleges in Hawaii
See below for our rankings of the best online four-year programs in Hawaii. Our profiles look at how schools approach online education and list both their services for distance students and their popular, fully online degrees. After reviewing the best online schools in Hawaii, explore our state resources, such as a database of every college and university in Hawaii or our index of popular in-state scholarships.
Ranking Methodology
To determine the best online colleges in each state, we examined the factors most important to prospective students: Academic quality and reputation, online program strength, and cost and student aid. At the most basic level, we use the following formula to determine the best online colleges: Academic Quality + Online Offerings + Cost and Student Aid = Final Score. Of course, there's more to these calculations than meets the eye. Visit our methodology page to discover the data points that shape our formula and to learn more about the process we use to rank schools.
Most Affordable Online Colleges in Hawaii
See below for a ranking of online schools in Hawaii sorted by tuition rate.
Affordability Methodology
Our list of the most affordable online colleges is based on in-state yearly tuition, or annual tuition rates if a school does not differentiate between in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition rates are based on a full course load each semester or term. All colleges on the list offer at least one bachelor's degree completion program available entirely online.The online schools in HI with the lowest tuition are ranked highest, providing prospective students with a true list of the most affordable online colleges in their state.
College Graduate Outlook in Hawaii
Job Outlook for College Graduates in Hawaii
College graduates in Hawaii join a dynamic workforce that employs more than 630,000 people, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Hawaiians earn an annual mean wage of $52,050, and in many industries, college graduates earn more than non-college graduates. By completing a college degree, professionals also benefit from increased competitiveness on the job market. A Georgetown University study found that college graduates earn an additional $1 million in wages over the course of their career compared with non-college graduates.Hawaii's robust job market also benefits from a low 2.2% unemployment rate (as of September 2018), which stands below the national average. The BLS reports that the unemployment rate for college graduates often falls well below the national average. For example, in May 2018, the national unemployment rate stood at 3.9%, while college graduates benefitted from a significantly lower 2.1% unemployment rate. This also applies to the best online college Hawaii graduates.