University of
Hawaii at Hilo
Public College in Hilo, HI. Six-year graduation rate 48%. Median 10-year earnings $47,856.
Ten years after entry, the median University of Hawaii at Hilo student earns $47,856 — a solidly middle-of-the-pack result for an undergraduate institution. The six-year graduation rate is 48%, meaning about one in two students who start do not finish. Debt at graduation runs to a median of $20,500, neither a bargain nor a burden.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
Admissions
University of Hawaii at Hilo accepts 61% of applicants, which makes it accessible to most students who meet the baseline requirements. The applicant pool runs to 2,301, typical for a school of this reach. Yield sits at 25% — the remainder of admitted students enroll elsewhere or not at all. 15% of enrolled first-years submitted an SAT score. The bands below describe the middle half of that group, not of the class.
Test score bands (middle 50% of submitters)
These bands describe the enrolled first-years who submitted a score, not the entering class. Where most students apply test-optional the submitters are a self-selected, higher-scoring group.
| Test | 25th–75th percentile | Submitted |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading | 490–610 | 51 (15%) |
| SAT Math | 455–565 | |
| ACT Composite | 15–22 | 141 (41%) |
IPEDS Admissions · 2024
Apply at University of Hawaii at Hilo →Academics
Six-year completion sits at 48%, meaning about one in two students who enroll leave without finishing. First-year retention is 73% — the single largest point of attrition on this campus. Retention and graduation track closely, so most of the attrition shows up in the first year rather than after it. Part-time students fare worse, returning at 47% — relevant if you plan to work while enrolled. A 11:1 ratio points to small classes and accessible faculty.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 2,260 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
Average net price is $12,673 a year after grant aid — low for a four-year institution, though your own figure depends on aid eligibility. Net price swings hard on family income here, from $8,983 at the $0–30k band to $17,403 at $110k+. 72% of students receive grant aid, averaging $8,479 — common but not automatic. About 32% borrow federally, roughly the national pattern.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 347 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $8,983 |
| $30–48k | $9,243 |
| $48–75k | $11,535 |
| $75–110k | $14,734 |
| $110k+ | $17,403 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 726 of these 2,260 students, totalling $4,927,410 — an average of $6,787 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Hawaii County) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)