There are 24 colleges in Hawaii - 10 public and 14 private schools. At Hawaii colleges, rising college costs are evident in the Cost of Attendance (COA), which combines tuition, fees, textbooks, room and board, and personal living expenses; this figure has grown significantly in the last decade.
The total Cost of Attendance has increased substantially at Hawaii colleges:
Tuition and fees saw dramatic increases across institution types:
| Institution Type | 10-Year Increase (2016-2025) | 2025 Average Tuition & Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Public, In-State | 9.36% (from $7,062 to $7,723) | $7,723 |
| Public, Out-of-State | 7.80% (from $19,476 to $20,995) | $20,995 |
| Private Colleges | 46.25% (from $14,681 to $21,471) | $21,471 |
Note on Degrees: Undergraduate tuition & fees increased by 7.80%, while graduate program tuition & fees increased by 2.42% over the same period.
Over the past 10 years, the COA has increased 19.20% when living on campus and 26.91% when living off campus at Hawaii Colleges.
In private Hawaii Colleges, the COA has increase by 40.28% (on-campus) and 48.75% (off-camus). The COA includes tuition, fees, books & supplies, room & board, and other personal expenses.
For the academic year 2024-2025, the total cost of attendance is $40,713 when a student lives on campus and $44,212 when living off campus at Hawaii Colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of COA for Hawaii Colleges over the past 10 years.
| Year | Living On Campus | Living Off Campus | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | |
| 2015-16 | $21,742 | $34,156 | $29,361 | $22,423 | $34,837 | $30,042 |
| 2016-17 | $23,018 5.87% | $36,245 6.12% | $30,830 5.00% | $24,159 7.74% | $37,386 7.32% | $31,971 6.42% |
| 2017-18 | $23,500 2.09% | $36,772 1.45% | $31,730 2.92% | $24,717 2.31% | $37,989 1.61% | $32,947 3.05% |
| 2018-19 | $22,865 -2.70% | $36,137 -1.73% | $31,022 -2.23% | $24,460 -1.04% | $37,732 -0.68% | $32,617 -1.00% |
| 2019-20 | $24,113 5.46% | $37,385 3.45% | $32,725 5.49% | $25,352 3.65% | $38,624 2.36% | $33,964 4.13% |
| 2020-21 | $24,504 1.62% | $37,776 1.05% | $32,245 -1.47% | $25,441 0.35% | $38,713 0.23% | $33,182 -2.30% |
| 2021-22 | $24,452 -0.21% | $37,724 -0.14% | $32,633 1.20% | $26,597 4.54% | $39,869 2.99% | $34,778 4.81% |
| 2022-23 | $24,821 1.51% | $38,093 0.98% | $33,100 1.43% | $26,922 1.22% | $40,194 0.82% | $35,201 1.22% |
| 2023-24 | $25,881 4.27% | $39,153 2.78% | $34,710 4.86% | $28,393 5.46% | $41,665 3.66% | $37,222 5.74% |
| 2024-25 | $27,441 6.03% | $40,713 3.98% | $41,189 18.67% | $30,940 8.97% | $44,212 6.11% | $44,688 20.06% |
For the current year (2025), the average tuition & fees for Hawaii Colleges is $8,162 for Hawaii residents and $21,434 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average tuition & fees is $21,876.
For graduate programs, the 2025 average graduate tuition & fees is $15,064 for Hawaii residents and $31,504 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average graduate program tuition & fees is $20,638.
The tuition & fees has increased 7.80% for undergraduate programs and 2.42% for graduate programs at Hawaii Colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of tuition & fees by tuition rates and degrees.
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | |
| 2015-16 | $7,062 | $19,476 | $14,681 | $13,110 | $30,078 | $14,721 |
| 2016-17 | $7,538 6.74% | $20,765 6.62% | $15,350 4.56% | $14,057 7.22% | $32,213 7.10% | $15,519 5.42% |
| 2017-18 | $7,500 -0.50% | $20,772 0.03% | $15,730 2.48% | $14,067 0.07% | $32,223 0.03% | $16,166 4.17% |
| 2018-19 | $7,605 1.40% | $20,877 0.51% | $15,762 0.20% | $14,283 1.54% | $32,439 0.67% | $16,787 3.84% |
| 2019-20 | $7,710 1.38% | $20,982 0.50% | $16,322 3.55% | $14,499 1.51% | $32,655 0.67% | $17,497 4.23% |
| 2020-21 | $7,722 0.16% | $20,994 0.06% | $15,463 -5.26% | $14,366 -0.92% | $30,806 -5.66% | $18,073 3.29% |
| 2021-22 | $7,722 | $20,994 | $15,903 2.85% | $14,366 | $30,806 | $18,673 3.32% |
| 2022-23 | $7,723 0.01% | $20,995 | $16,002 0.62% | $14,366 | $30,806 | $18,792 0.64% |
| 2023-24 | $7,723 | $20,995 | $16,552 3.44% | $14,366 | $30,806 | $19,221 2.28% |
| 2024-25 | $7,723 | $20,995 | $21,471 29.72% | $14,366 | $30,806 | $20,023 4.17% |
For the current year (2025), the average book & supplies costs is $1,263 for Hawaii Colleges. The following table shows the changes of book & supplies costs from year 2016 to 2025.
| Year | Books & Supplies |
|---|---|
| 2015-16 | $1,208 |
| 2016-17 | $1,098 -9.11% |
| 2017-18 | $1,124 2.37% |
| 2018-19 | $1,163 3.47% |
| 2019-20 | $1,171 0.69% |
| 2020-21 | $1,217 3.93% |
| 2021-22 | $1,216 -0.08% |
| 2022-23 | $1,204 -0.99% |
| 2023-24 | $1,189 -1.25% |
| 2024-25 | $1,263 6.22% |
For Hawaii Colleges, the living have increased 20.38% when a student lives on campus facilities and 28.18% when living off campus from year 2016 to 2025. The living costs includes costs for room & board, and other living expenses.
| Year | Living On Campus | Living Off Campus |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | $13,472 | $14,003 |
| 2016-17 | $14,382 2.42% | $15,152 4.41% |
| 2017-18 | $14,876 3.44% | $15,686 3.65% |
| 2018-19 | $14,097 -7.57% | $15,039 -5.22% |
| 2019-20 | $15,232 10.01% | $16,207 5.94% |
| 2020-21 | $15,565 2.25% | $16,575 -0.65% |
| 2021-22 | $15,514 -0.60% | $17,111 4.69% |
| 2022-23 | $15,894 2.16% | $17,548 1.24% |
| 2023-24 | $16,969 5.22% | $18,823 6.73% |
| 2024-25 | $18,455 9.73% | $20,101 18.25% |