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.
Hawaii Colleges Key COA Trends (2016-2025)
The total Cost of Attendance has increased substantially at Hawaii colleges:
- On-Campus: The COA has risen by 19.20%.
- Off-Campus: The COA has risen by 26.91%.
- 2024-2025 Total COA: the average total COA is $40,713 when living on campus and $44,212 when living off campus.
Hawaii Colleges Tuition & Fees Changes
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.
Living and Other Costs
Living Costs (Room & Board, Other Expenses):
- At Hawaii colleges, living costs increased by 36.99% for on-campus and 55.12% for off-campus.
- The average living cost for 2024-2025 is $18,455 (on-campus) and $21,954 (off-campus).
Books & Supplies:
- Books and supplies costs have remained relatively stable (4.55%), with the average cost for 2024-2025 being $1,263.
COA (Cost of Attendance) Trends
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.
COA (Cost of Attendance) Trends of Hawaii Colleges
| 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% |
|---|
Tuition & Fees Changes
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.
Tuition & Fees Changes for Hawaii Colleges
| 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% |
|---|
Books & Supplies Costs Changes
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.
Books & Supplies Costs Changes for Hawaii Colleges
| 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% |
|---|
Living Costs Changes
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.
Living Costs Changes for Hawaii Colleges
| 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% |
|---|