State cost ranking · DOE College Scorecard

Cheapest Colleges in Hawaii

Hawaii's median net price sits 31% below the national Scorecard median; Leeward Community College leads the 18-school list at $5,137.

$5,137
Cheapest net price
$11,856
Hawaii median
18
Schools ranked

Leeward Community College has the lowest average net price in Hawaii among Scorecard reporters

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, Leeward Community College posts the lowest average net price in Hawaii at $5,137 among 18 ranked schools, with the state median 31% below the $17,124 national median. Net price is what students paid after grant aid, not sticker tuition, and can reflect a narrow enrollment mix at specialty schools.

Data source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard

Cheapest net price
$5,137
Hawaii median
$11,856
Schools ranked
18
National median
$17,124

Data updated August 2026 · IPEDS 2022–23 vintage

The list in one line

Leeward Community College has the lowest average net price in Hawaii at $5,137/year, and the state's median net price is 31% below the $17,124 national median across 4,965 schools.

$5,137
cheapest ranked net price
$11,856
Hawaii median net price
10 public / 8 private
schools in this ranking
$19,165
avg net price, <$30K income families

Average net price blends every income bracket; families under $30k average $19,165 here. Loans are excluded, open a school profile for the bracket table before treating one average as a personal cost.

Sticker tuition and real net price diverge most at Hawaii Pacific University, where in-state published tuition of $34,392 falls to an average net price of $29,657 after aid, a $4,735 gap, the widest sticker-to-net gap among ranked Hawaii schools.

Across 18 ranked Hawaii schools, 10 are public and 8 are private. Sector sits beside every row because a low price at a specialty campus is not the same signal as a low price at a large public college.

Every ranked Hawaii school is listed below. Here is how their average net prices spread:

Hawaii net-price distribution

Average net price after aid · 18 Scorecard-reporting schools

$115,636 more affordable than 0% of 18 Hawaii colleges

Show national distribution $0–$12,000: 10 Hawaii colleges (56%). Below this entry. $12,000–$24,000: 4 Hawaii colleges (22%). Below this entry. $24,000–$36,000: 3 Hawaii colleges (17%). Below this entry. $36,000–$48,000: 0 Hawaii colleges (0%). Below this entry. $48,000–$60,000: 0 Hawaii colleges (0%). Below this entry. $60,000–$72,000: 0 Hawaii colleges (0%). Below this entry. $72,000–$84,000: 0 Hawaii colleges (0%). Below this entry. $84,000–$96,000: 0 Hawaii colleges (0%). Below this entry. $96,000–$108,000: 0 Hawaii colleges (0%). Below this entry. $108,000–$120,000: 1 Hawaii colleges (6%). This entry sits in this band. State median band $0 $120,000 every ranked Hawaii college, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $12K-wide band; taller bars hold more Hawaii colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · 2022–23

Hawaii's 18 cheapest colleges by real net price

1
Leeward Community CollegePearl City, HI · Public
Avg net price
$5,137
Net price (<$30K income)
$4,156
Median debt
$8,970
Median earnings, 6yr
$33,997
Enrollment
6,471
2
Kapiolani Community CollegeHonolulu, HI · Public
Avg net price
$5,202
Net price (<$30K income)
$4,068
Median debt
$9,229
Median earnings, 6yr
$38,265
Enrollment
5,914
3
Honolulu Community CollegeHonolulu, HI · Public
Avg net price
$7,458
Net price (<$30K income)
$6,672
Median debt
$7,534
Median earnings, 6yr
$36,127
Enrollment
3,342
5
Windward Community CollegeKaneohe, HI · Public
Avg net price
$8,169
Net price (<$30K income)
$6,750
Median debt
$9,500
Median earnings, 6yr
$30,631
Enrollment
2,765
6
Hawaii Community CollegeHilo, HI · Public
Avg net price
$8,942
Net price (<$30K income)
$7,964
Median debt
$10,500
Median earnings, 6yr
$29,704
Enrollment
2,289
7
University of Hawaii-West OahuKapolei, HI · Public
Avg net price
$10,327
Net price (<$30K income)
$7,674
Median debt
$14,500
Median earnings, 6yr
$44,352
Enrollment
2,814
8
Kauai Community CollegeLihue, HI · Public
Avg net price
$10,436
Net price (<$30K income)
$10,495
Median debt
$10,500
Median earnings, 6yr
$31,592
Enrollment
1,335
10
University of Hawaii at HiloHilo, HI · Public
Avg net price
$11,856
Net price (<$30K income)
$8,983
Median debt
$20,500
Median earnings, 6yr
$37,204
Enrollment
2,668
11
University of Hawaii at ManoaHonolulu, HI · Public
Avg net price
$15,664
Net price (<$30K income)
$10,675
Median debt
$18,500
Median earnings, 6yr
$45,701
Enrollment
20,028
12
Brigham Young University-HawaiiLaie, HI · Private nonprofit
Avg net price
$16,774
Net price (<$30K income)
$11,623
Median debt
$9,413
Median earnings, 6yr
$39,316
Enrollment
2,906
13
Hawaii Institute of Hair DesignHonolulu, HI · Private for-profit
Avg net price
$20,970
Net price (<$30K income)
$20,657
Median debt
$5,793
Median earnings, 6yr
$17,489
Enrollment
85
14
Pacific Rim Christian UniversityHonolulu, HI · Private nonprofit
Avg net price
$23,151
Net price (<$30K income)
$22,972
Median debt
-
Median earnings, 6yr
-
Enrollment
187
15
Chaminade University of HonoluluHonolulu, HI · Private nonprofit
Avg net price
$28,856
Net price (<$30K income)
$31,589
Median debt
$23,250
Median earnings, 6yr
$48,660
Enrollment
2,709
16
Hawaii Pacific UniversityHonolulu, HI · Private nonprofit
Avg net price
$29,657
Net price (<$30K income)
$25,758
Median debt
$22,000
Median earnings, 6yr
$48,773
Enrollment
4,921
17
Hawaii Medical CollegeHonolulu, HI · Private for-profit
Avg net price
$30,107
Net price (<$30K income)
$30,094
Median debt
$13,000
Median earnings, 6yr
$35,803
Enrollment
194
18
Mauna Loa HelicoptersKailua Kona, HI · Private for-profit
Avg net price
$115,636
Net price (<$30K income)
$115,636
Median debt
-
Median earnings, 6yr
-
Enrollment
0
#CollegeAvg net priceNet price (<$30K income)Median debtMedian earnings, 6yrEnrollment
1Leeward Community CollegePearl City, HI · Public$5,13796% of the leader · rank #1$4,156$8,970$33,9976,471
2Kapiolani Community CollegeHonolulu, HI · Public$5,20296% of the leader · rank #2$4,068$9,229$38,2655,914
3Honolulu Community CollegeHonolulu, HI · Public$7,45894% of the leader · rank #3$6,672$7,534$36,1273,342
4University of Hawaii Maui CollegeKahului, HI · Public$8,06193% of the leader · rank #4$7,386$13,040$28,2632,792
5Windward Community CollegeKaneohe, HI · Public$8,16993% of the leader · rank #5$6,750$9,500$30,6312,765
6Hawaii Community CollegeHilo, HI · Public$8,94292% of the leader · rank #6$7,964$10,500$29,7042,289
7University of Hawaii-West OahuKapolei, HI · Public$10,32791% of the leader · rank #7$7,674$14,500$44,3522,814
8Kauai Community CollegeLihue, HI · Public$10,43691% of the leader · rank #8$10,495$10,500$31,5921,335
9Makana Esthetics Wellness AcademyHonolulu, HI · Private for-profit$11,82490% of the leader · rank #9$11,824--50
10University of Hawaii at HiloHilo, HI · Public$11,85690% of the leader · rank #10$8,983$20,500$37,2042,668
11University of Hawaii at ManoaHonolulu, HI · Public$15,66486% of the leader · rank #11$10,675$18,500$45,70120,028
12Brigham Young University-HawaiiLaie, HI · Private nonprofit$16,77485% of the leader · rank #12$11,623$9,413$39,3162,906
13Hawaii Institute of Hair DesignHonolulu, HI · Private for-profit$20,97082% of the leader · rank #13$20,657$5,793$17,48985
14Pacific Rim Christian UniversityHonolulu, HI · Private nonprofit$23,15180% of the leader · rank #14$22,972--187
15Chaminade University of HonoluluHonolulu, HI · Private nonprofit$28,85675% of the leader · rank #15$31,589$23,250$48,6602,709
16Hawaii Pacific UniversityHonolulu, HI · Private nonprofit$29,65774% of the leader · rank #16$25,758$22,000$48,7734,921
17Hawaii Medical CollegeHonolulu, HI · Private for-profit$30,10774% of the leader · rank #17$30,094$13,000$35,803194
18Mauna Loa HelicoptersKailua Kona, HI · Private for-profit$115,6364% of the leader · rank #18$115,636--0

Related

All 51 states → | Hawaii campus safety → | Find your school's rank → | Methodology →

What this means for you

Use Hawaii's ranking as a starting point, real net price depends on your specific financial-aid package.

  • Leeward Community College reports the lowest average net price in Hawaii, but "average" blends every income bracket, check your bracket's figure before assuming it applies to you. View Leeward Community College
  • See your specific school's in-state cost rank and nearest-price peers. My School Profile
  • Compare campus safety alongside cost before deciding. Hawaii safety

Figures reflect the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23 release.

Average net price = the institution-reported average amount students actually paid after all grant and scholarship aid, excluding loans. Only schools with a reported average net price in the DOE College Scorecard dataset are ranked. This page lists the 18 cheapest; the title count is the full Scorecard-reporting cohort for Hawaii. Schools with fewer than 10 net-price-reporting institutions in a state or territory are not given a dedicated ranking page.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23

Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Every ranked figure on this page is queried directly from the DOE College Scorecard dataset at request time; no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.