University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo: A Comprehensive Overview

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo (UH Hilo) is a public university and one of the ten campuses of the University of Hawaiʻi System. UH Hilo provides a unique educational experience steeped in Hawaiʻi’s cultural tradition. The university combines modern technology, creativity, critical thinking, and practical application with cultural understanding to prepare graduates to tackle 21st-century challenges.

A Brief History

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo was established as Hilo Center at Lyman Hall of the Hilo Boys School in 1945. Although post-high school non-credit courses had been offered in Hilo as early as 1945, under the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa's Adult Education Services, the university was established as Hilo Center at Lyman Hall of the Hilo Boys School. In 1964, a feasibility study recommended that the Hilo Branch and the Hawaii Technical School create a community college in Hilo. In 1970, the campus was renamed Hilo College and merged with Hawaii Community College. Hawaiʻi Community College was separated from the university in 1990.

Academics and Programs

UH Hilo offers a wide array of academic programs across its various colleges:

College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management (CAFNRM): Provides quality education to assist individuals in acquiring the scientific knowledge, attitudes, and practical skills needed to practice environmentally sound, sustainable agriculture and to be productive and responsible global citizens.
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS): Provides quality education in the liberal arts and sciences, as well as a select group of high quality professional and pre-professional programs.
College of Business and Economics (COBE): Prepares students for leadership in organizations serving Hawaiʻi and the Asia/Pacific region. The College of Business and Economics is one of only two business schools in Hawaii accredited by the AACSB.
College of Natural and Health Sciences (CNHS): Provides rigorous, practical, and high-quality education, preparing you to pursue careers or graduate work.
Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy (DKICP): The Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy (DKICP) is a four-year educational and experiential program through which students pursue the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree.
Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language: Assures the revitalization and continued advancement and growth of the Hawaiian language and mauli ola Hawaiʻi.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo offers BA, BBA, BS, and BSN degrees in addition to certificates. The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo offers a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology, which meets educational requirements for licensure as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. UH Hilo offers over 50 different degrees. The university specializes in marine science, volcanology, astronomy, and Hawaiian studies.

Campus Environment and Facilities

The UH Hilo campus is situated in Hilo, a peaceful town with a population of about 50,000. Hilo is known for its natural beauty, with spectacular ocean and mountain views, picturesque waterfalls, and lush vegetation. The campus is conveniently located in town, close to the downtown area, shopping malls, and cultural centers.

University Classroom Building

The Psychology Department is located on the second floor of a modern, 3-story building constructed in 2002, which is officially referred to as the "University Classroom Building" (UCB). This multi-purpose building incorporates classrooms, faculty and administration offices, meeting rooms, student resource rooms, computer and research labs. Open, breezy patios on every floor, some with ocean and mountain views, provide space for socializing and rest, whereas spacious, air-conditioned classrooms and offices with tinted glass windows ensure comfortable conditions for work and study. The building has many open computer labs for students, which provide access to the Internet, UH services, library resources, and specialized software utilized in various classes. Besides, UCB is centrally located on campus and connected with the Campus Center, Library, and many other buildings via covered walkways.

Other Facilities

In 2006, a state-of-the-art Astronomy Education Center was added to the UH Hilo attractions. 2008 was marked by the completion of a new Student Life Center, which incorporates an olympic size pool and numerous exercise facilities. The most recent additions to the campus infrastructure include Science and Technology building, College of Hawaiian Studies building, Student Services building and additional student dormitories.

Student Life

UH Hilo is a residential university, with over 600 students living on campus. The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo inspires its students through an educational experience designed for discovery and steeped in Hawaiʻi’s unique cultural tradition. Students can also get involved in student government through the UH Hilo Student Association (UHHSA), organize student activities through the Student Activities Council, or provide service to the community through community service. UH Hilo offers rich opportunities that foster creativity and the arts. The Performing Arts Center features world-renown musicians, dancers, and performers from around the world, as well as plays, concerts, and dances produced and performed by students. Students can develop their writing and artistic skills by getting involved with one of the student publications, including Ke Kalahea, the student newspaper.

Extracurricular Activities and Recreation

UH Hilo offers opportunities to become a member or leader of lots of different clubs. Students can workout, swim, or join a recreational class or sports club, participate in intramural sports, or take a physical education class through the Kinesiology & Exercise Sciences Department. Popular forms of pastime in Hawaii include surfing, fishing, hunting, swimming, snorkeling, spelunking, scuba diving, sea kayaking, Hawaiian canoe paddling, hiking, biking, tennis, golf, beach volleyball, soccer, baseball, and even downhill skiing and snow boarding on Maunakea. Every October, the Big island hosts one of the most prestigious triathlon competitions in the world, Ironman Hawaiʻi, which attracts thousands of top athletes and dozens of thousands of spectators.

Athletics

Until 1994 University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo belonged to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics or NAIA. Since 1992, it has been a member of the NCAA Division II Pacific West Conference. It fields teams in baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.

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Location and Environment

The campus is situated in Hilo, known as the “rainiest city in the United States”. The daytime temperature stays within a comfortable range of 75-85 degrees year round. Hilo has a major harbor and airport and offers all of the modern technological amenities and social services available elsewhere. At the same time, many major attractions of the island, such as Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Mauna Kea International Astronomy Center, Akaka Falls, etc. are within a short driving distance.

A major advantage of UH Hilo is that it is positioned on the beautiful Big Island of Hawaiʻi, the largest in the Hawaiian Archipelago. With an area of 4,060 square miles, it has more land than all the other Hawaiian islands combined. Due to its unique location and geological features, the Big Island of Hawaii is the only place in the world, where one can visit 11 different climate zones (out of 13 on Earth) in one day. The Big Island is also known for its international astronomy center.

Additional Information

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo was recognized as one of the top 300 universities in America. Through UH Hilo’s various distance learning programs, you have the flexibility of taking online classes from home. UH Hilo offers more than 250 online classes per academic year and serves over 4,000 students.

Admissions and Costs

The UH Hilo acceptance rate is 90%. The average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid is $12,936 per year. The in-state tuition is $7,838 per year, while out-of-state tuition is $20,798 per year. The average total aid awarded is $7,454 per year.

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