What is the University of Hawaii System website (hawaii.edu)?
Updated
hawaii.edu is the official website of the University of Hawaiʻi System, a public university system serving the state of Hawaiʻi through ten campuses. Use it as a system-level starting point to explore campuses, degrees and programs, admissions, financial aid, news, research, and sustainability information. If you need to apply, register for classes, or check program-specific requirements, expect to continue to an individual campus site, since hawaii.edu is the umbrella entry point rather than a single campus portal.
What you can do on hawaii.edu
The homepage is organized around a few clear paths:
- Find your place — browse the ten campuses and choose one that fits your location or goals.
- Degrees & programs — look up academic offerings across the system.
- Apply — start the admissions process.
- Financial aid — find funding information.
- Make a gift — support the university.
- UH News — read recent updates on research, weather tracking, and university achievements.
The ten campuses
The site lists all campuses in the system, spanning four-year universities and community colleges:
| Campus | Type |
|---|---|
| UH Mānoa | Four-year |
| UH Hilo | Four-year |
| UH West Oʻahu | Four-year |
| Hawaiʻi CC | Community college |
| Honolulu CC | Community college |
| Kapiʻolani CC | Community college |
| Kauaʻi CC | Community college |
| Leeward CC | Community college |
| UH Maui College | Mixed |
| Windward CC | Community college |
The site notes that the UH Community College System is among the country's best. Each campus name links to its own site, where you'll find specific programs, deadlines, and contact details.
What the site emphasizes
Beyond standard university information, hawaii.edu highlights several themes:
- Native Hawaiian place of learning — the system describes itself as committed to Hawaiian culture.
- Research — including collaborations such as a partnership with UMass on energy resilience and national security research.
- Sustainability — the site reports $6M in electricity cost savings and $1M in annual PV savings.
- Student support — the site states UH invests $123M in students, campuses, and Hawaiʻi's future, and cites a WalletHub ranking placing Hawaiʻi No. 2 in the nation for lowest student debt.
Recent news examples
The homepage surfaces current items, which is useful for judging how actively the site is maintained:
- A Tropical Storm Nolo rainfall and wind tracker launched by the Hawaiʻi Mesonet – Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal (HCDP) team.
- The student debt ranking noted above.
- A note about federal policy updates and resources.
When to use hawaii.edu vs. a campus site
Use hawaii.edu when you want to:
- Compare campuses before choosing one.
- Get a system-wide view of degrees, admissions, and financial aid.
- Read university-wide news and research updates.
Go directly to a campus site when you need:
- Specific application deadlines and requirements.
- Course catalogs and registration.
- Department contacts and advisor information.
The system site is a directory and overview; the operational details live with each campus.