NurseSavvy ranking · Hawaii · updated October 10, 2026

Best Nursing Schools in Hawaii (2026): The NurseSavvy Top 8

We ranked all 8 RN programs in Hawaii that publish a first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, on the four things that decide whether a program gets you to a nursing license you can afford: passing the NCLEX, actually finishing, the cost next to what nurses earn in Hawaii, and what graduates earn a year out.

University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa comes out on top. Here are the top 8, with every number’s source — and you can re-rank them by what matters to you.

No school can pay for placement. Public data only — see the full methodology.

Rank it your way

Rank Hawaii’s 8 RN programs on what matters to you

NCLEX pass rate, students who finish, cost vs nurse pay, grads’ early pay — compare in-state, by region, or nationwide.

The top 8 nursing programs in Hawaii

Scores are out of 100 under the default NurseSavvy weights. A school with two programs (say, an ADN and a BSN) can appear twice.

1
University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
HonoluluBSN· Public
72score
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 42 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
100% of 42
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$15,664/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$94,216 1 yr out
2
Kapi‘olani Community College
HonoluluADN· Public
65score
A 95.8% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 48 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
95.8% of 48
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$5,202/yr net price
Early-career earnings
Not publishedfill-in
3
University of Hawai‘i Maui College
KahuluiBSN· Public
65score
A $8,061 average net price is low next to $136,320 median RN pay in Hawaii.
NCLEX strength
84.6% of 39
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$8,061/yr net price
Early-career earnings
Not publishedfill-in
4
Kaua‘i Community College
Līhu‘eADN· Public
64score
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 17 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
100% of 17
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$10,436/yr net price
Early-career earnings
Not publishedfill-in
5
Chaminade University of Honolulu
HonoluluBSN· Private nonprofit
59score
A 93.3% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 105 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
93.3% of 105
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$28,856/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$81,125 1 yr out
6
University of Hawai‘i at Hilo
HiloBSN· Public
54score
A $11,856 average net price is low next to $136,320 median RN pay in Hawaii.
NCLEX strength
79.4% of 34
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$11,856/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$84,401 1 yr out
7
Hawai‘i Community College
HiloADN· Public
48score
A $8,942 average net price is low next to $136,320 median RN pay in Hawaii.
NCLEX strength
83.7% of 49
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$8,942/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$69,990 1 yr out
8
Hawai‘i Pacific University
HonoluluBSN· Private nonprofit
41score
A $29,657 average net price is low next to $136,320 median RN pay in Hawaii.
NCLEX strength
76.8% of 99
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$29,657/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$75,892 1 yr out

Fill-in: a figure the program hasn’t published is scored at the 33rd percentile of programs that publish it (same degree type) — not its own number.

All 13 approved programs in Hawaii Full rankings table

The Hawaii leaders on each measure

Different students weigh these differently — here is who leads on each one alone, among programs that publish it.

Highest NCLEX pass rate: University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (BSN), 100% first-time.
Lowest average net price: Kapi‘olani Community College, $5,202/yr.
Highest graduates’ pay: University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, $94,216 one year out.
Top ADN vs top BSN: Kapi‘olani Community College (#2 overall) and University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (#1 overall).

No Hawaii RN program in our data has published its own completion rate yet, so every program here scores the completion fill-in.

How we ranked Hawaii’s nursing schools

NCLEX pass rate (33%). The 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN rate from the Hawaii board of nursing, steadied for small cohorts.
Students who finish (33%). The program’s own on-time completion rate, where a board or the program publishes it.
Cost vs nurse pay (20%). Average net price per year next to Hawaii’s median RN pay (College Scorecard + BLS).
Graduates’ early pay (14%). What the program’s nursing graduates earn one year out, next to the state’s RN median.

A missing figure is a labeled 33rd-percentile fill-in, never a guess. Programs without a published NCLEX rate, and direct-entry master’s programs, are not ranked. Every formula and source →

Frequently asked questions

What is the best nursing school in Hawaii?

Under the NurseSavvy ranking, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (BSN, Honolulu) ranks #1 of 8 RN programs in Hawaii with a score of 72 out of 100 and a 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate. "Best" depends on what you weigh most — re-rank the list on this page by your own priorities.

How did NurseSavvy rank Hawaii nursing schools?

Every RN program with a published 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate is scored 0–100 on four public measures: NCLEX pass rate (33%), students who finish (33%), cost next to local RN pay (20%), and graduates’ pay one year out (14%). Pass rates come from the Hawaii board of nursing; cost and pay from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

What does “fill-in” mean on this list?

When a program has not published a figure, we do not guess it. It is scored at the 33rd percentile of programs (same degree type) that do publish it — below typical — and labeled “fill-in” wherever it appears. Publishing its real number can only help a program that performs well.

Can a school pay to rank higher?

No. Schools cannot pay, partner, sponsor, or advertise their way to a better rank. Every input is public data, and the same formula applies to every program.