All 10 University of Hawaiʻi campuses have been recognized in the 2025 Carnegie Classifications. Released April 24 by the Carnegie Foundation and American Council on Education, the new classifications reflect a multi-year effort to create a more relevant and complete view of higher education institutions across the country. The redesign aims to better inform students, policymakers, researchers and funders by focusing on what colleges and universities actually do and whom they serve.
UH Mānoa
UH Mānoa was designated “Mixed Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate Large” in the new institutional classification, placing it among only 107 institutions—or 3% of U.S. colleges and universities—with a broad range of degree offerings across many academic fields and a student population of more than 20,000. In addition, UH Mānoa earned a “Higher Access, Medium Earnings” designation in the first-ever student access and earnings classification. The new framework measures how well institutions enroll students from historically underrepresented backgrounds and how former students perform in the job market eight years after entry, compared to peers in their region. UH Mānoa exceeded the national benchmark for access.
“These updated classifications do more than rank us in relation to our peers—they offer a more complete picture of who we are and who we serve,” UH Mānoa Provost Michael Bruno said. “UH Mānoa’s recognition affirms our commitment to our mission as a leading research university and an engine of opportunity for students across Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.”
UH Mānoa’s new classifications build on its top-tier “R1: Very High Research Activity” designation announced in February. That status, based on more than $313 million in research expenditures and 166 research doctorates awarded, affirms the university’s position as a major research institution.
UH West Oʻahu
UH West Oʻahu’s institutional classification was designated as “Professions-focused Baccalaureate Medium,” meaning that the majority of degrees are awarded in fields that are classified as pre-professional or career-aligned. This designation includes 53 institutions nationwide and replaces UH West Oʻahu’s previous designation of Baccalaureate Diverse Fields. Along with UH Mānoa, UH West Oʻahu also earned a “Higher Access, Medium Earnings” in the first-ever student access and earnings classification.
UH Hilo
UH Hilo was designated “Special Focus: Arts and Sciences” in the institutional classification, which includes institutions that award at least 50% of their degrees in academic programs in the humanities, arts and social sciences as well as generalized sciences. Like UH Mānoa and UH West Oʻahu, UH Hilo also earned a “Higher Access, Medium Earnings” in the student access and earnings classification.
UH Community Colleges
Honolulu CC was classified in the institutional classification designation as “Special Focus: Applied and Career Studies,” which refers to institutions where the majority of degrees are in hands-on, career-oriented fields that prepare students for practical, skilled or technical work.
Kapiʻolani CC and Leeward CC were both classified in the institutional classification designation as “Mixed Associate Medium,” and UH Maui College, Hawaiʻi CC, Kauaʻi CC and Windward CC were classified in the institutional classification designation as “Mixed Associate Small.” Mixed Associate Medium and Mixed Associate Small institutions are colleges where fewer than 50% of degrees are awarded in any one field and are further differentiated by size, with medium enrolling between 4,000 and 20,000 total students and small enrolling between 500 and 4,000, reflecting the varied sizes of institutions offering a broad range of associate-level degrees.
All community colleges were recognized for enrolling students who reflect the demographics of their communities, especially in terms of Pell Grant recipients and underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. A majority of the campuses also earned the “medium earnings” classification, highlighting their role in serving low-income and underrepresented students while achieving moderate post-graduation earnings for their graduates—underscoring the significant role campuses play in impacting social and economic mobility.
