The University of Hawai‘i’s three 4-year universities earned national recognition in the U.S. News and World Report 2026 Best Colleges rankings released on Sept. 23, including four top 10 regional rankings for UH West O‘ahu.
UH West O‘ahu ranked No. 3 for best public colleges in the West, No. 3 for best colleges for veterans among regional colleges in the West, No. 8 overall among regional colleges in the West (two spots higher than last year and five spots higher than the year prior), and No. 8 for social mobility for regional colleges in the West (five spots higher than last year and 13 spots higher than the year prior).
UH Mānoa, UH Hilo, and UH West O‘ahu were ranked among the top 1,700 4-year institutions by U.S. News and World Report out of approximately 2,630 4-year institutions nationwide based on up to 17 measures (depending on ranking category) of academic quality, including graduation and retention rates, peer assessments, financial resources, and student excellence.
“These rankings reflect the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff, and students across all three UH 4-year campuses,” UH President Wendy Hensel said in a UH News story. “They show that we are continuing to provide Hawai‘i students with a high-quality, affordable education while preparing them to lead in their communities and beyond.”
UH West O‘ahu is in the regional colleges in the West category, which includes schools that focus on undergraduate education and grant fewer than 50% of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines.
Information and President Hensel quote were in an article originally posted to UH News on Sept. 23, 2025.