2026 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Hawaii
[Liberal Arts](/majors/liberal-arts-sciences-humanities/liberal-arts-and-general-studies/liberal-arts/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 9 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value liberal arts schools.
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2026 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in Hawaii
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in liberal arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Liberal Arts Schools
For return on investment in liberal arts, no school beat Kapiolani Community College this year. Located in the city of Honolulu, Kapiolani Community College is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,284, while out-of-state students pay about $8,420. Typical student debt for liberal arts graduates is $10,500. Liberal Arts graduates of Kapiolani Community College earn a median of $33,307 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $10,500 median debt.
Kauai Community College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value liberal arts schools. Located in the rural area of Lihue, Kauai Community College is a small public university. Students from in state pay about $3,252 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $8,388. Liberal Arts graduates carry a median of $5,500 in student loans. Early-career liberal arts graduates make about $23,210. Set against $5,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Honolulu Community College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value liberal arts schools. Located in the city of Honolulu, Honolulu Community College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $3,174 in tuition and fees, compared with $8,310 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for liberal arts graduates is $9,236. Soon after graduation, liberal arts degree recipients from Honolulu Community College generally make around $59,006. Set against $9,236 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #4 makes Hawaii Community College one of the best values for liberal arts. Located in the town of Hilo, Hawaii Community College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $3,204 in tuition and fees, compared with $8,340 for out-of-state students. Liberal Arts graduates carry a median of $9,166 in student loans. Liberal Arts graduates of Hawaii Community College earn a median of $25,212 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $9,166 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in liberal arts will find it at Windward Community College, which ranked #5. Windward Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the suburb of Kaneohe. In-state tuition and fees average $3,194, compared with $8,330 for out-of-state students. Liberal Arts graduates carry a median of $12,000 in student loans. Liberal Arts graduates of Windward Community College earn a median of $27,200 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $12,000 median debt.
Leeward Community College landed the #6 spot for liberal arts value this year. Leeward Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Pearl City. Students from in state pay about $3,214 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $8,350. Students borrow a median of $9,387 to complete the liberal arts program here. Early-career liberal arts graduates make about $21,784. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
University Of Hawaii Maui College earned the #7 position for value in liberal arts this year. Set in the city of Kahului, University Of Hawaii Maui College is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,284, with out-of-state students paying around $8,420. Typical student debt for liberal arts graduates is $12,072. Early-career liberal arts graduates make about $27,904. That is a strong return on a $12,072 median debt.
University Of Hawaii At Manoa ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value liberal arts schools. Located in the city of Honolulu, University Of Hawaii At Manoa is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,186, with out-of-state students paying around $34,218. Liberal Arts graduates carry a median of $23,877 in student loans. Soon after graduation, liberal arts degree recipients from University Of Hawaii At Manoa generally make around $20,074. That is a strong return on a $23,877 median debt. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
More Liberal Arts Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
