All 10 UH campuses recognized in 2025 Carnegie Classifications

The University of Hawaiʻi’s 10 campuses have earned national recognition in the newly updated 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 was designated “Mixed Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate Large,” placing it among only 3% of institutions nationwide with broad academic programs and student populations over 20,000. It also received a “Higher Access, Medium Earnings” rating for enrolling underrepresented students and supporting moderate post-graduation income levels. The recognition follows UH Mānoa’s February reaffirmation as an “R1: Very High Research Activity” university, based on more than $313 million in research expenditures and 166 research doctorates awarded.

“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,” said UH Mānoa Provost Michael Bruno.

UH West Oʻahu 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. Like UH Mānoa, the campus earned a “Higher Access, Medium Earnings” designation.

UH Hilo received the “Special Focus: Arts and Sciences” classification, recognizing its strength in awarding degrees in the humanities, arts, and sciences. It also earned the same access and earnings rating as Mānoa and West Oʻahu.

Among the community colleges, Honolulu Community College was recognized as “Special Focus: Applied and Career Studies” for its hands-on, technical programs. Kapiʻolani CC and Leeward CC were designated “Mixed Associate Medium,” while UH Maui College, Hawaiʻi CC, Kauaʻi CC, and Windward CC were labeled “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.