Freshman Admission Requirements

Freshman/First-Year Admission Snapshot – Fall 2023

The Admissions Committee at UH Mānoa takes a holistic look at a student's academic record when reviewing an application. We take into consideration a student's completion of the high school courses listed below, their grade performance, any academic trends in courses and/or grades, and the curricular rigor of their courses.

In alignment with our institutional commitment to serve the higher educational needs of the State of Hawai’i, all Hawai’i residents who apply for admission with at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA and who have successfully completed the high school academic/courses requirements will be offered admission to UH Mānoa.

Below is a snapshot of the admitted freshman/first-year class for fall 2023. We advise that students use this as a guide for selectivity and admission, and not as a predictor of admission to UH Mānoa.

All Freshmen/First-year StudentsHawai’i In-stateU.S. Out-of-stateWUE StatesInternational
# Applicants19,2194,54414,6699,109659
# Admitted13,3923,7759,6176,896282
% Admitted70%83%65%75%42%
# Enrolled3,0671,5751,4921,04075

ACADEMIC PREPAREDNESS

Coursework and Curriculum

The Admissions Committee at UH Mānoa reviews your high school curriculum and courses to ensure you are academically prepared to pursue a UH Mānoa degree. Specifically, we expect to see that you have successfully completed the following courses:

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English

4 Units
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Math

3 Units
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Science

3 Units
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Social Sciences

3 Units
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Other
College-Prep

4 Units
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Electives

5 Units


  • English (4 units)
  • Math (3 units) Including Algebra I, II, and Geometry
  • Science (3 units)
  • Social Studies (3 units)
  • Other College Prep (4 units) College-prep courses can include a 4th unit of math, science, or social science. High school foreign language courses count toward other college-prep courses, but are not required.
  • Electives (5 units) Examples of elective courses: Art, Dance, Band, Physical Education, AVID, Computer Science, etc.

Certain programs (e.g., nursing, social work, education, etc.) may have additional requirements. Please check with the appropriate department for more information.

High School Cumulative GPA

A student’s cumulative GPA helps the Admissions Committee to further determine their academic preparedness for UH Mānoa. To give applicants an idea of the academic performance of students to whom we’ve offered admission, below is the mid-range GPA of all admitted students:

  • 25th percentile: 3.49 cumulative GPA
  • 75th percentile: 4.04 cumulative GPA

The mid-range GPA indicates that 25% of admitted students had below the 25th percentile GPA (3.49 cumulative GPA) and 25% of admitted students had above the 75th percentile GPA (4.04 cumulative GPA).

Professional and certain other programs may require specific GPAs and additional prerequisite course work. Please check with the appropriate department for more information.

SAT and ACT Scores

UH Mānoa is test-optional, which means that students can choose whether or not to submit SAT or ACT scores for admission consideration. We have adopted a “Do No Harm” policy that prevents submitted test scores from penalizing you in our assessment of your academic ability. If a submitted score would harm your likelihood for admission or scholarship, we will exclude it from consideration.

To give applicants an idea of the test scores of students to whom we’ve offered admission, below is the mid-range SAT of all admitted students:

  • 25th percentile:1130
  • 75th percentile:1350

The mid-range SAT indicates that 25% of admitted students had below the 25th percentile SAT score (1130) and 25% of admitted students had above the 75th percentile SAT score (1350).

This is the mid-range ACT of all admitted students:

  • 25th percentile: 21
  • 75th percentile: 29

The mid-range ACT indicates that 25% of admitted students had below the 25th percentile ACT score (21) and 25% of admitted students had above the 75th percentile ACT score (29).

Additional PREPAREDNESS for Homeschooled Applicants

The Admissions Committee at UH Mānoa understands that there is often additional context to consider with applicants who have been homeschooled.

Here is some guidance regarding additional information that will help the Admission Committee assess the preparedness of a homeschooled student:

  • If your homeschooling curriculum is provided by a U.S. regionally accredited school/program and you will receive an official transcript and high school diploma, follow the academic preparedness for freshman applicants as listed above.
  • If your homeschooling curriculum is not provided by a U.S. regionally accredited school/program and you will not receive an official transcript and high school diploma:

    • Follow the academic preparedness for freshman applicants as listed above.
    • AND
    • Submit one of the following (these scores are used in lieu of the official transcript and high school diploma).
      • ACT scores
      • SAT scores
      • GED scores (Minimum score of 165 across all sections)
      • HiSET scores (Minimum score of 15 for most sections; Minimum score of 4 for Essay section)
      • TASC scores (Minimum scores: 580 for English; 560 for Math; 500 for Science; 500 for Social Studies; 560 for Writing; 6 for Essay)

      Homeschool requirements are subject to change.

Application Checklist

UH Mānoa takes all your application materials into consideration when making an admissions decision. To apply for admission, please submit the following:

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University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa Admission Application
First time attending college? Apply as a Freshman.

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Application Fee: $70 U.S.
The application fee is nonrefundable and nontransferable and valid only for the semester indicated on the application. The application fee will be waived for residents of Hawai‘i.

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Official High School Transcripts
All high school information must be submitted through the Self-Reported Application. The initial admissions decision will be based on this information. Upon request from the Office of Admissions an official transcript must be submitted directly to UH Mānoa from your high school for validation and/or scholarships. If you have attended more than one high school, you are required to submit a transcript from each school you have attended.

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Official Standardized Test Scores (optional)

Freshman applicants will have the option of submitting test scores as part of their admissions application. Please note that scholarships or department direct entry programs may require test scores for consideration. For applicants who choose to submit scores they can either be submitted in the Self-Reported Application or sent to the Office of Admissions. UH Manoa's college codes are SAT 4867 and ACT 0902.

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Transcripts may be sent to:
manoa.admissions@hawaii.edu
or:
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Office of Admissions
2600 Campus Road, Room 001
Honolulu, HI 96822-2385

If you are not a U.S. citizen, are a non-native speaker of English, or have been educated in a country other than the United States, refer to the International Admission Process.

Application Deadlines

All applicants must meet application deadlines set by the Office of Admissions. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Admission requirements are subject to change.

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Fall Semester

January 5th Priority Deadline
April 1st Final Deadline
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Spring Semester

September 1st Priority Deadline
October 1st Final Deadline
December 1st Late Application* Deadline

We encourage all applicants to apply by the priority deadline to increase your chances of gaining access to resources that you may need such as financial aid and/or student housing. Certain programs (e.g., nursing, social work, education, etc.) may have earlier admission deadlines. Please check with the appropriate department for more information. Late applications* may be accepted after the final deadline

Direct Admission Program

Get started early in your major. The following programs offer direct entry for high-achieving and highly motivated freshman applicants.

business
nursing
dental hygiene
Medicine

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