Hawaii: school, college and career rules
Hawaii requires 24 credits for a Hawaii High School Diploma (Board Policy 102-15), tests with Smarter Balanced in grades 3 to 8 and 11, gives resident tuition after 12 months of physical presence with intent to stay, and covers community college tuition through the Hawaii Promise Program.
Linked from the State Population Totals 2020-2025 page (census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-state-total.html); population and rank copied from the POPESTIMATE2025 and NRANK_POPEST2025 columns.Census
High school diploma
Board of Education Policy 102-15 (amended 12 February 2026): students who show proficiency in the state standards in the required courses (or proficiency-based equivalents) receive a Hawaii High School Diploma. Minimum credits: Hawaii BOE
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| Subject | State minimum |
|---|---|
| English | 4.0 credits: English Language Arts 1 and 2, Expository Writing (0.5) and 1.5 credits of language arts electives |
| Social studies | 4.0 credits: U.S. History and Government, World History and Culture, Modern History of Hawaii (0.5), Participation in a Democracy (0.5) and 1 elective |
| Mathematics | 3.0 credits: Algebra 1, Geometry and 1 math elective |
| Science | 3.0 credits: Biology and 2 science electives |
| World language, fine arts or CTE | 2.0 credits in one of these programs of study |
| Physical education | 1.0 credit |
| Health | 0.5 credit |
| Personal/transition plan | 0.5 credit |
| Electives | 6.0 credits |
24.0 credits.
State tests for the diploma
No exit exam; proficiency is judged by Department of Education procedures. Students with disabilities have the same diploma requirements as other students. Hawaii BOE
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Also good to know
- High school diplomas may also be granted to 16- and 17-year-olds who qualify for graduation through adult schools.
Hawaii BOE
Board Policy 102-15, High School Graduation Requirements and Commencement (amended 2026-02-12)Hawaii State Board of Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
State test: Smarter Balanced and HSA Science
Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA) and the Hawaii State Assessment in Science (HSA-Science). The Smarter Balanced Assessments in mathematics and English language arts/literacy, aligned to the Hawaii Common Core Standards, are mandatory in grades 3 to 8 and 11 and given each spring; science results come from the HSA-Science. HIDOE
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| Test | Subjects | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| Smarter Balanced (SBA) | English language arts/literacy and mathematics | Grades 3–8 and 11 |
| HSA-Science | Science | Tested grades set by HIDOE (results published yearly) |
| HSA-Alternate | ELA, mathematics and science for students with significant cognitive disabilities | Tested grades |
| KĀʻEO | Hawaiian-language assessments for Kaiapuni immersion students | Grades 3 and 4 |
Source: HIDOE
View source
What the scores are used for
- Smarter Balanced scores can place students into credit-bearing courses at a number of colleges, including the University of Hawaii system.
HIDOE
Types of TestingHawaii State Department of Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
National tests (SAT, ACT, AP, NAEP) are on the Exams hub.
Public colleges and universities
The state's public university system(s) and community colleges, from their own pages.
- University of Hawaii System (four-year campuses)University system · Hawaii's only public higher education system, founded in 1907: 10 campuses on six islands, including the universities at Mānoa (the largest and oldest), Hilo and West Oʻahu.
- University of Hawaii Community CollegesCommunity colleges · Seven community colleges in the UH System: Hawaiʻi CC, Honolulu CC, Kapiʻolani CC, Kauaʻi CC, Leeward CC, UH Maui College and Windward CC.
Sources: UH
View sourceUH
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Every school in Hawaii, public and private, with cost and completion: 20 colleges, community colleges and trade schools, with 1 city pages.
In-state tuition: the residency rule
Public colleges charge less to state residents. Who counts as a resident is set by state law or the college system, not by where you went to school alone.
- Hawaii Administrative Rules on residency (UH): an independent adult, emancipated minor, or a minor's parents or guardians must show intent to live permanently in Hawaii and be physically present for the 12 consecutive months before the first day of instruction, counted from the first act showing that intent.
Windward CC
Residency for Tuition Purposes (summary of the Hawaii Administrative Rules on Determination of Residency), General CatalogUniversity of Hawaii, Windward Community College- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- Evidence of intent includes filing a Hawaii resident income tax return, voting or registering to vote in Hawaii, permanent employment and owning or continuously leasing a home; no single act is enough.
Windward CC
Residency for Tuition Purposes (summary of the Hawaii Administrative Rules on Determination of Residency), General CatalogUniversity of Hawaii, Windward Community College- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- A student claimed as a tax dependent by non-resident parents or guardians in the prior 12 months does not qualify, and residency is lost if it is interrupted during the 12 months before instruction begins.
Windward CC
Residency for Tuition Purposes (summary of the Hawaii Administrative Rules on Determination of Residency), General CatalogUniversity of Hawaii, Windward Community College- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
The college's residency office makes the final decision. More on costs: What college costs.
State financial aid
Run by the University of Hawaii Community Colleges. Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) starts with the FAFSA: FAFSA, grants and loans.
Hawaii Promise Program
State scholarship for UH Community Colleges students with financial need. Act 235 (2026) removed the last-dollar rule, so students keep other scholarships while the state covers up to 95% of tuition; in 2024-25 it paid $5.69 million to 1,941 students (average $2,933). UH News
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Licensing boards
Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and nurses need a Hawaii license from a state board, even after passing a national exam. These are the boards that grant it.
| License | Hawaii board | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer How bar admission works | Board of Examiners, Supreme Court of the State of Hawaii | Hawaii's own bar exam with the MBE, MEE and MPT. MPRE required (passing score 85). NextGen UBE from July 2028. NCBEHawaii: bar admission informationNational Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE)
Bar admission agency, the NCBE exams the jurisdiction requires, MPRE passing score and NextGen UBE plans. NCBE advises checking the agency itself for the latest rules. View source |
| Physician How a medical license works | Hawaii Medical Board | USMLE (M.D.) or COMLEX-USA (D.O.) FSMBContact a State Medical BoardFederation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)
Directory of every state's medical (and separate osteopathic) board. fsmb.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 14 Sep 2026; each board link was then opened on 22 Oct 2026, through the board's site or, where it blocks reads from India, its latest archive capture. View source |
| CPA How the CPA license works | Hawaii Board of Public Accountancy | Uniform CPA Examination NASBAState Boards of AccountancyNational Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)
Directory of the 55 boards of accountancy. nasba.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 15 Oct 2026; board links that had moved were replaced with the board's current page, opened on 22 Oct 2026. View source |
| Registered nurse How the RN license works | Hawaii Board of Nursing | NCLEX-RN · Not in the Nurse Licensure Compact NCSBNContact Hawaii Board of NursingNational Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
NCSBN / NLCNLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF)National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact)
|
Engineering, teaching, real estate, cosmetology and the trades have their own boards: all professional licenses · trades and apprenticeships.
State and city government jobs
Federal jobs are on USAJOBS; state and city governments hire through their own systems.
State of Hawaii civil service jobs (governmentjobs.com)
Hawaii Department of Human Resources Development (DHRD)
- Browse the State of Hawaii Executive Branch civil service job listing and click a job title, then Apply.
- First-time applicants create an account with a unique username and password; DHRD recruits under the merit principle (HRS Chapter 76).
Source: Read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-10-17 (20261017091416); DHRD's own site (dhrd.hawaii.gov, capture 20261017125126) answers India with a Cloudflare challenge.Hawaii DHRD
Police, fire and other public-safety routes: Public Service & Safety hub.
Registered apprenticeship
Hawaii has a State Apprenticeship Agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. Apprenticeship.gov
View source
- Hawaii State Apprenticeship Agency (Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Workforce Development Division)Hawaii is a State Apprenticeship Agency state: the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations' Workforce Development Division runs registered apprenticeship, with over 100 registered programs in a wide variety of occupations combining on-the-job learning with related training instruction.
- Trades and apprenticeshipsElectrician, plumber, HVAC and other trade routes on this site
Source: labor.hawaii.gov answers India with a Cloudflare challenge; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-07-11 (20260711110728). The U.S. DOL state office list names the Hawaii State Apprenticeship Agency.Hawaii DLIR
Where these facts come from
Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.
- Annual Estimates of Resident Population Change for the United States, States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and State Rankings: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (NST-EST2025-POPCHG2020-2025, CSV) · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025) checked 2026-10-21
- Hawaii: bar admission information · National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact a State Medical Board · Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) checked 2026-10-22
- State Boards of Accountancy · National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact Hawaii Board of Nursing · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) checked 2026-10-22
- NLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF) · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact) checked 2026-10-07
- Board Policy 102-15, High School Graduation Requirements and Commencement (amended 2026-02-12) · Hawaii State Board of Education checked 2026-10-22
- Types of Testing · Hawaii State Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- About UH · University of Hawaii System checked 2026-10-22
- Campuses · University of Hawaii System checked 2026-10-22
- Residency for Tuition Purposes (summary of the Hawaii Administrative Rules on Determination of Residency), General Catalog · University of Hawaii, Windward Community College checked 2026-10-22
- Investing in student success: New law strengthens Hawaii Promise Program (UH News, 2026-07-13) · University of Hawaii System checked 2026-10-22
- Civil Service Jobs, State of Hawaii Executive Branch · Hawaii Department of Human Resources Development checked 2026-10-22
- Apprenticeship Program: Benefits & How to Join · Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Workforce Development Division checked 2026-10-22
- State Offices: Office of Apprenticeship and State Apprenticeship Agency contacts by state · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship checked 2026-10-21