Enrollment Way Up At UHWO

University of Hawaii-West Oahu has seen double-digit percentage increases in enrollment for the past seven years. This year, enrollment was 2,704 students, the highest in university history.

“In 2012, when we opened our new campus in Kapolei, we enrolled 300 new freshmen,” said UH West Oahu chancellor Rockne Freitas. “In addition, we have greatly expanded our early admittance/dual-enrollment program with high school students from Waipahu and Waianae.”

While only about 40 percent of West Oahu high school graduates attend college, UH West Oahu hopes to see that number rise to 100 percent.

In addition, the university works with the Waianae and Nanakuli communities, which have the lowest college-going rate — about 20 percent lower than the state average.

“We believe that students on the West side will appreciate studying closer to home rather than traveling across town to study at UH Manoa,” Freitas added. “We focus on a student-centered environment, with responsive faculty and staff who work hard to provide a personalized experience for our students.”

With its students growing in number, UH West Oahu recently completed a land-management plan that sets aside 300 acres for the campus.

“In 20 to 25 years, we envision a campus of about 20,000 students,” Freitas said. “To actualize this vision, UH West Oahu will build dorms, buildings to support our new academic programs such as allied health and digital media, and the construction of sport facilities.”