Finance Programs and Careers in Hawaii

Those interested in earning a finance degree in Hawaii will find information on available options below. Hawaii’s universities offer many different degree options, from Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degrees to master’s programs with emphases in Finance designed for mid-career working professionals. Students can find programs that are on-campus, online, or in a hybrid format. Graduates in Hawaii may find opportunities to work in a variety of financial roles, and below you will find data on employment and salary levels for financial positions in the state.

Quick Facts

• There are 5 colleges and universities with finance degree programs in Hawaii.¹
• 1 school offers a certificate in finance.¹
• No schools offer an associate’s degree in finance.¹
• 5 schools offer a bachelor’s degree in finance.¹
• 1 school offers a master’s or advanced degree in finance.¹
• No schools ranked in Forbes’ Best Business Schools 2019.²
• No schools ranked in Princeton Review’s Great Schools for Business and Finance Majors 2020.³
• No schools ranked in US News & World Report’s Best Undergraduate Finance Programs 2021.⁴
• No schools ranked in US News & World Report’s Best Graduate Finance Programs 2021.⁵

For not-for-profit colleges and universities with finance degree programs.

Table of Contents

• Comparison of Finance Programs
• Top-Ranked Schools with Finance Programs in Hawaii
• Select Schools in Hawaii with Finance Degrees
• Hawaii Finance Careers and Salary Outlook
• Finance Associations in Hawaii

Hawaii Finance Program Comparison

We have developed the following table to help you compare all of the finance programs in Hawaii from not-for-profit schools that offer programs with a concentration in finance. In addition to allowing you to compare the business school’s accreditation, finance degrees that appear in bold are Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute University Affiliation Programs, those that have been recognized for curricula aligned to preparing for the CFA Exam.

• — indicates none.
• N.Av. indicates no data available.

Top-Ranked Schools with Finance Programs in Hawaii

Georgetown CEW’s ROI Ranking by Long-Term Net Present Value 2019

The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) has compared 4,500 colleges and universities on graduates’ return on investment (ROI). We use their net present value (NPV) ranking, which is the current dollar value of earning a four-year degree from the school over a 40-year horizon.

• Hawaii Pacific University (#617; $984,00)
• University of Hawaii at Manoa (#699; $962,000)
• Brigham Young University-Hawaii (#1,045; $891,000)
• University of Hawaii-West Oahu (#1,322; $845,000)
• University of Hawaii at Hilo (#1,727; $789,000)⁷

Select Schools in Hawaii with Finance Degrees

Traditional Undergraduate Programs

Brigham Young University-Hawaii

Brigham Young University-Hawaii (BYU Hawaii) offers a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Business Management with a concentration in Finance designed to teach the concepts and tools needed to understand finance’s role in business. To complete the full-time BS in Business Management degree, students must complete 120 credit hours that encompass the Business Management curriculum as well as two formal minors or certificates. The Business Management curriculum requires 44 credits of business courses, 12 credits towards the Finance concentration, and a three-credit capstone course. Finance students will take classes in Real Estate Finance, Risk Management, and International Finance. Admission to BYU Hawaii requires a high school diploma or equivalent and the submission of either an ACT or SAT score. Other concentrations in the BS in Business Management program include Economics; Marketing; and Human Resources and Organizational Behavior.

University of Hawaii at Hilo

The University of Hawaii at Hilo (UH Hilo) offers a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in General Business with a concentration in Finance through the College of Business and Economics that will help students develop a strong business foundation and prepare them for management roles. UH Hilo’s BBA is a four-year, on-campus program that requires 120 credit hours to complete. During the first two years of study, students will pursue general education requirements and complete 30 credits of Pre-Business Core classes. In the third and fourth years of the program, students will complete 24 Professional Business Core classes and 18 credits in the Finance concentration covering subjects such as securities analysis, real estate, and derivatives. Applicants must have a high school diploma and either a minimum GPA of 2.7 or a sufficient ACT or SAT score. UH Hilo also offers a Finance certificate for non-business majors interested in finance.

University of Hawaii at Manoa

The Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UH Manoa) hosts a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Finance that focuses on developing analytical skills in planning and managing financial resources. The four-year, full-time degree offers optional tracks such as Asian Finance; Corporate Finance; Insurance and Risk Management; Real Estate Finance; Investment Management, which focuses on helping students towards becoming Certified Financial Analysts (CFAs); and Financial Planning and Services, which covers all the necessary courses to sit for the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) exam. 120 credit hours are required to complete the program, split between 107 credits of core and major courses and 13 credits of electives. Finance courses include Investments, International Banking, and Financial Aspects of New Ventures. Direct freshman admission to the BBA in Finance requires a sufficient GPA and score on the ACT or SAT. Alternatively, first-year students may register as a Pre-Business major and apply to Shidler after finishing 60 credits with a 2.5 GPA or higher.

Traditional Master’s Programs

University of Hawaii at Manoa

The University of Hawaii at Manoa’s (UH Manoa) Shidler College of Business offers a Master of Science (MS) in Finance that will help students gain the in-depth financial knowledge necessary to pursue certifications such as Chartered Financial Analyst (CFM), Financial Risk Manager (FRM), Certified Financial Planner (CFP), and Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA). Students in the 30-credit hour program can complete the curriculum in as little as one year of full-time study. The program has two pathways for entry, the internal 4+1 path for UH graduates and the external 4+1 for students with undergraduate degrees from elsewhere. All students will take six credits of foundation courses; a three-credit capstone; and 21 credits of finance courses, including Portfolio Optimization, Financial Forecasting, and International Banking. Students without prior business coursework may need to complete additional courses. Applicants must have an undergraduate degree with a 3.0 or higher GPA. UH also offers a Master of Accounting (MAcc) with a Financial Reporting/Auditing concentration for students seeking a more generalized education.

Online and Hybrid Programs

Hawaii Pacific University

Hawaii Pacific University (HPU) offers students a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) with a concentration in Finance and Economics that encourages both the application and theory of capital markets and offers students networking opportunities with local businesses and HPU alumni. The four-year program is also provided through HPU’s College of Extended and Interdisciplinary Education online and requires 120 credit hours to complete. BSBA students must complete at least 66 credits of lower-division classes and at least 45 credits of upper-division courses, including Finance classes such as International Trade and Finance; Personal Finance; and Investments. HPU reviews applications holistically but recommends the applicants complete recommended high school courses and pursue honors and AP courses if possible. HPU BSBA students who have completed at least 90 credits may apply to begin graduate coursework concurrently with their bachelor’s studies.

University of Hawaii-West Oahu

The University of Hawaii-West Oahu (UHWO) has a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Business Administration with a Finance concentration that can be pursued through a mix of on-campus and online instruction. Throughout the four-year curriculum, students of the 120-credit hour program will have the opportunity to develop their ability to use quantitative tools to evaluate risk, calculate a firm’s costs of capital, and solve financial problems. The curriculum requires at least 45 credits of upper-division courses, including finance courses such as Commercial Insurance; Futures and Options; Estate Planning; and Entrepreneurial Service Learning. Students must complete all coursework with a minimum 2.0 GPA both cumulatively and in major coursework to graduate from the program. UHWO requires applicants to have a high school GPA of at least 2.7 or have a sufficient ACT or SAT score. UHWO also offers students a Certificate of Risk Management and Insurance that can be completed online.

Hawaii Finance Careers and Salary Outlook

Hawaii’s finance graduates may find job openings at Hawaii-based financial institutions such as Bank of Hawaii Corporation, CPB Inc, First Hawaiian, and Territorial Bancorp. Tourism is one of Hawaii’s primary industries, and companies like Hawaiian Airlines and Oahu Publications present opportunities for finance graduates. Hawaii is also home to many large real estate companies, such as Hawaiiana Management Company Ltd and Properties of the Pacific LLC, and healthcare organizations such as the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation. In particular, Honolulu and Honolulu County are home to most of the state’s major local companies, government organizations, and non-profit groups.

Hawaii is home to over 5,800 financial professionals, and financial managers have the highest employment levels among the financial occupations, with 2,820 financial managers working in the state.⁸ Financial managers in Hawaii earn an average salary of $122,780 per year, the highest average salary among Hawaii’s financial positions.⁸ Loan officers in Hawaii earn the third-highest state average for this occupation, at an average annual salary of $87,750 per year, and the Hawaii/Kauai nonmetropolitan area is the third-highest paying non-metro area for US loan officers at $88,080 per year.^8,9 Projections Central reports that the financial profession with the highest projected growth in the state is financial managers, expected to grow at 15.4% through 2028, a rate slightly lower than the national average rate for financial managers, at 16.4%.¹⁰ The only financial profession in the state expected to expand significantly faster than the national average rate is financial examiners, who are expected to see a 12.5% growth rate through 2028, compared to the national projected rate of 7.1%.¹⁰

Hawaii Finance Salary Information

Finance Associations in Hawaii

• Society of Financial Service Professionals, Hawaii Chapter (SFSP Hawaii): Organization of credentialed financial professionals that promotes professional development through continuing education and high ethical industry standards.
• Financial Planning Association of Hawaii (FPA Hawaii): Regional chapter of the Financial Planning Association that supports advocacy in the financial planning field and encourages high industry standards through continuing professional development training of members.
• Hawaii Bankers Association (HBA): Association of FDIC insured banking institutions doing business in Hawaii that advocates for the banking industry through collaboration on the state and local level.

References:
1. National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator: https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
2. Forbes Best Business Schools 2019: https://www.forbes.com/business-schools/list/
3. The Princeton Review. The Best 382 Colleges, 2020 Edition. The Princeton Review, 2019.
4. US News & World Report Best Undergraduate Finance Schools 2021: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/business-finance
5. US News & World Report Best Graduate Finance Schools 2021: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/finance-rankings
6. US News & World Report Best Business Schools 2021: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools
7. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, Ranking ROI of 4,500 US Colleges and Universities: https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/CollegeROI/
8. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics, State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, Hawaii: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_hi.htm
9. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wages, Loan Officers: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes132072.htm
10. Projections Central Long Term Occupational Projections: https://projectionscentral.org/projections/longterm