The University of Hawai`i at Hilo is a comprehensive, primarily baccalaureate institution on the island of Hawai`i, offering a rigorous education in a caring, personalized atmosphere. As a regional, state-supported university, UH Hilo serves students from Hawai`i Island and from around the state. Additionally, UH Hilo enrolls students from the U.S. mainland and from many other nations, especially from Asia and the Pacific islands.

The primary mission of UH Hilo is to offer high quality undergraduate liberal arts and professional programs. Selected graduate degree programs are also offered where need warrants and the university has strong expertise. UH Hilo offers "hands-on" learning, service, and leadership opportunities and especially encourages close student-faculty interaction and collaboration on research projects. The university encourages theoretical and applied research, and benefits Hawai`i Island and the state through resource centers, community partnerships, continuing education, and distance learning programs.

Hawai`i's incomparable natural and cultural environment serves as a learning laboratory, the setting for many teaching, research, and service activities. The university also offers unusually rich opportunities for intercultural exchange, since we are located in the most ethnically diverse county in the U.S. and attract students from around the world. Providing an environment that is responsive to the needs of a diverse student population is central to the UH Hilo philosophy. As the university's housing capacity grows, increasing numbers of students will benefit from immersion in our stimulating, diverse, and supportive residential environment.