Best PhD in Nursing Programs in Hawaii, Ranked (2026)
Hawaii has one nursing doctorate, and it's in Honolulu. The University of Hawaii at Manoa runs its PhD in a hybrid format, which means the PhD in nursing programs in Hawaii you can actually apply to come with a travel line in your budget if you live outside Oahu. Price that out before you price tuition. The degree runs about 43 credits and three years at full pace, and you can take it part time if you plan to keep working through it.
Last updated
Programs ranked
1
Universities
1
Nursing faculty median
$129,530
Faculty jobs in HI
1,890
How We Ranked the Best PhD in Nursing Programs in Hawaii
Campus and online programs are scored on separate models, because they compete on different
things, and this page lists both together with each one's score from its own model. Research
funding comes from NIH RePORTER, doctoral scale from federal IPEDS completions, and the
curriculum, funding and deadline figures from each school's own pages.
The full scoring model is here.
The choice in Hawaii is not between programs, it's between moving to Honolulu and studying somewhere on the mainland. Manoa wants you on campus at the start of every semester, so doing this one remotely isn't on the table.
Where it wins. Hawaii pays nursing faculty a median $129,530 against $80,250 nationally, and even the state's bottom-decile faculty salary, $103,160, clears that national figure. The program is scoped tight too: 43 credits, roughly $43,000 in tuition, and a dissertation designed to finish in 12 months.
What you give up. Admissions open only every other academic year, with the next cycle starting September 2027, so the timing isn't yours to choose. The program also graduates about one doctorate a year, so the cohort around you is very small.
Research. culturally relevant scientific research, community-driven questions to improve health and health care, health of culturally diverse populations in Hawai'i and the Pacific Basin.
Every published detail for University of Hawaii at Manoa
Degree awarded
PhD
Delivery
Hybrid
School
School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene
Applications close
December 15 priority deadline (final deadline May 1); applications available September 1, 2027 for the next cycle
Part-time study
Available
Dissertation
Required
On campus
Mandatory orientation during the first week of instruction each semester
What Nursing Faculty and Nurse Researchers Earn in Hawaii
Nursing instructors in Hawaii earn a median of $129,530, well above the national median of $80,250 for the same work. The ceiling sits right behind it though. The top ten percent earn $129,640, barely more than the median, while the bottom ten percent earn $103,160. Pay here is high and it's flat, so a doctorate buys you less movement at the top than you'd expect. Staff RNs in Hawaii earn a median of $136,320, still above the faculty median. About 1,890 people teach nursing in the state, against 12,940 registered nurses.
Do You Have to Be on Oahu for the University of Hawaii at Manoa Nursing PhD?
Some of the time, yes. The program at Manoa is hybrid rather than online, so part of the coursework happens in person in Honolulu. There's no fully online nursing PhD based in Hawaii. If you're on a neighbor island or on a shift pattern that makes travel hard, the real comparison isn't Manoa against another Hawaii program. It's Manoa against an online program run from the mainland, and the honest question is whether local faculty relationships and local clinical partners are worth the flights.
Scale is the other thing to price in. Manoa awards about one nursing doctorate a year. A cohort that small means few seats and a long lead time, so reach out to faculty about research fit well before the application window rather than after. It also means your dissertation committee is drawn from a short list, and if nobody there works in your area, that's a reason to look elsewhere.
On money, plan to fund yourself unless the school tells you otherwise. Hawaii didn't draw NIH nursing research awards between FY2021 and FY2025, and no program in the state is listed as fully funded, so ask directly what supports doctoral students before you count on an assistantship. The 43 credit load and part-time option are what make this workable for a nurse who keeps working.
Questions About Nursing PhD Programs in Hawaii
How many PhD in nursing programs are there in Hawaii?
1, at 1 university. 1 is campus-based and 0 run online.
Can you get a nursing PhD in Hawaii entirely online?
Not from a Hawaii school. The one program, at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu, is hybrid, so some of it happens in person. If you can't get to Oahu, your options are online programs based outside the state.
How long does the University of Hawaii at Manoa nursing PhD take?
About 43 credits and three years at full pace. Part-time study is available, which stretches the timeline but lets you keep working. The program awards roughly one doctorate a year, so expect a very small cohort.
What do nursing professors earn in Hawaii?
Postsecondary nursing instructors in Hawaii earn a $129,530 median. The bottom 10% earn $103,160 and the top 10% clear $129,640, across 1,890 jobs in the state. The national median is $80,250.
Can you do a nursing PhD in Hawaii without moving?
Every nursing PhD program in Hawaii is campus-based, so studying in state means commuting or moving. The alternative is an online program based elsewhere, and those are ranked here.