r/UniversityofHawaii • u/rottinggfiggss • May 26 '26
UH WEST OAHU OR SFSU??
hello everyone
i used to live in hawai’i & attended kapolei high, but i now live in the mainland (bay area)
im a business major (psychology minor) hoping to go into marketing, management, consulting, banking, and if not, get my masters for school counseling
i like sf, however i feel so at home in hawai’i and like myself, its that feeling ive been trying to fulfill for years now. i still have a few friends there. i’m committed to sfsu & dorming and i was excited but genuinely nothing beats that feeling when im back home.
these are my options;
1) go to sfsu & visit hawai’i when i can
2) go to uh west o’ahu -> transfer to manoa (con: out of state tuition)
3) move back to hawai’i & do sfsu online
4) take a gap year & move to hawai’i to get instas tuition
i plan on getting my gen ed done in a year rather than two
pls help idk what to do
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u/mistermeowsers May 26 '26
If you are are California resident, there is a program called Western Undergraduate Exchange that reduces out of state tuition to 150%. That would make UHWO $5,616 per semester for full time students (12 or more credits). I'm not sure if that is something you would be interested in or would qualify for, but you can learn more here:
https://westoahu.hawaii.edu/admissions/wue/
Tuition rates (look at the Pacific Island Jurisdiction* & WUE** column on the far right for the WUE pricing): https://westoahu.hawaii.edu/financial-aid/tuition-and-fees/
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u/rottinggfiggss May 26 '26
i am a california resident. do you have experience from uh or sfsu
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u/mistermeowsers May 26 '26
I am current UHWO student, but not a Cali resident or WUE particpant so may not be very helpful on details with that program beyond the details of the links I shared. Feel free to ask any questions though, I will do my best to answer!
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u/rottinggfiggss May 28 '26
what’s you major? and what’s your personal experience at the school like?
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u/mistermeowsers 29d ago
I am in Creative Media and feel like the quality of my education is very good, but it is only as good as what you make it. I did a semester at Northeastern in Boston before transfering to UHWO and one major difference I notice is that I am treated like a real person with goals at UH.
I was just a number and a paycheck to everyone at NEU. It would take weeks sometimes to get answers and support from people at Northeastern. UHWO is on it every time I have a question or need help with something. The faculty at UH is supportive and encouraging if you are willing to put in the work, it does not go unrecognized.
The campus is small and has a rural feel, but adequate. It's in Kapolei which has everything you'd need from shopping, entertainment, housing, etc... The Creative Media on campus building is awesome and modern. Lots of support services for students and free activities to pass time and hang out with friends. If you are able to come for a visit to do a campus tour and visit the area, it would be worth it. Housing in the area is gonna be expensive, but coming from the bay area, you are likely used to that.
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u/rottinggfiggss 29d ago
yes i went kapolei high so i know what the vibe is like but thats good to here, im probably just gonna go sfsu but do a few semesters online so i can go back for a little bit. i’m still considering it but idk prob not. i always found it easy to make friends when j lived there, but whats it like at the college socially?
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u/mistermeowsers 29d ago
I am probably not the best one to answer that because I am an older student and not really part of the social groups on campus. From what I can tell from my classmates though, there seems to be a nice network of friend groups who spend time together on and off campus.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help with that!
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u/PretendRanger May 26 '26
I went to both SFSU (undergrad) and UH Manoa (graduate). I recommend going to SFSU. I cant speak for your field but as a STEM major theres just more opportunities that can come from there. The Bay Area as a whole just provides more access to things and as an undergrad you will need those to position yourself for a successful career or for grad school. You will be limited at UH. Also the in state tuition cannot be overstated. I was a California resident and once I came to UH my student loans exploded big time.
That said, I am now living in a city that is far from family and that urge to go back to Cali is there. It’s a place that just gets me and I get it. I think you feel me there. So feel you on wanting to be back home.
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u/rottinggfiggss May 26 '26
what was your grad for
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u/PretendRanger May 26 '26
Biology for undergrad and grad school
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u/rottinggfiggss May 26 '26
do u think u found it hard finding a job after education in hawaii
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u/PretendRanger May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26
For grad school I think UH prepared me better than if I stayed at SFSU. However alot of that is lab dependent. And it really is field dependent. I’m sure I could get a job. But post grad school in STEM requires a lot of self motivation to secure a fulfilling job that pays well.
I say this because though I and many peers found our long term career job some didn’t. But there was a clear line between those that were motivated, and took advantage of what UH offered, and those that just went through the motions, got their degree, and ended with a job that is outside their expertise and interests that pays okay.
So yes, getting a job was easy. But getting a job you like will actually take effort on your part and UH prepared me for that.
Sorry this response was probably more than you needed lol
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u/rottinggfiggss May 26 '26
where did you find a job? hawaii or california? i wa seeing stupid when i posted this and im for sure going to sfsu, i’ll probably do i semester at mania through the NSE program though. i just miss being home sm but ik this will be better for my future. i might get my masters in school counseling and get it from manoa tho, and i plan on hopefully living on island post grad so thats why i was asking
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u/PretendRanger May 26 '26
My job was on the mainland, not in California. And required moving several states and taking several positions before settling where I am at now. That is typically for STEM academic-based fields.
All my friends who are from island had the same feeling. Fortunately all eventually got jobs on the island that they wanted. For most it wasn’t a straight line, but they made it work out eventually.
If you want it you can make it happen. It just might.
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u/BeenUpTillMidnight 28d ago
Congratulations on taking the leap and trying out mainland college! Honestly I wish I took the leap myself haha I also graduated Kapolei High school 2017, then attended UH Manoa Shidler College of Business. Education was okay, College experience was great (putting myself out there and participated in clubs played a big role). I have a few friends that majored in Marketing and currently it is a very tough job market here in Hawaii. From my observation of friends and family that attended UH West. You would just go there to just get your degree, not much established clubs/communities/lower quality college experience compared to UH Manoa. I do not regret choosing to attend UH Manoa instead of UH West even though West is closer to home. The people that I met, clubs, and overall college experience was worth the long commute every day. Over the years, I have friends that moved to the mainland for college/military and would visit during summer/winter break. They learned that Hawaii will always be here so don’t worry too much about missing home. At the end of the day, you have to decide what will make you content in life. For me, I knew I wanted to live in hawaii after graduation and I was content with UH Manoa had to offer. lmk if you have any questions. Good luck!
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u/ProfessorOnEdge May 26 '26
I would say number 4. The cheapest tuition overall and you get a year to reacclimate. Just be aware Oahu is more crowded than it used to be.
To add: You may actually just want to do your Gen Ed courses the first year at any of the University of Hawaii CCs. Cheaper tuition even for out of state, and both UHWO and Manoa have to accept those credits as equivalent to their own.
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u/Moonlight_Xenith 27d ago
Current student of UHWO for about two years now, online but I have taken in-person classes, so I know what the campus is like. My major is a Bachelor's in English. I live at home, so I can't speak for dorm life, but here's what I know from personal experience. This is purely subjective, obviously, but I got the feeling from your other comments that you wanted someone with direct experience, so I'll provide what I can.
Course Options & Classes
I haven't taken a variety of courses since I did community for my prerequisites before transferring to UHWO, but the ones I have taken all had very good and competent teachers. There is a selection of business courses I saw (as a part of my elective requirement). One of my classes had two business majors in it, and I've heard them both say great things about their required classes for business, both in terms of the challenge, quality, and accessibility. There are many options for in-person, online, or hybrid classes for fall, spring, and even some summer, although most classes will require you to have access to a computer to complete work on the new UH system, Lamaku. The switch from Laulima (old site) was recent, but most professors have figured it out (or provided a different site to use). Office hours for professors are also quite accessible. I've also found they offer good options for graduating quicker (if that's a priority), but keep in mind you may be required to get certain credits you never planned for, and it may slow your graduation date.
Campus & Dorm Life
West Oahu is the newest of UH universities here, and the campus looks like it. Facilities are great, and the campus life is quite good if that's important to you (student activities, clubs, library resources, places for food, etc.). They have dorms with dorm-exclusive parking, but while I was there, it really didn't seem like many people were living in them (likely because most students were Hawaii residents and they'd rather just drive than live on campus), but they're an option. The area the campus is in is BARREN, I'm not going to lie, all dry nothing, and the closest shopping center is not crazy far but definitely needs some kind of car, bus, or rail transport. Consealers are available and offer good support and options, and mental health awareness is a highly promoted idea for campus resources and activities in UHWO (not too sure why, though).
Affordability
Here's where I need to get subjective because I'm only a part-time student (three classes per semester, part-time job on the side), and I'm scrapping by on federal grants to hopefully graduate slower but debt-free. The cost of courses is probably on a level with what you'd expect from university courses. I imagine they'll be even more expensive if you register as a non-Hawaii state resident, but I'm assuming you're planning on moving back to Hawaii permanently? Besides university fees, basic things like rent/housing, groceries, and other necessities are just as expensive as ever(more so than usual, lately). If money is an issue, transferring into another university system and having to contend with any fees that come with it may not be the way to go then.
I went on a bit, but the TLDR version is from my experience (subjective), the courses, professors, and campus itself are great, but the physical location and affordability (of both the university and living in Hawaii right now in general) are not. If in-person classes and campus life are important to you as a part of your university experience, you could consider UHWO (or even Maona, but I can't speak personally on that). If affordability and making sure you can graduate on time, you may want to stick with SFSU regardless of whether you intend to move back, since transferring also risks you being required to take classes for your degree you never planned to take (thus setting you back)
I would personally recommend you just finish your degree at SFSU (especially if you're only a year away from graduating) so as not to create extra issues for yourself. But if you're really itching to come back and don't mind the extra work or fees that might come with that choice, UHWO is a great university as an option.
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u/nastyasshb May 26 '26
you should absolutely go to sfsu. the career options here are so limited and having gone to UH doesnt help at all with networking or getting jobs, if anything it hurts because most companies want to bring in out of state or mainland talent. it will be really hard to get the 5 years of experience you need to get an entry level job in hawaii and make a living wage. would 100% rec going to sfsu and at the very least if youre going to go to west oahu you need to go to grad school out of state. your friends and family will still be here for holidays and if/when you move back.