University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is a public research campus in Honolulu, USA, ranked #7 worldwide in Oceanography by ARWU 2025. The flagship sits at #643 in QS World University Rankings 2027, with Linguistics its strongest QS subject at #61.
- QS World 2027: #=643 globally, #74 in USA
- Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026: #360 globally, #164 in USA
- THE World 2026: #251-300 globally, #63 in USA
- U.S. News Best Global 2026-2027: #482 globally, #110 in USA
Bottom Line for Indian Students: UH Mānoa places 5 disciplines in the global top 1% on THE Subject 2026, against a #643 QS overall. The gap to IIT Bombay (QS 2027 #134) is over 500 places, yet UH enters Top-100 tables for Oceanography, Earth Sciences and Linguistics. An applicant choosing by discipline gets a UH degree that carries real global weight in earth, marine and language sciences.
Table of Contents
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Overall Rankings 2026
Across 5 global ranking bodies, the clearest signal is the size of the gap between UH Mānoa’s discipline-level scores and its consolidated overall numbers.
| Ranking Body (Edition) | UH Mānoa Rank |
|---|---|
| Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026 | #360 globally, #164 in USA |
| QS World University Rankings 2027 | #=643 globally, #74 in USA |
| Times Higher Education World 2026 | #251-300 globally, #63 in USA |
| ARWU (Shanghai) 2025 | #301-400 globally |
| U.S. News Best Global 2026-2027 | #482 globally, #110 in USA |
| QS Sustainability 2026 | #=637 globally |
The 5 overall positions span 283 places from CD #360 to QS #643, a wide range driven by methodology weights, not by a real change in academic quality. Cross-body averaging puts the campus near rank #420 worldwide, inside the top 2% of the 25,000+ global institutions US News tracks.
Key insight: The QS slide does not match UH’s stability on ARWU (#301-400 for 5 straight years) or THE (#251-300 in 3 of 4 recent editions). The drop is methodology-driven, not a fall in actual research strength.
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Rankings: Bottom Line for Indian Students
For Indian applicants, the UH Mānoa ranking pattern reads as a discipline-first signal, with Top-100 entries in marine, earth and language sciences and weaker overall numbers in QS and US News.
| Signal | UH Mānoa | What it means for Indian applicants |
|---|---|---|
| QS World 2027 overall | #643 | Brand recognition in India is narrower than the top IITs; do not pick UH on overall rank alone |
| ARWU Oceanography 2025 | #7 worldwide | One of the world’s top 10 ocean-science campuses; rare admit signal for marine applicants from India |
| QS Linguistics 2026 | #61 worldwide | Top-100 global rank; strong fit for MA Linguistics and applied linguistics applicants from India |
| THE Education Studies 2026 | #101-125 | Inside the global top 4% for education; solid for M.Ed., Ed.D. or curriculum careers |
| Closest Indian alternative | IIT Bombay (QS 2027 #134) | IIT Bombay leads on engineering and overall recognition; UH leads on marine, earth, language and education |
Read the table by row, not by the QS overall: 4 of the 5 rows put UH above its #643 overall position when judged on its own discipline. Indian applicants targeting marine, earth, language or education tracks get a substantially stronger admit than the headline QS number suggests.
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa QS World University Rankings 2027
QS has moved UH Mānoa from #380 in 2023 to #643 in 2027, a 263-place slide that is the largest 4-year decline among the bodies tracked here.
| Year (Edition) | UH Mānoa QS World Rank |
|---|---|
| 2027 | #=643 |
| 2026 | #=546 |
| 2025 | #488 |
| 2024 | #386 |
| 2023 | #=380 |
The QS trend shows a 263-place slide from 2023 to 2027, with the sharpest single-year drop of 102 places between 2025 and 2026. QS changed its scoring formula in 2024 to weight sustainability and graduate employment more heavily, hitting mid-tier US research campuses harder.
The QS national position for the USA stands at #74 out of 89 ranked US universities on the 2027 edition, placing UH Mānoa in the bottom quarter of US institutions tracked by QS but inside the top 43% of all 1,504 universities ranked worldwide.
Key insight: ARWU has stayed at #301-400 for 5 years and THE at #251-300 in 3 of 4 recent editions. The QS drop reflects scoring changes, not falling research output.
Read More: University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Courses and Fees 2026 for Indian Students
Collegedunia Study Abroad Rankings of University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Collegedunia Study Abroad places UH Mānoa at #360 worldwide and #164 in the USA, a full 283 places ahead of its QS 2027 position and the most India-visible ranking on this page.
| Category | Global Rank | USA Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | #360 / 824 | #164 / 357 |
| Arts | #217 / 385 | #71 / 146 |
| Humanities | #217 / 385 | #71 / 146 |
| Computer Science | #374 / 392 | #129 / 143 |
The Arts and Humanities CD ranks of #71 in the USA are UH’s strongest CD subject positions, sitting in the top 49% of US universities tracked under those categories. Computer Science at #129 in the USA is the weakest, reflecting UH’s relative thinness in CS faculty count compared to coastal research universities.
India-relevance: CD’s smaller pool of 824 international universities gives the #360 a higher visibility to Indian applicants browsing CD’s USA shortlist than the same percentile would carry on QS’s 1,504-university list.
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings
Stability defines the THE story for UH Mānoa, with the campus staying in the #251-300 band in 3 of the last 4 editions and inside the top 2% of global institutions every year.
| Year (Edition) | UH Mānoa THE Rank | US National Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | #251-300 | #63 |
| 2025 | #251-300 | #63 |
| 2024 | #201-250 | #57 |
| 2023 | #251-300 | #63 |
The 2024 climb of 1 band reversed in 2025, leaving the 4-year net change at zero. Against the 263-place QS slide, the flat THE line shows UH’s research and teaching strength have stayed steady, with US position locked at #63 for 3 of 4 editions.
What it signals: For an Indian student, the steady #63 US position on THE reads more accurately than the volatile QS line. THE’s stable rank is a better fit when shortlisting US research universities for admission decisions.
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa ARWU (Shanghai) Rankings
ARWU has placed UH Mānoa in the same #301-400 band for 5 consecutive years, the most stable trend among the global bodies on this page. ARWU is the ranking body that weights Nobel laureates, Fields medalists and highly-cited researchers most heavily.
| Year | UH Mānoa ARWU Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #301-400 |
| 2024 | #301-400 |
| 2023 | #301-400 |
| 2022 | #301-400 |
| 2021 | #301-400 |
That 5-year flat band sits roughly 343 places ahead of the QS 2027 position. ARWU’s reliance on cited research output rather than reputation surveys is what holds UH steady. The marine and earth science publication volume keeps the campus inside the global top 400 year after year.
Trend signal: A 5-year flat ARWU line is a positive read for Indian applicants. It signals that the underlying research output at UH has not weakened, even as QS reputation scores have slid.
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Other Global Rankings
U.S. News released its 2026-2027 Best Global Universities edition on June 16, 2026, placing UH Mānoa at #482 worldwide and #110 nationally, the campus’s strongest US-only number on this page.
| Body (Edition) | Global Rank | US National Rank |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. News Best Global 2026-2027 | #482 | #110 |
U.S. News sits 161 places ahead of UH’s QS 2027 rank but 122 places behind the CD #360. The US National Rank of #110 puts UH inside the top 4.3% of 2,604 four-year US institutions tracked by U.S. News, a stronger national signal than QS’s #74-out-of-89 reading.
Note: U.S. News weights bibliometric measures such as global research reputation and publication volume heavily. The #110 US rank means UH is among the top 110 American research universities by these measures.
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Subject Rankings
UH Mānoa is ranked across 4 subject-ranking bodies, with its strongest entries clustered in marine, earth, atmospheric and language sciences. QS Subject 2026 lists 14 disciplines, THE Subject 2026 lists 11, ARWU GRAS 2025 lists 8 and U.S. News 2026-2027 lists 6.
Subject rankings: top signals at a glance
- Marine and earth sciences: ARWU #7 Oceanography, ARWU #11 Atmospheric Science, US News #20 Marine and Freshwater Biology, QS Top-100 Geology, Geophysics and Earth & Marine Sciences. UH’s strongest cluster.
- Language and communication: QS #61 Linguistics, QS #101-150 English Language and Literature, THE #151-175 Arts and Humanities.
- Education: THE #101-125 Education Studies and ARWU #151-200 Education; top 4% globally for education research.
- Hospitality and Tourism: ARWU GRAS 2025 places UH #32 globally, a niche strength tied to the Hawaii location.
- Weakest disciplines: THE Computer Science and Engineering at #501-600, QS Medicine and Biological Sciences at #451-500.
QS Subject Rankings 2026 for University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
14 subjects from UH Mānoa appear in QS Subject 2026, with 4 entries inside the global top 100 led by Linguistics at #61.
| Subject | World Rank | USA Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Linguistics | #61 | #22 |
| Geology | #51-100 | #19 |
| Geophysics | #51-100 | #19 |
| Earth and Marine Sciences | #51-100 | #21 |
| English Language and Literature | #101-150 | #28 |
| Anthropology | #101-200 | #31 |
| Agriculture and Forestry | #151-200 | #30 |
| Communication and Media Studies | #251-275 | #68 |
| Modern Languages | #251-300 | #41 |
| Education | #351-400 | #78 |
| Environmental Sciences | #351-400 | #66 |
| Physics and Astronomy | #401-450 | #70 |
| Medicine | #451-500 | #99 |
| Biological Sciences | #451-500 | #100 |
4 of the 14 QS subjects sit inside the global top 100, a sharp contrast with the #643 overall position. The 582-place gap between Linguistics (#61) and the overall rank is the largest subject-vs-overall divergence on this page.
India-relevance: An Indian applicant for MA Linguistics, MS Geology or MS Geophysics gets a Top-100 admit signal that the overall QS rank completely hides. Pick by subject, not by headline.
THE Subject Rankings 2026 for University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Education Studies leads UH Mānoa’s THE subject lineup at #101-125, with 4 disciplines sitting inside the global top 200.
| Subject | World Rank |
|---|---|
| Education Studies | #101-125 |
| Physical Sciences | #126-150 |
| Arts and Humanities | #151-175 |
| Law | #201-250 |
| Life Sciences | #201-250 |
| Social Sciences | #251-300 |
| Medical and Health | #301-400 |
| Psychology | #301-400 |
| Business and Economics | #401-500 |
| Computer Science | #501-600 |
| Engineering | #501-600 |
6 of 11 THE subjects land inside the top 300, near the overall #251-300 band, so the overall rank fairly summarises THE subject performance. Computer Science and Engineering at #501-600 are the weakest THE entries; these are not UH’s core strengths on any body.
ARWU GRAS 2025 for University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
UH Mānoa cracks the world’s top 15 in Oceanography (#7) and Atmospheric Science (#11) on ARWU GRAS 2025, the only Top-15 subject entries across any body on this page.
| Subject | World Rank |
|---|---|
| Oceanography | #7 |
| Atmospheric Science | #11 |
| Hospitality and Tourism Management | #32 |
| Earth Sciences | #51-75 |
| Ecology | #76-100 |
| Public Administration | #76-100 |
| Education | #151-200 |
| Communication | #151-200 |
Oceanography at #7 worldwide is the single highest rank on this page, sitting roughly 350 places ahead of UH’s overall ARWU position. For an Indian student targeting marine, atmospheric or Pacific environmental studies, UH offers a top-10 global department that few destinations match.
India-relevance: Indian applicants in marine, ocean or atmospheric careers can lean on the #7 Oceanography rank as a stronger admit signal than any overall ranking number.
U.S. News Best Global Subject Rankings 2026-2027 for University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Marine and Freshwater Biology at #20 globally leads UH’s U.S. News subject lineup, with 6 subjects ranked.
| Subject | World Rank |
|---|---|
| Marine and Freshwater Biology | #20 |
| Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences | #42 |
| Space Science | #77 |
| Geosciences | #90 |
| Arts and Humanities | #140 |
| Ecology | #144 |
4 of 6 U.S. News subjects sit inside the global top 100, all in environmental or earth sciences. That cluster mirrors the ARWU Oceanography and Atmospheric Science Top-15 placements, confirming UH’s earth and marine strength is recognised by 2 independent bodies.
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Rankings: Indian Student Outlook
Indian applicants reading the UH Mānoa rankings should weigh the discipline they want against the overall position. The earth-science Top-100 cluster and Hawaii’s Asia-Pacific location create a niche that complements rather than competes with the IITs.
Popular programs for Indian students at UH Mānoa include the Shidler MBA, MS Computer Science, MS Mechanical Engineering, MS Travel Industry Management and MS Marine Biology. Marine Biology and Travel Industry Management leverage UH’s #20 U.S. News and #32 ARWU subject rankings. The Shidler MBA draws Indian applicants on Hawaii’s Asia-Pacific business focus and the campus’s research-heavy U.S. News reputation score.
| Signal | UH Position | India Read |
|---|---|---|
| QS Linguistics 2026 | #61 (#22 USA) | Top-100 global rank; strong fit for MA Linguistics applicants from India |
| ARWU Oceanography 2025 | #7 worldwide | Top-10 ocean-science department; rare admit signal for Indian marine applicants |
| U.S. News Marine and Freshwater Biology 2026-2027 | #20 globally | Strong fit for Indian marine sciences applicants from IISc and IIT pathways |
| THE Education Studies 2026 | #101-125 globally | Inside the global top 4% for education; solid for M.Ed., Ed.D. tracks |
| QS World 2027 vs IIT Bombay | UH #643 vs IIT-B #134 | IIT Bombay leads on engineering and overall recognition in India |
The UH Mānoa admissions process for Indian students opens the door to these discipline-specific strengths, with the same application covering all 17 colleges on the Mānoa campus.
Key insight: Indian Student Outlook
- USA narrowing: CD #164 in the USA narrows the choice to roughly 46% of US universities tracked; QS #74 of 89 narrows further to bottom quartile.
- Subject-led admit signal: The 582-place subject-vs-overall gap between QS Linguistics (#61) and QS Overall (#643) means picking by discipline matters more than picking by overall rank.
- Marine sciences pinnacle: ARWU #7 Oceanography and U.S. News #20 Marine Biology are the strongest cross-body signals on this page, both centred on UH’s Hawaii location advantage.
- Stability read: ARWU #301-400 for 5 years and THE #251-300 in 3 of 4 editions confirm underlying research strength has not changed despite the QS slide.
- Programme fit: Shidler MBA, MS Travel Industry Management and MS Marine Biology draw the highest Indian applicant interest based on subject strength rather than overall rank.
UH Mānoa reads as a discipline-first destination for Indian applicants, not a general overall-rank pick. The QS slide from #380 to #643 across 5 years is largely a scoring-formula effect; the ARWU #301-400 flat line shows research output is unchanged. The Top-100 placements in earth, marine, atmospheric and language sciences give UH genuine global standing for subject-led admits.
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Ranking FAQs
Ques. What is the QS ranking of University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 2027?
Ans. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is ranked #=643 in QS World University Rankings 2027 (released on June 18, 2026), with a US national position of #74 out of 89 ranked American universities. The campus has moved from #380 in 2023 to #643 in 2027, a 263-place slide tied to the 2024 change in QS scoring weights.
Ques. Where does University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa stand in Times Higher Education 2026?
Ans. THE places UH Mānoa in the #251-300 global band and #63 in the US for the 2026 edition. That is the same band the university held in 2023 and 2025, with a single one-band climb to #201-250 in 2024 that reversed the following year.
Ques. What is University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s strongest subject ranking?
Ans. The strongest single subject rank is Oceanography at #7 worldwide on ARWU GRAS 2025. UH’s strongest QS subject is Linguistics at #61 globally (#22 in the US), while U.S. News places Marine and Freshwater Biology at #20 globally in the 2026-2027 edition.
Ques. Is University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa ranked by ARWU (Shanghai)?
Ans. Yes, UH Mānoa has stayed at the #301-400 band on ARWU for 5 consecutive years (2021-2025). On ARWU GRAS 2025 subject lists, Oceanography ranks #7, Atmospheric Science #11, Hospitality and Tourism Management #32 and Earth Sciences #51-75.
Ques. What is the U.S. News ranking of University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa for 2026-2027?
Ans. UH Mānoa ranks #482 globally and #110 in the US on the U.S. News Best Global Universities 2026-2027 edition (released June 16, 2026). The US rank places the campus in the top 4.3% of 2,604 American four-year institutions tracked.
Ques. Why has University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s QS rank dropped in recent years?
Ans. QS revised its scoring formula in 2024 to give more weight to sustainability indicators and graduate employment outcomes, which affected mid-tier US research universities. UH’s ARWU position has stayed at #301-400 for 5 years and THE has stayed in the #251-300 band in 3 of 4 recent editions, confirming the QS drop is methodology-driven rather than a fall in research output.
Ques. How does University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa rank for Indian students compared to IIT Bombay?
Ans. IIT Bombay leads on overall QS rank at #134 in 2027 and on engineering recognition in India. UH Mānoa leads in marine sciences (ARWU #7 Oceanography), language sciences (QS #61 Linguistics) and tourism studies (ARWU #32 Hospitality and Tourism Management), making the choice between the 2 a question of discipline rather than overall brand.










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