Best nursing schools in Hawaii: Largest to smallest

Looking for the best options to kickstart a career in nursing? Hawaii has more than 17,000 nurses of various stripes, and even with more than 500 new nursing students graduating each year, the industry remains in constant need of qualified professionals.

Registered nursing vastly outnumbers all other nursing professions in the state. Hawaii has more than 10,000 RNs who provide care for the sick and injured in hospitals and other health care facilities. Hawaii Pacific University produces almost half of the state's RN graduates each year. HPU has the largest and most varied nursing department, offering programs from a certificate in nursing research to a master's degree in public health and community nursing. Although HPU is a large campus, it is also a private university, and thus class sizes are typically smaller than its public university counterparts.

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Whether at a large university or a small community college, class size is an important consideration given your personal learning preferences. Some students prefer the relative anonymity and unbiased atmosphere of huge lecture halls; others thrive with the more personal approach at which private universities and community colleges excel. The smallest community college on our list, Kauai Community College, has a total student population of only 900. Community colleges can launch your RN career in as little as two years with an associate's degree, or train you as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) in just 12-18 months.

So let's have a look at the top nursing schools in Hawaii. We've organized them below by class size to aid in your education decision.