Palm Beach Atlantic University vs Hawaii Pacific University

Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBAU) and Hawaii Pacific University (HPU) are two distinct institutions of higher learning that offer unique educational experiences. PBAU, located in West Palm Beach, Florida, is a private Christian university with a strong emphasis on liberal arts and sciences. HPU, situated in Honolulu, Hawaii, is a private university known for its diverse student body and focus on international studies and business. While both universities share similarities in their commitment to academic excellence, they differ in several key aspects, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover the nuances that set these two universities apart and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Hawaii Pacific University	Palm Beach Atlantic University
Overview
Location	Honolulu, Hawaii	West Palm Beach, Florida
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	64.0%	71.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Interdenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	85.3%	89.9%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	$50
SAT range	1070 - 1238	1030 - 1240
ACT range	22 - 28	20 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	14.0%	77.0%
Students submitting ACT score	11.0%	31.0%
Total number of applicants	11,948	1,923
Total number of admissions given out	10,194	1,728
Admitted students who chose to enroll	790	505
Yield rate	7.7%	29.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$50,384	$53,668
Average net price	$25,385	$27,881
Tuition	$29,520	$33,538
Room & board	$16,764	Room/dormitory: $5,872 Meal plan: $5,256
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $25,806	99.0% Average amount $23,465
Students receiving federal student loan	52.0% Average amount $5,427	51.0% Average amount $5,286
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $22,900	6.0% Average amount $14,922

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,066 Men 35.1% Women 64.9%	2,837 Men 37.0% Women 63.0%
Graduate students	520 Men 35.0% Women 65.0%	850 Men 34.9% Women 65.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	High	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	52.3%
International students	9.7%	4.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,439	1,228
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Florida New York New Jersey Pennsylvania Michigan

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Public Administration and Social Service Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Health Professions Business Visual & Performing Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Communication and Journalism
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	42.5%	60.8%
Dropout rate	19.0%	36.5%
Transferred out	37.4%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,189 Year 2: $64,990 Year 3: $82,566 Social Work (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,902 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $55,969 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,264 Year 2: $44,649 Year 3: $52,800 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $72,062 Year 2: $49,683 Year 3: $45,931 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,658 Year 2: $40,017 Year 3: $39,914 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,885 Year 2: $30,988 Year 3: $35,301 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $33,869 Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,128 Year 2: $20,687 Year 3: $28,384 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,471 Year 2: $28,055 Year 3: $24,468 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: N/A	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $95,539 Year 2: $113,354 Year 3: $121,395 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,430 Year 2: $60,689 Year 3: $57,694 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,359 Year 2: $54,996 Year 3: $55,997 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $45,575 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $44,914 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,523 Year 3: $40,886 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,875 Year 2: $36,668 Year 3: $40,718 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,924 Year 2: $40,392 Year 3: $40,381 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $33,527 Year 2: $36,151 Year 3: $36,801 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,547 Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: $36,792

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.

Palm Beach Atlantic University vs Hawaii Pacific University

Hawaii Pacific University

Palm Beach Atlantic University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

Compare Similar Colleges

Find Colleges By State

Resources

About