Understanding Hawaii Preparatory Academy Tuition Costs
Hawaii Preparatory Academy (HPA) is a co-educational, college-preparatory, day and boarding school located at 65-1692 Kohala Mountain Road, Kamuela, HI 96743 on the northern side of the spectacular island of Hawaii. Rooted in the inclusive concept of ohana, HPA is a unique place to learn global citizenship and prepare for the college experience. The school serves 600 students in grades K-12 on two campuses, the Village Campus and the Upper Campus. The Village Campus is home to our Lower and Middle Schools and comprises eight acres in the heart of downtown Waimea and where our kindergarten through grade 8 students attend classes. The Upper Campus comprises 220 acres in the foothills of the Kohala Mountains and is located a few minutes outside of Waimea, home to the Upper School (grades 9 to 12, and postgraduate). Understanding the tuition structure is essential for families considering HPA for their children.
General Tuition Information
Hawaii Preparatory Academy is a top-rated private boarding school with 572 students in grades K-12 and a student-teacher ratio of 8 to 1. HPA offers a rigorous, K-12 college-preparatory education, offering a dynamic global learning community. HPA combines a traditional, vigorous foundation in the liberal arts with student-driven, project-based learning. Our curriculum and school culture are deeply influenced by a strong sense of place here on Hawaii Island, in the heart of world-famous Parker Ranch.
Tuition Rates
Yearly tuition for boarding students is $64,800. For day students, the yearly tuition is $32,500. Keep in mind that there are multiple tuition rates according to day or boarding, Lower, Middle, Upper School, or International.
Additional Costs and Considerations
Tuition for International Students
Tuition for international students is $76,100, while the yearly tuition for 5-day boarding is $59,100.
Summer Program Costs
HPA offers two, three-week summer school for students ages eleven through seventeen with mostly enrichment courses including SAT prep, math, science, English, ESL, and the arts. The summer program cost is $4,800.
Read also: BYU Hawaii Tuition Fees Explained
Financial Aid and Affordability
HPA welcomes and actively desires students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. HPA is a place that welcomes and actively desires students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. We believe it’s vital for the HPA student body to reflect the world in which we all live and work. To make HPA accessible, we are firmly committed to prudent budgets and fiscal controls. We strive to create an enriching program that is the best value possible. In addition, many parents, alumni, and friends of the school contribute to the HPA Fund and other priorities each year. We are deeply grateful to our supporters. For those families that need additional help, HPA has financial aid available, although it is a modest resource at this time. In the meantime, we sincerely encourage you to apply for financial aid. Only by applying can you know for sure what is possible. Once your financial need has been established, HPA will try to help meet that need within the resources we have available. Qualifying for aid is a highly-individualized process. Household income, number of children, savings and other assets, along with many other factors, all play a role in evaluating a family’s financial need. For the 2025-26 academic year, families with household incomes from $17,000 to over $325,000 (boarding families) received aid from HPA. The average household income of all families receiving aid was $140,000. Tuition for the current year has been set. We use an online application service that ensures an objective need analysis.
Financial Aid Details
HPA has financial aid available for families that need additional help, though it is a modest resource at this time. Families are encouraged to apply for financial aid to determine what is possible. Once financial need has been established, HPA will try to help meet that need within the resources available. The average financial aid grant is $12,750.
Factors Influencing Financial Aid
Qualifying for aid is a highly-individualized process. Household income, number of children, savings, and other assets all play a role in evaluating a family’s financial need. For the 2025-26 academic year, families with household incomes from $17,000 to over $325,000 (boarding families) received aid from HPA. The average household income of all families receiving aid was $140,000.
Tuition Payment and Analysis
HPA uses an online application service to ensure an objective need analysis for financial aid.
Academic and Extracurricular Opportunities
At HPA, our location allows us to offer a high school education like no other. We combine a rigorous, college-preparatory curriculum with the chance to design and conduct your own real-world research, arts, or community projects. Through capstone classes, 16 Advanced Placement courses, our award-winning Energy Lab, immersive local learning, and other signature programs, we support and empower you to hone skills, build confidence, and create an impressive body of work for college and later life.
Read also: On-Campus Housing Options
Academic Programs
Students are given the opportunity to do cutting-edge research in independent projects such as brain research, genetics, astronomy, and geology. HPA partnerships with organizations like Stanford University, Cornell, Keck Observatory, and NASA expose students to more "real world" research and a strategic advantage when applying to universities. The Upper School academic program combines traditional education with our capstone project-based learning. HPAs international award-winning Energy Lab hosts students engaged in independent research and serves as the schools sustainability program hub. Here students concentrate on advanced computer science, robotics, and drones. Biotechnology projects using DNA PCR thermocycler and UV transilluminator, digital journalism and storytelling, electrical and mechanical engineering. Over the years, students have partnered with organizations like NASA, the W. M. Keck Observatory, NOAA, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and others. Upper School students can also select from an extensive schedule of Honors and 17 AP classes.
Extracurricular Activities
In addition to the Energy Lab, HPA offers a large heated pool, Issacs Art Gallery, tennis court with four courts, various water sports, an established after-school athletic program, horseback riding, a world-renowned Sea Turtle Tagging program, and many extracurricular activities where you can get your SCUBA diving certification or star in the fall musical.
Sports Offered
Hawaii Preparatory Academy offers 26 interscholastic sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cheering, Crew, Cross Country, Cross Fit, Dance, Diving, Equestrian, Football, Golf, Indoor Soccer, Lacrosse, Polo, Rugby, Sailing, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Track and Field, Ultimate Frisbee, Volleyball, Water Polo, Weightlifting and Wrestling.
Admission and Application Process
HPA is accepting applications for the 2024-2025 application season now through our priority deadline of February 10, 2024. After that, we will move into the rolling application phase. The application deadline for Hawaii Preparatory Academy is Jan. 15 / Feb. 10 / rolling.
Key Dates
The application deadline is February 10 / rolling (applications are due on Feb. 10).
Read also: Comprehensive Guide to UH Tuition
Campus Life and Community
Day students from Hawaii are joined by boarding students from 15 states and 25 countries to create a diverse, international `ohana. HPA stands out for its remarkable sense of community, which truly feels like one big family. The connections between students, teachers, coaches, and faculty create an environment where everyone genuinely cares about each individual. The boarding and day community were both very diverse, inclusive, and welcoming. They encouraged a lot of socializing and bonding that effectively made the school feel like family.
Educational Outcomes
After graduation, 95% of students from this school go on to attend a 4-year college.
Comparisons with Other Schools
Visitors to our site frequently compare these two schools. Compare their rankings, scores, reviews and more to help you determine which school is the best choice for you. At Parker School, every student is known, valued and nurtured. Our small-school setting and dynamic program foster confident, compassionate individuals who are thoroughly prepared for college, who enthusiastically engage in life and who positively contribute to an ever-changing global community.
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