Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy

United States, Kamuela

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The school at a glance

Instructs in English

Fees $15,900 - 37,500

Ages Not listed

Pupil numbers 615

Type Co-educational, Co-educational (boarding)

Opened 1949

Bus Service No

Availability Not shared by this school

Academic offering

Curriculum Advanced Placement (AP), Bespoke Curriculum

Taught languages Japanese, Spanish

Strengths STEM, Performing Arts, Service and Sustainability

Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language

Stages Preschool, Kindergarten, Primary School, Middle School, Secondary School, High School

Introduction

Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy is a co‑educational day and boarding school with two campuses on Hawaiʻi Island, serving kindergarten through 12th grade plus a postgraduate year. The Village Campus in Waimea houses Lower and Middle School (K–8) in open‑air classroom settings, while the Upper Campus serves the Upper School (9–12) with residence halls and a dedicated Energy Lab. The curriculum combines a Bespoke program with Advanced Placement courses, including AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP Cyber Security, AP Environmental Science, and AP Psychology, and emphasizes hands‑on, inquiry‑based learning. Signature programs such as Sea Turtle Research and Island Science anchor place‑based projects across grades, culminating in capstones at 5th, 8th, and 12th grades. Facilities span performing and visual arts centers, a LEED‑certified Energy Lab, libraries, a theater, art studios, athletic venues, tennis and track facilities, and an equestrian stadium. A range of clubs, service opportunities, and outdoor programs enrich the experience.

www.hpa.edu

Middle and Lower Schools (Village Campus): 65-1274 Kawaihae Road, Kamuela, HI 96743; Upper School (Upper Campus): 65-1692 Kohala Mountain Road, Kamuela, HI 96743

Gallery

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Vibes and Culture

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The Essentials

Location

Two campuses in Waimea on Hawaiʻi Island. The Village Campus houses Lower and Middle School (K8) at 65-1274 Kawaihae Road, Kamuela, HI 96743; the Upper Campus houses the Upper School (grades 92) and postgraduate at 65-1692 Kohala Mountain Road, Kamuela, HI 96743. The U.S. Post Office designates the location as Kamuela, while locals refer to the area as Waimea.

Stages

Kindergarten through 12th grade, plus a postgraduate year. The Village Campus serves Lower and Middle School (K8). The Upper Campus serves the Upper School (grades 92 and postgraduate).

Type

Co-educational, day and boarding school.

Pupil Nationality Mix

Boarding students come from the U.S. mainland and 25 nations join day students from Hawaiʻi. The school represents 25 nations; three Hawaiian islands are represented.

Country affiliation

United States

Religious affiliation

No religious affiliation.

School day structure

Upper School classes run 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on an alternating block schedule (ula and Mamo days), followed by required afternoon athletics or co-curriculars from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Bus service

HPA provides buses to town on Wednesday evenings and Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Diving Deeper

The school has not added this information

Fees

Application fees
- Application fee: USD 100 per student for all grade-level applications (Pre-K through Grade 12, day and boarding).

Tuition (annual amounts for the 2026–2027 academic year)
- Pre‑Kindergarten (ages 3–5): USD 15,900 per year.
- Lower School (Kindergarten–Grade 5), day student: USD 29,000 per year.
- Middle School (Grades 6–8), day student: USD 32,500 per year.
- Upper School (Grades 9–12), day student: USD 37,500 per year.

Boarding tuition (annual totals for the 2026–2027 academic year)
- Hawai‘i in‑state boarding (7‑day boarding; eligibility requires primary residence in Hawai‘i and a Hawai‘i Resident Tax Return): USD 68,300 per year.
- Domestic boarding (U.S. citizens or permanent residents): USD 74,800 per year.
- International boarding: USD 87,900 per year.

How boarding is billed / what the boarding tuition represents
- Boarding tuition figures are presented as an annual total that covers day school tuition plus the residential program (room, board, and standard residential services) as a combined boarding tuition amount. The amounts above are the published annual boarding tuition totals by category.

Enrollment deposit, re‑enrollment items, and related fees
- To secure a returning student's re‑enrollment or a newly offered place, the school requires completion of an enrollment agreement and payment of an enrollment/tuition deposit. Historically the enrollment deposit used to secure placement has been USD 1,000 for day students and USD 2,500 for boarding students; families are also asked in past communications to pay an annual SMART tuition account fee (USD 50) when completing re‑enrollment. These items are required to finalize enrollment and hold a space.

Billing schedule and payment terms (summary of published items)
- Tuition is published as an annual charge by grade/program category for the 2026–2027 year. Families are required to complete an enrollment agreement and pay the tuition deposit by the school's published re‑enrollment/enrollment deadlines to secure placement; the school publishes priority and enrollment deadlines for each grade cycle.

Other mandatory or commonly encountered fees
- Financial aid processing fee: Families applying for need‑based aid use an external need‑analysis service (Clarity); that application carries a service fee handled through the Clarity platform.
- Program and activity deposits/fees: Specific programs, trips, camps, and summer academies carry separate application or program deposits and tuition (for example, summer academies list separate application and program tuition and deposit amounts). These program fees are charged in addition to school‑year tuition when applicable.
- Withdrawal/expulsion administrative fee: The school's Student & Parent Handbook includes a stated withdrawal/expulsion fee of USD 600 for those rare cases.

Refund information
- The school requires an enrollment agreement and deposit to secure a place; past school communications describe the deposit as the item to secure enrollment. The Student & Parent Handbook also lists a withdrawal/expulsion fee (USD 600). Specific term‑by‑term refund schedules or the precise refundability of enrollment deposits are not published in the public pages and materials located during this review.

Fee categories not listed as separate line items in published tuition figures
- The published annual tuition figures for day and boarding students are presented as single annual amounts. Separate line items for uniform costs, textbook charges, technology fees, health insurance charges, laundry, discretionary activity fees, or detailed boarding extras are not listed as public, stand‑alone amounts on the published tuition page. Program‑specific fees (trips, summer academies, outdoor courses) are listed where applicable.

Fee payment options
- The school's re‑enrollment and billing communications reference a tuition account system (historically families have been asked to pay a SMART tuition account fee when completing enrollment). Families complete enrollment through the school's parent portal and are required to set up their tuition account and payment arrangements there. Details about which payment methods (for example, ACH/electronic bank draft, credit card acceptance, wire transfer, or check) are accepted and any convenience fees for credit/debit cards are managed through the school's tuition/billing portal and are not published as a complete public list on the school tuition pages.

Summary of missing details discovered during review (concise)
- The public tuition pages publish annual tuition totals by program for 2026–2027 but do not publish a per‑term or per‑semester breakdown that can be cited directly.
- The school's detailed billing schedule (exact tuition due dates, the school's available payment plan options and schedule, whether the enrollment deposit is refundable and under what conditions, and the list of accepted payment instruments and any associated convenience fees) is not published in a single public policy page accessible from the admissions and tuition pages; those items are handled through the school's enrollment agreement and parent billing portal.

If you will publish these figures externally, use the annual tuition amounts and the application and boarding figures above as the school's published fees for 2026–2027; program‑level and trip/camp fees should be listed separately when relevant to a particular program.

Academics

Curriculum

Kindergarten through 12th grade, plus a postgraduate year, is offered at Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy, with the Village Campus serving Lower and Middle School (K–8) and the Upper Campus home to the Upper School (9–12 and postgraduate). Lower School uses project-based learning across core subjects and connects to Hawai‘i Island through place-based experiences, culminating in a fifth-grade capstone. Middle School promotes independence with seven classes per semester, provides enrichment options, and leads to an eighth-grade capstone under faculty mentorship. Upper School emphasizes hands-on, inquiry-based science and technology, offering AP courses such as AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP Cyber Security, AP Environmental Science, and AP Psychology, and featuring the Energy Lab and opportunities for independent science research and capstone courses. Signature Programs—including the Sea Turtle Research Program and Island Science—support place-based learning across grades, with capstones at the end of fifth, eighth, and twelfth grades.

Higher Education Progression

HPA graduates enroll in four-year colleges almost universally; virtually 100 percent enroll at four-year institutions. In the past seven years, graduates have enrolled at Harvard, Yale, Columbia, The University of Chicago, Princeton, Brown, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Cornell, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Duke, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Claremont McKenna, and Washington University in St. Louis. They have also been admitted to Amherst, Boston College, Boston University, Bowdoin, Caltech, Emory, Michigan, Northeastern, NYU, Pomona, UVA, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Vanderbilt.

Wellbeing

The school has not added this information

Parent Experience

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Facilities

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Extra-Curricular Activities

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Languages

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Reputation

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Admissions

1) Learn about HPA and determine your child's placement. HPA offers Lower (K–5), Middle (6–8), Upper (9–12), and Pre-K options, with both day and boarding arrangements, including international students. Start by requesting information, visiting campus, or exploring the Virtual Admission Center to understand the opportunities and fit. 2) Begin the online application and gather required materials. The application for the upcoming academic year is posted online and the complete file (including required forms and any requested supplements) is needed for review. If a deadline passes, the file moves to rolling admission based on space availability. 3) Complete the evaluation process, including testing where applicable. For grades 6–11, SSAT submission is optional; for grade 12 and postgraduate applicants, options include PSAT/SAT/ACT/PLAN/EXPLORE or psycho-educational testing; test results are weighed in the context of the overall application. Interviews may be scheduled at the Admission Office's discretion. 4) Receive decisions and respond by the published timelines. Early decisions for boarding are communicated before January 15; Kindergarten decisions around March 1; Day admissions around March 4; Boarding decisions on March 9; all decisions are sent via email. If late, applications enter rolling review based on space. 5) Consider financial aid and special scholarships if needed. HPA offers need-based financial aid, with about 40% of students receiving assistance and average grants around 39% of tuition; families apply through the Clarity platform and may be eligible for additional scholarships, some of which require separate applications. 6) If admitted, complete any enrollment steps by the applicable deadline and stay in touch with the Admissions Office for next steps. If not admitted, families may reengage in the admissions process in a subsequent year.

Scholarships

Special scholarships exist in addition to need-based financial aid. To qualify for aid, families follow HPA's regular financial aid process through the Clarity platform; some scholarships require an additional HPA application. Available named scholarships include: the HPA Seed Scholarship (two full kindergarten scholarships, renewable through 8th grade and then 9–12), Pauahi Foundation H6blili Scholarship (tuition assistance for rising 6th or 9th graders facing financial barriers), the Kūlia Scholarship (Upper School, merit and need-based, typically $3,500–$10,000; 10–20 awards annually), the HPA Faculty Big Island Scholarship (4,000, for eligible Hawaii Island residents), the Ho6bmau Scholarship (Continuing With Knowledge; usually 5,000–10,000), and the Kupaianaha Scholarship (open to new students 6–12; character-based). Deadlines and eligibility details are provided within each scholarship listing; some deadlines have passed for the current year, with information for the next year to be announced." }

end of response

Waitlist

The wait pool size varies year to year. If a grade space is not offered to an acceptable applicant, a space may be offered to a candidate in the enrollment wait pool. The wait pool remains until a space becomes available; if no space opens, the pool is dissolved at the start of the school year. Families may reengage in the admission process in the fall for the following school year, which requires starting a new application and submitting updated grade reports if requested. All decisions are communicated by email.

School Events

The school has not added events

FAQs

Where are Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy's campuses located and how are grades organized between them?

Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy operates two campuses on Hawaiʻi Island in Waimea. The Village Campus houses the Lower and Middle Schools (K–8), while the Upper Campus hosts the Upper School (9–12) and a postgraduate year.

What ages and grade levels does HPA serve, and is there a postgraduate year?

HPA serves students from Pre-K (age 3) through 12th grade, plus a postgraduate year on the Upper Campus.

What are the annual tuition costs for day students and boarding students for the 2026–2027 year?

Tuition varies by program: Pre‑Kindergarten is $15,900; Lower School day is $29,000; Middle School day is $32,500; Upper School day is $37,500. Boarding totals are $68,300 for Hawaiʻi in-state, $74,800 for domestic, and $87,900 for international students.

What is involved in the admissions process and what fees or deposits are required to enroll?

The process includes an online application with required materials; some tests are optional depending on grade. There is a $100 application fee per student. To secure a place, families sign an enrollment agreement and pay a deposit (historically $1,000 for day students or $2,500 for boarding), with additional billing steps via the parent portal.

Does HPA offer financial aid or scholarships and how do I apply?

HPA offers need-based financial aid through the Clarity platform, with about 40% of students receiving aid and average grants around 39% of tuition. There are named scholarships in addition to need-based aid (such as Seed, Kūlia, and other scholarships); eligibility and deadlines vary by scholarship.

How is the K–12 curriculum structured, and what are the capstone programs?

The Village Campus (K–8) uses project-based learning with a fifth-grade capstone; Middle School emphasizes independence and leads to an eighth-grade capstone. The Upper School focuses on hands-on, inquiry-based science and technology, offering AP courses and opportunities for independent research and capstone work, with signature programs like Sea Turtle Research and Island Science across grades.

Which AP courses are offered in the Upper School, and what facilities support science and independent research?

Upper School AP courses include AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP Cyber Security, AP Environmental Science, and AP Psychology. The Energy Lab is LEED-certified and zero-net energy, supporting student research, along with facilities for independent science projects and capstones.

What are typical higher-education outcomes for HPA graduates?

HPA graduates enroll in four-year colleges almost universally, with virtually 100% attending four-year institutions. Alumni have been admitted to top universities such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, UC Berkeley, and many others.

What sports facilities does HPA have on campus?

Facilities include Castle Gymnasium (courts, wrestling room, locker rooms, athletic training), Dowsett Pool, Rutgers Tennis Center, Stanford W. Shutes Track, and dedicated football, soccer, and baseball fields, plus an equestrian stadium, dressage area, and polo field.

What academic and performing arts facilities are on the Upper Campus?

The Upper Campus features 22 classrooms, Gates Performing Arts Center, a Visual Arts Center, science laboratories, the Energy Lab, and the John Dyer Memorial Library, plus the Davenport Music Center for music instruction and rehearsals.

What other facilities support learning across both campuses?

Key facilities include the Energy Lab (LEED-certified, zero-net energy) with a collaboration area; libraries (Lynn Taylor Library on the Village Campus and John Dyer Memorial Library on the Upper Campus); the Isaacs Art Center for Hawaiian art; Ko Kākou Hale as a student union; and Ulumau Garden for teaching and outdoor learning.

What kinds of clubs and extracurricular activities are available, and can students start their own clubs?

Clubs include Math Club, Coding Club, Speech Club, Model United Nations, and a range of arts, culture, and social activities. Students can start their own clubs with school support, and there are opportunities in performance, competitions, and community engagement.

What leadership opportunities exist for Middle and Upper School students?

Leadership roles include student government, dorm prefect positions, and student ambassadors. Middle and Upper School students can participate in Youth and Government and Model UN to build leadership and civic skills.

Are there signature programs like Sea Turtle Research Program and Island Science?

Yes. Signature programs such as Sea Turtle Research and Island Science support place-based learning across grades, with capstones at the ends of 5th, 8th, and 12th grades.

What wellbeing and counseling support is available for students?

HPA provides robust wellbeing support with a village campus counselor, full-time learning specialists, and a team of counselors. Mindfulness, conflict resolution, and emotional management are taught, complemented by advisory programs and assemblies.

How does EAL support international students, and is it offered?

English Language Learner support is available as part of Summer at HPA for Grades 6–12, with past EAL courses and a placement screening to determine level and focus areas such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

What safeguarding policies and reporting channels does HPA have?

Upper School has a Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy, and students can report concerns online via the CrisisGo Safe2SpeakUp tool in myHPA; safety resources are outlined in handbooks and reporting channels are available across all divisions.

Does HPA use a traditional house system, and how is boarding life organized?

HPA does not operate a traditional house system. Boarding life is organized around three residence halls—Carter Hall for girls, Perry-Fiske Hall for boys, and Robertson Hall as a co-ed dorm—with dorm neighborhoods and a dorm head supervising, plus dorm prefects.

What does a typical Upper School day look like, including meals?

Upper School classes run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on an alternating block schedule, with required athletics or co-curriculars from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Meals are prepared from scratch in dining halls with locally sourced ingredients, and weekend meals are provided for boarding students.

How is Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy governed and what is the Ohana Association?

HPA is governed by a Board of Trustees. The Ohana Association is the volunteer parent community that supports and enriches school programs; all families belong automatically and can participate in events by contacting ohana@hpa.edu.

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