Academics shine
in rainy Hilo

Hilo's reputation for rain hardly dampens the bright academic light of the University of Hawaii's campus there. UH-Hilo's elevation from a regional to a national liberal arts college by U.S. News & World Report speaks well for the institution.

It is the only school in Hawaii with the national status and few other public universities have been promoted to the standing, according to the report's researchers. The magazine ranks U.S. colleges and universities to help students select the best school for their needs. It has placed UH-Hilo third among liberal arts colleges in the Western region for the past three years.

UH-Hilo's success is attributed to its small class sizes, the number of full-time faculty members and students who graduated in the top quarter of their high schools (44 percent). Among its unique offerings are the College of Hawaiian Language master's degree program, the only one in the nation in a native American language.

UH-Hilo is a bright spot in the troubled university system. Its challenge now will be to place well in its new category against such academic heavyweights as Amherst, Williams and Wellesley colleges.

--Cynthia Oi

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