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Waiakea High School

Q: Is Waiakea High School a good school?

Waiakea High School ranks 9 th of 62 Hawaii high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

9^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 62 Hawaii High Schools

Better than 85% of Hawaii high schools

Summary

Waiakea High School is a public high school located in Hilo, Hawaii, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,217 students. The school is part of the Hawaii Department of Education district, which is ranked 1 out of 1 in the state and rated 5 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger. Waiakea High School has consistently been ranked among the top high schools in Hawaii, with a current statewide ranking of 9 out of 62 schools and a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger for the 2024-2025 school year.

Waiakea High School consistently outperforms the state average in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics, as well as in the HSA/Biology I exam. For example, in 2023-2024, 72.28% of Waiakea students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state average of 59%, and 38.58% were proficient or better in Math, compared to the state average of 25%. The school also maintains high four-year graduation rates, with 90.6% in 2023-2024 and 89.0% in 2024-2025, which are well above the state average. However, the school's performance for African American and Special Education students is relatively lower, ranking 44th and 47th out of 55 and 67 high schools, respectively, in 2023-2024.

Compared to nearby schools, Pahoa High & Intermediate School and Keaau High School have significantly lower academic performance, while Hilo High School, which is only 2.05 miles away, has a more comparable performance to Waiakea High School. Additionally, Waiakea High School has a relatively lower percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (44.04% in 2023-2024) compared to the nearby schools, which have higher rates, suggesting a more diverse socioeconomic population that may contribute to its stronger academic performance.

1,183

Students ?

15.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,204

Per pupil spending ?

40.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

155 W Kawili St
Hilo, HI 96720

(808) 974-4888

District: Hawaii Department of Education

Feeder schools for Waiakea High School:

Elementary:	Waiakea Elementary School
	Waiakeawaena Elementary School
Middle:	Waiakea Intermediate School

Racial breakdown:

Pacific Islander:

26.0%

Hispanic:

23.9%

Two or more races:

20.5%

See top rated Hawaii high schools

Compare Waiakea High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 61st percentile in 2015 → 85th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranks in the top 15% of Hawaii high schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 24 percentile points since 2015

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Hawaii Department of Education

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school50%

9^th of 62

Hawaii public high schools ?

Top 15%▲ up 25 pts since 2015

From top 39% (2015) to top 15% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Hawaii High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 42High Schools in the Hawaii Department of Education

1^st of 1Hawaii Department of Education among Hawaii districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	67.5	9 of 62	85.5%	★★★★☆
2024	78.1	6 of 67	91.0%	★★★★★
2023	91.1	3 of 53	94.3%	★★★★★
2022	88.1	6 of 52	88.5%	★★★★★
2021	81.0	9 of 48	81.3%	★★★★☆
2019	81.8	8 of 52	84.6%	★★★★☆
2018	78.2	9 of 53	83.0%	★★★★☆
2017	53.3	15 of 63	76.2%	★★★★☆
2016	69.9	13 of 53	75.5%	★★★★☆
2015	58.9	20 of 51	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	72.3	12 of 56	78.6%	★★★★☆
2012	59.4	24 of 58	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	62.6	21 of 56	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	68.6	15 of 56	73.2%	★★★★☆
2009	68.3	12 of 55	78.2%	★★★★☆
2008	64.2	12 of 39	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	59.4	25 of 60	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	81.9	8 of 56	85.7%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	29.3	44 of 55	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	74.3	2 of 41	95.1%	★★★★★
2024	73.9	10 of 65	84.6%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	43.8	7 of 33	78.8%	★★★★☆
2024	43.6	24 of 59	59.3%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	82.6	4 of 52	92.3%	★★★★★

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	81.8	2 of 32	93.8%	★★★★★
2024	64.7	13 of 61	78.7%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	31.7	47 of 67	29.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	65.7	4 of 51	92.2%	★★★★★
2024	79.2	3 of 64	95.3%	★★★★★

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Asian (2025)95th percentile+10 vs school

Pacific Islander (2025)94th percentile+8 vs school

Hispanic (2024)92nd percentile~ school

White (2025)92nd percentile+7 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)79th percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2024)30th percentile-61 vs school

African American (2024)20th percentile-71 vs school

By subject vs Hawaii (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts61%

Biology I47%

Mathematics42%

★

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Schools Near Waiakea High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				HSA Science (2025)	HSA Biology I (2025)	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2025)	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	HSA Science All Grades	HSA Biology I All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Waiakea High School	Public	9-12	155 W Kawili St	Hilo	96720	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	No	(808) 974-4888	1,183	77	15.3	40.6%	102 (8.6%)	5 (0.4%)	283 (23.9%)	241 (20.4%)	1 (0.1%)	308 (26.0%)	243 (20.5%)	67.5	9^th of 62 public high schools	85.5%		78.1	6^th of 67 public high schools	91.0%	3		47.0	61.0	42.0	$16,204	$1,517	$14,687
Hilo High School	Public	9-12	556 Waianuenue Ave	Hilo	96720	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 974-4021	1,170	74	15.8	50.1%	85 (7.3%)	4 (0.3%)	262 (22.4%)	148 (12.6%)	0 (0.0%)	448 (38.3%)	223 (19.1%)	34.8	30^th of 62 public high schools	51.6%		46.9	29^th of 67 public high schools	56.7%	1		33.0	48.0	25.0	$17,046	$1,569	$15,477
Ke Ana Laahana - PCS	Public, Charter	7-12	160 Baker Ave	Hilo	96720	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 961-6228	33	4	8.2	51.5%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (33.3%)	1 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (51.5%)	4 (12.1%)	4	59^th of 62 public high schools	4.8%		8.3	57^th of 67 public high schools	14.9%	2			21.0	11.0	$13,572	$4,115	$9,457
Keaau High School	Public	9-12	16-725 Keaau-Pahoa Rd	Keaau	96749	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 982-4220	1,041	70	14.8	71.7%	145 (13.9%)	8 (0.8%)	289 (27.8%)	129 (12.4%)	3 (0.3%)	301 (28.9%)	166 (15.9%)	22.9	39^th of 62 public high schools	37.1%		37.7	38^th of 67 public high schools	43.3%	1		20.0	50.0	16.0	$17,149	$1,502	$15,647
Pahoa High & Intermediate School	Public	7-12	15-3038 Puna Rd	Pahoa	96778	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 965-2150	745	59	12.6	71.8%	71 (9.5%)	1 (0.1%)	251 (33.7%)	75 (10.1%)	6 (0.8%)	237 (31.8%)	104 (14.0%)	10.1	53^rd of 62 public high schools	14.5%		12.6	55^th of 67 public high schools	17.9%	2	27.0		27.0	16.0	$19,147	$2,115	$17,032

Frequently Asked Questions about Waiakea High School

What district is Waiakea High School in?

Hawaii Department of Education

How many students attend Waiakea High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,183 students attended Waiakea High School.

Is Waiakea High School a good school?

Waiakea High School ranks 9^th of 62 Hawaii high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools feed into Waiakea High School?

Waiakea High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Waiakea Elementary School
Elementary : Waiakeawaena Elementary School
Middle : Waiakea Intermediate School

What is the racial makeup of Waiakea High School?

Students at Waiakea High School are 26% Pacific Islander, 24% Hispanic, 21% Two or more races, 20% Asian, 9% White.

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Schools in Hilo, HI

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Hawaii State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.