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Waiakea High School

Public Grades 9-12

5^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 65 Hawaii High Schools

Better than 92% of Hawaii high schools

Summary

Waiakea High School is a public school in Hilo, Hawaii serving grades 9–12 with 1,183 students, and it is part of the Hawaii Department of Education.

Waiakea is one of the top-ranked high schools in the state. In 2025–2026 it ranked 5th of 65 ranked Hawaii high schools, placing it in the 92nd percentile with a 5-star rating, and it has finished in the top 10 for several years running. Its closest neighbor, Hilo High School, sits just 2.05 miles away and has almost the same enrollment (1,170 students), yet ranks 27th of 65. Other nearby schools trail further: Keaau High School ranks 43rd and Pahoa High & Intermediate School ranks 55th. Ke Ana Laahana - PCS ranks 62nd, but with only 33 students it is a very small charter school whose figures are not directly comparable. In 2025–2026, Waiakea's English language arts proficiency was 71%, compared with 45% at both Hilo and Keaau, 35% at Pahoa, and 12% at Ke Ana. Math proficiency was 50%, versus 30%, 20%, 14%, and 6% respectively, and Biology I proficiency was 47%.

Waiakea also stands out for attendance: its chronic absenteeism rate of 17.0% is lower than every nearby school, including Hilo at 22.0% and Keaau at 41.0%. Academic results are trending upward — math proficiency rose from 38.58% in 2023–2024 to 50% in 2025–2026, while ELA dipped to 61% in 2024–2025 before rebounding to 71%. Its graduation rate of 89.0% is slightly below Keaau's 90.0%, showing that graduation rate and test proficiency measure different things. Note that Waiakea achieves these results without the smallest classes or the highest per-student spending in the area. Two areas worth watching are the lower effectiveness rankings for special education students and African American students in the 2023–2024 data.

1,183

Students ?

15.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,204

Per pupil spending ?

40.6%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

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 — 75th percentile in 2016 → 92nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranks in the top 8% of Hawaii high schools

✓91% graduate within 4 years

✓Ranking is trending up — up 17 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school56%

5^th of 65

Hawaii public high schools ?

Top 8%▲ up 17 pts since 2016

From top 25% (2016) to top 8% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Hawaii High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^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
2026	78.9	5 of 65	92.3%	★★★★★
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
2026	75.7	4 of 40	90.0%	★★★★★
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
2026	37.5	10 of 29	65.5%	★★★☆☆
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%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	57.9	11 of 64	82.8%	★★★★☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	70.2	2 of 32	93.8%	★★★★★
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
2026	87.9	1 of 53	98.1%	★★★★★
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)

White (2026)98th percentile+6 vs school

Pacific Islander (2026)94th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2024)92nd percentile~ school

Asian (2026)90th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)83rd percentile-9 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)66th percentile-27 vs school

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

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

By subject vs Hawaii (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts71%

Mathematics50%

Biology I47%

★

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Schools Near Waiakea High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				HSA Science (2026)	HSA Biology I (2026)	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2026)	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)	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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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%)	78.9	5^th of 65 public high schools	92.3%		67.5	9^th of 62 public high schools	85.5%	4		47.0	71.0	50.0	$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%)	36.3	27^th of 65 public high schools	58.5%		34.8	30^th of 62 public high schools	51.6%	3		35.0	45.0	30.0	$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%)	3.4	62^nd of 65 public high schools	4.6%		4	59^th of 62 public high schools	4.8%	3	18.0		12.0	6.0	$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%)	21.7	43^rd of 65 public high schools	33.8%		22.9	39^th of 62 public high schools	37.1%	4		26.0	45.0	14.0	$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%)	10.6	55^th of 65 public high schools	15.4%		10.1	53^rd of 62 public high schools	14.5%	2	14.0		35.0	20.0	$19,147	$2,115	$17,032

Frequently Asked Questions about Waiakea High School

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.

How many students attend Waiakea High School?

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

What district is Waiakea High School in?

Hawaii Department of Education

Is Waiakea High School a good school?

Yes. Waiakea High School ranks in the top 7.7% of Hawaii high schools.

Rate Waiakea High School!

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HIHawaii High School Rankings

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Schools in Hilo, HI

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Latest Hawaii data All new data »

2025–26 graduation ratesSep 19, 2026

2025–26 HSA & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresSep 19, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 18, 2025

2024–25 HSA & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresSep 18, 2025

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.