Learn more about HPA

A place to learn like nowhere else

Founded in 1949, Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy is a co-educational, college-preparatory, day and boarding school that serves kindergarten through 12th grade, plus a postgraduate year. Here on Hawai‘i Island, our students live and study within rare landscapes, precious ecosystems, and a mix of world cultures.

We embrace these attributes to create unique signature programs, research partnerships, and growth opportunities that make HPA a school like no other. We exist to empower students with a sense of purpose, and to ensure they have strong core values and the real-world skills to explore and reinvent that purpose over a lifetime.

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Let’s connect — join us for an event!

Upper school day & boarding events

Get the scoop on the Upper School. Join us for one or more events for prospective day and boarding students. These include virtual information sessions, open houses, tours, and more. We look forward to seeing you!

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Lower & middle school events

Learn all about the Lower and Middle Schools at HPA! Join us for one or more Lower and Middle School focused events, which include virtual information sessions, open houses, tours, and more. We can’t wait to connect!

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At HPA, learning goes beyond the ordinary, thanks to opportunities found only on Hawai‘i Island

HPA combines 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, an award-winning Energy Lab, immersive local learning, and other signature programs, HPA supports and empowers you to hone skills, build confidence, and create an impressive body of work for college and later life.

Welcoming, global community

If you choose to board at HPA, you’ll be in good company. Roughly 50 percent of our Upper School students live on campus. Some students come from as far as Nigeria or New York City; others are Hawai‘i residents who prefer the convenience (and fun) of dormitory life.

Boarding at HPA

Active, ambitious academics

What are you passionate about? Even if you don’t quite know what your “thing” is yet, we’re ready to help you explore. We believe a high school education should empower you to do real stuff in the real world. It should prepare you for the self-motivated work that universities expect and the ingenuity that future employers will demand.

Signature Programs

22 teams, 16 different sports

If you are a high school athlete looking for competitive, interscholastic play, you will find expert coaching and conditioning on our 22 athletic teams. HPA belongs to the Big Island Interscholastic Federation (24 member schools) and the Hawaii High School Athletic Association (96 member schools). Go Ka Makani!

Upper School Athletics

Outdoor program and unforgettable activities

On Hawai‘i Island, you can go from the snow-covered top of volcano at 13,803 feet (4,701 meters) to a white sands beach in a single day. We are surrounded by 11 of the world’s 13 climate zones; three active volcanoes (at a safe distance from campus); precious marine ecosystems; a dynamic mix of Hawaiian and world cultures; and limitless possibilities for outdoor fun.

Our Island

Recent College Destinations

No matter where your interests lie, we are here to help you find a college, university, or program that fits your learning style and supports your dreams. That could mean a high-profile, urban institution; an engineering institute; a small, rural, liberal arts college; film, art, or design school; a culinary program; an international gap year adventure—the world is open to you.