University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Business & Economics

What University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Business & Economics does

The College of Business and Economics (CoBE) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo is an AACSB-accredited academic unit within the University of Hawaiʻi state university system. Founded in 2004 and headquartered at 200 W. Kāwili St., Hilo, Hawaiʻi (College of Business and Economics Building, room 104), CoBE delivers undergraduate business education via a B.B.A. in Accounting, a B.B.A. in Business Administration with seven concentrations (General Business, Applied Economics, Finance, Health Care Management, Management, Marketing, and Professional Studies), an Economics minor, and standalone certificates in Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, Sustainable Tourism, and Business Analytics. The college emphasizes small class sizes, faculty with advanced degrees, and curricular integration of Hawaiian cultural context and sustainable business practices.

The college is directed by Todd Inouye and operates with approximately 7 listed personnel. It supports students through dedicated tutoring, internships, scholarships, a Dean's List, and a Go Global program, and sits on infrastructure shared with the parent university including the STAR student portal, Lamakū learning platform, MyUH, and the UH Email system. The only AI-adjacent asset documented is an internal AI Perceptions & Attitudes Survey dashboard, which is a research instrument rather than an operational AI product; no proprietary AI/ML capability, app, SDK, or API offering is disclosed.

CoBE's revenue model is that of a public state university academic department: funding flows from State of Hawaiʻi appropriations, tuition collected by the centralized UH Hilo admissions office, and gifts administered by the UH Foundation. There is no independent commercial revenue, no pricing model, no private equity or venture funding, and no disclosed financial line items. Student acquisition runs through the UH Hilo admissions office, Community College Transfer Partnerships for two-year college feeders, social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, YouTube), virtual events, and on-campus tours. CoBE reports no customers beyond its prospective and enrolled student body, no enterprise clients, no partnerships beyond CC transfer agreements, and no recent acquisitions, funding rounds, or leadership changes beyond the standing directorship.

Name

University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Business & Economics

Legal name

University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo

Website

https://business.uhh.hawaii.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The College of Business and Economics at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo is an AACSB-accredited public university business school offering B.B.A. degrees in Accounting and Business Administration plus certificates in Finance, Sustainable Tourism, and Business Analytics to students in Hilo, Hawaiʻi.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education - Business & Economics

NAICS

Business and Secretarial Schools (611410), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Venture Creation Centers (EDAHAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Finance, Accounting & Economics Schools (EDAHAHAD), Hospitality, Tourism & Sports Management Schools (within Business Schools) (EDAHAHAL)

Keywords

• Business education
• Undergraduate degrees
• Accounting programs
• Finance certificates
• Sustainable tourism

Headquarters

HQ city

Hilo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Business & Economics is an academic unit within a public state university that delivers business and economics higher education. It offers a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) in Accounting and Business Administration, minors in Economics, and certificates in Finance, Sustainable Tourism, and Business Analytics, serving both first-time freshmen and transfer students.

Product overview

The College of Business and Economics at University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo is an AACSB-accredited business school offering a portfolio of undergraduate degree programs and certificates. The college provides a B.B.A. in Accounting, a B.B.A. in Business Administration with seven concentration areas (General Business, Applied Economics, Finance, Health Care Management, Management, Marketing, and Professional Studies), a Minor in Economics, and standalone certificates in Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, Sustainable Tourism, and Business Analytics. The programs emphasize small class sizes, connections with the local business community, internships, and unique opportunities to learn about Hawaiian culture and sustainable business practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Hawaii Community College: Local community college in Hilo offering associate degrees and certificates in business. Most geographically proximate peer that competes for the same local student base and serves as a key transfer source.
• University of Hawai'i Maui College: Another UH System community college on a neighbor island offering business concentrations and transfer pathways. Comparable as a regional, lower-cost alternative for Hawaii residents who may opt for an associate-level credential.
• Brigham Young University - Hawaii: Private four-year university in Laie, Hawaii, offering undergraduate business and accounting programs with a faith-based mission. Comparable Hawaii-based competitor for both in-state and international students pursuing business degrees in the islands.

Emerging players

• Western Governors University - College of Business: National nonprofit online university offering accredited business bachelor's and master's degrees at a low, flat tuition. Represents the online/competency-based alternative that competes with CoBE for cost-sensitive and place-bound adult learners in Hawaii.
• University of the Pacific - Eberhardt School of Business: Small, AACSB-accredited business school at a regional private university offering undergraduate BBA programs with a similar small-cohort, community-engaged profile. Comparable as a similarly sized AACSB undergraduate business school.

Direct peers

• University of Hawai'i - West Oahu: Another UH System campus offering business administration concentrations to in-state undergraduates. Directly comparable peer sharing the same public-system funding model, geographic market, and student-recruitment channels.
• Hawaii Pacific University - College of Business: Private nonprofit university in Honolulu offering undergraduate and graduate business degrees, including AACSB-aligned programs. Direct competitor for Hawaii-resident and Pacific-region business students who might otherwise choose a private alternative.
• Chaminade University of Honolulu - School of Business and Communication: Private Honolulu university offering undergraduate business degrees with a focus on values-driven and community-engaged education. Comparable on size, mission orientation, and Hawaii-based competition for the same student demographic.
• University of Hawai'i at Manoa - Shidler College of Business: The flagship AACSB-accredited business school within the same University of Hawai'i system, also offering undergraduate and graduate business programs in Hawaii. Most directly comparable peer given overlapping accreditation, shared system, and similar geographic market.
• Kapi'olani Community College: UH System community college in Honolulu offering associate-level business concentrations and feeding transfers into CoBE via CC Transfer Partnerships. Functions as both an upstream feeder and a downstream competitor for two-year business credentials.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/uhhilo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbbkrwOZDbQunvU2ZBfKXTw
• Facebookfacebook.com/uhhilo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/uhh-cobe
• Instagraminstagram.com/uhhilo

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Business & Economics