ʻIolani School
Hawaiʻi School Guide ｜ Written by: Academia Tutor School Editorial Team / Supervised by: Yamahi
- Co-ed, college-preparatory school, kindergarten through Grade 12, in Honolulu, in the Episcopal tradition. About 2,300 students; founded in 1863. Day and boarding programs.
- Entry grades: kindergarten (about 96 places), Grade 6 (about 80), Grades 7–8 and Grade 9 (about 50 each); Grades 10–11 only as space allows. Grades 1–5 are not entry points.
- Next deadline: Grades 6–11 apply by Sunday, November 15, 2026 (for 2027–28). The kindergarten deadline (Oct. 15) has passed.
- Tuition 2026–27: $32,890 (day, K–12). About 23% of students receive financial aid.
Basic information
Which grades can you enter?
- Kindergarten: four classrooms of 24 (about 96 children). For 2027–28, children born June 1, 2021 – August 31, 2022 are eligible (for 2028–29: June 1, 2022 – August 31, 2023).
- Grade 6: about 80 new students, for a grade of about 175.
- Grades 7–8 and Grade 9: ʻIolani’s admission page lists 50 openings in total for Grades 7 and 8, and 50 for Grade 9 (the Grades 7–11 checklist says about 60 for Grades 7–8).
- Grades 10–11: only as space allows; they are not traditional entry points. Grades 1–5 are not entry points.
- Boarding: for 2027–28, ʻIolani accepts boarding applications for Grades 9, 10 and 11.
2027–28 admissions timeline
ApplicationFinancial aidInterviews & documentsDecisions & enrollment
Grades 6–11 must take the SSAT (ʻIolani’s code is 4144), and results are due Jan. 31 — register by mid-January at the latest. The Grades 6–11 deadline (Nov. 15) is a Sunday, so submit a few days early. Off-island applicants for Grades 6–11 are interviewed by Zoom.
Tuition and financial aid
- Day tuition for 2026–27: $32,890 for kindergarten through Grade 12, plus a $525 technology fee. Books are included through Grade 6.
- Boarding for 2026–27: $74,000 for tuition and boarding.
- ʻIolani’s 2026–27 financial aid budget is $9 million, and about 23% of students receive aid. Applications go through Clarity (the portal opens to new families Dec. 1, 2026) and are due Feb. 15, 2027. ʻIolani says applying for aid does not affect the admission decision.
- Financial aid is not available to international students in the boarding program.
Applying from outside Hawaiʻi
- F-1 visa: ʻIolani is SEVP-approved and can enroll students on an F-1 visa.
- Day program: an international student in the day program must live with at least one parent full time.
- Boarding (Grades 9–12): students from the neighbor islands, the U.S. mainland and abroad live in the residence hall. Applicants whose first language is not English take the TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test in addition to the SSAT.
How Academia Tutor School can help
Our Private School Entrance Exam Prep program prepares children for the parts of admission that are hard to practice at home: one-on-one interviews, group sessions like ʻIolani’s Saturday activities, writing samples, and the vocabulary, listening and reasoning skills tested in assessments. Lessons run Monday to Friday after school, private or in groups of up to five. In 2026, our students were admitted to 23 schools.
No tutoring program can promise admission, and we do not. Our goal is for your child to walk in calm and ready to show who they are.
Related: Hawaii private school application deadlines for 2027–28 · Hawaiʻi School Guide
Sources
ʻIolani School, “About,” “History,” “Admission,” “Day Admission,” “Boarding Admission,” “Day Student Tuition,” “Boarding Tuition and Financial Aid,” “Financial Aid,” the 2027–28 admission checklists (Kindergarten, Grade 6, Grades 7–11) and the 2026–27 Family Handbook. Information as of October 24, 2026. Details change every year — always confirm with ʻIolani’s admission office. Academia Tutor School is not affiliated with ʻIolani School.
