Punahou School
Hawaiʻi School Guide ｜ Written by: Academia Tutor School Editorial Team / Supervised by: Yamahi
- Private school, kindergarten through Grade 12, in Honolulu. Founded in 1841, with more than 3,700 students.
- Main entry grades: kindergarten, Grade 4 (+50 students), Grade 6 (+88), Grade 7 (+80) and Grade 9 (+80). Other grades open only when a seat becomes available.
- Next deadline: Grades 6–12 apply by Sunday, November 1, 2026 (for 2027–28).
- Tuition 2026–27: $34,230, with more than $11 million in need-based financial aid each year.
Basic information
Campus photos
Photos: Academia Tutor School (2023–2024).
Which grades can you enter?
- Kindergarten is the largest entry point. For 2027–28, children born June 1, 2021 – July 31, 2022 are eligible (for 2028–29: June 1, 2022 – July 31, 2023).
- Grade 4: 50 new students join, making a grade of about 200 in eight classrooms.
- Grade 6: 88 new students join (about 280 in the grade). Grade 7: 80 more.
- Grade 9: 80 new students join the Academy.
- Grades 1–3, 5, 8 and 10–12: openings depend on attrition (students leaving). According to Punahou, Grade 5 applicants are families who applied for Grade 4 the year before and were wait-pooled.
2027–28 admissions timeline
ApplicationFinancial aidDocuments & sessionsDecisions
Applications for grades 6–12 are due on a Sunday (Nov. 1), so submit a few days early. For Grades 9–11, Punahou asks for both the SSAT and the Character Skills Snapshot — register for both well before December.
Tuition and financial aid
- Tuition for 2026–27: $34,230.
- Punahou offers more than $11 million in need-based financial aid each year.
- Financial aid deadlines for new applicants (2027–28): Grades K–5 Oct. 23, 2026 (passed); Grades 6–12 Nov. 30, 2026. Punahou says meeting the deadline matters most — details can be updated once official documents are ready.
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 and group interviews, cooperative group activities like Punahou’s Saturday sessions, and the vocabulary, listening and reasoning tasks used 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
Punahou School, “About,” “The Punahou Journey,” “Applying to Punahou: Kindergarten – Grade 3, Grades 4 – 5, Grades 6 – 8, Grades 9 – 12,” “Tuition and Financial Aid,” “History of Punahou,” and the Grades 1–3 applicant checklist. Information as of October 24, 2026. Details change every year — always confirm with Punahou’s admission office. Academia Tutor School is not affiliated with Punahou School.
