Brigham Young University, Laie, Hawaii

Brigham Young University, Laie, Hawaii

BYU-Hawaii opened in September 1955 as the Church College of Hawaii in Laie, on the north shore of Oahu about 35 miles north of Honolulu. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had built a temple in Laie in 1919, and the school was planned afterward. The first class had 153 students and 20 faculty under Reuben D. Law. It became a four-year school in 1959, was accredited by 1961, was renamed BYU-Hawaii in 1974 as a campus of Brigham Young University, and became a separate institution in 2004. The 100-acre campus is owned and run by the Church, and all students take religion classes. Wikipedia lists 37 bachelor's programmes, a 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio and 2,836 students in fall 2023. Its Seasiders played NCAA Division II until athletics ended after spring 2017.

Key facts

• Founded: 1955
• Location: Laie, Hawaii
• Type: Private undergraduate university (LDS Church)
• Enrollment: ~2,836 (fall 2023)
• Known for: 37 bachelor's programmes; religion courses for all students