UH earns top global rankings in oceanography, atmospheric science

The University of Hawaii at Manoa earned high marks across nearly 20 disciplines in the 2025 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, with oceanography, atmospheric science and hospitality and tourism management emerging as its highest-ranked programs, according to a news release.

Oceanography placed No. 5 in the nation and No. 7 worldwide, while atmospheric science ranked No. 8 nationally and No. 11 globally. Hospitality and tourism management also performed strongly, landing at No. 12 in the U.S. and No. 32 in the world.

The rankings, released by Shanghai Ranking Consultancy, are widely regarded as one of the most comprehensive and objective assessments of university performance by academic discipline.

UH Manoa also posted solid national and international placements across science, engineering and the social sciences. Earth sciences tied for No. 17 in the U.S. and ranked between No. 51 and No. 75 globally. Ecology and public administration each tied for No. 24 nationally and placed in the No. 76–100 range worldwide.

Other UH Manoa subjects recognized in the 2025 rankings include communication, education, political science, water resources, biological sciences, civil engineering, food science and technology, environmental science and engineering, agricultural sciences, economics, management and physics.

“These rankings reflect the depth and consistency of excellence at UH Manoa,” Interim Provost Vassilis L. Syrmos said in a statement. “Our faculty are advancing research that matters locally and globally, while preparing students to address some of the most pressing challenges facing our world.”

UH Manoa was evaluated alongside about 2,000 universities from more than 100 countries and regions, selected from a global pool of over 25,000 institutions. The rankings consider factors including world-class faculty, research output and quality, research impact and international collaboration.