The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa opened its fall semester with enrollment holding flat and tuition still among the cheapest for a flagship school — good news for local families.

• Enrollment held steady this year, while most mainland universities are seeing student numbers fall.
• In-state tuition runs about $11,000 for a full year, or $14,000 once fees are added.
• Strong support from the state legislature is what keeps tuition that low.
• The campus also pulled in another large round of outside research funding, money that flows into the wider state economy.
• Freshmen moved in and went through orientation last week; classes are now back in session across campus.

Outlook: Mānoa heads into the year betting that affordability and steady demand keep it insulated from the enrollment slump hitting schools on the mainland.