After spending 13 years at Punahou, my family will have spent roughly $339,071 on tuition alone. If that tuition money had been instead invested every year into the S&P 500, the value of the account would be about $913,032 by the time I graduate. Five years after graduation it would be $1,606,203. Ten years after graduation it would be $2,825,628. So, the big question: Is a Punahou education worth the price?
The Financial Side
Obviously, to make up for the “could’ve had” cash, Punahou’s return on investment (ROI) needs to be quite high. In April, the school released the results of a survey which detailed the experiences of nearly 2,300 alumni.
It’s difficult to assign a numeric value to education; however, when asked, “How did your Punahou education prepare you for career path/professional success,” 2% had no opinion, 10% said it did not contribute, 42% said it somewhat contributed, and 46% said it greatly contributed.
Based on this data, at least a part of career success for many Punahou graduates came from the school itself.
The Famed Alumni Network
From conversations with two Punahou alumni as part of that same survey, both seemed to emphasize something in common: that the network they built at Punahou has had a large impact on their career success and their personal happiness. More broadly, when alumni were asked about their relationship with friends made at Punahou, 51% continue to be close with many of them and maintain regular contact, 23% are in touch with these friends periodically (holidays, trips, etc.), 13% occasionally get updates from these friends, and 13% are no longer in contact with most friends from school. Additional survey questions explored broader alumni engagement:
“Have you reached out to fellow Punahou alumni for networking or career support?”
47% never, 26% rarely, 19% a few times, 8% frequently
“Have you been in touch with other Punahou alumni?”
3% never, 8% rarely, 23% a few times, 66% frequently
Punahou alumni seem to stay in touch, so the people you meet at Punahou just might be your best friend, co-worker, future spouse, or simply someone who can offer you your next big opportunity.
The Place of Opportunities
Punahou has produced senators and representatives, presidential appointees and local officials, military leaders, entertainment producers and performers, authors and journalists, CEOs and philanthropists, numerous cultural figures, and even a president!
However, it’s not just professional or networking success, Punahou dominates in sports as well. The school has participated in more than 530 total state championships, has a collection of star athletes including more than 30 Punahou Olympians, and hundreds of college athletes.
The Happiness Quotient
Besides the obvious benefits to a Punahou education, it’s worth considering some of the intangibles. The environment and culture at Punahou are that of a free-flowing river. Quite literally, rivers of green foliage flow throughout the campus along with impressive water features like the lily pond and the Kosasa kalo field. Besides the physical aspect, students are often described as “taking school seriously” but also having fun. There is a light religious presence with bi-monthly chapel sessions, but students are still encouraged to explore other faiths and traditions.
Not to mention the teachers, many of whom graduated from world-class universities and, in my experience, are always willing to help.
Bottom Line
In my opinion, going to Punahou feels like it has been beneficial. However, I think the value depends on how involved you are in pursuing your own version of success. Otherwise, personally, I would probably choose a cheaper school then take the returns from my investment ten years later.
A good rule of thumb is to commit to something while at Punahou, it can be anything, but again, it should be correlated to your version of success. For example, if your goal is to maximize your social experience, you should be having the maximum amount of fun and be involved in the maximum amount of activities you wouldn’t be able to do at another school. Another example is if your goal is to succeed in athletics, you should be hitting the field most days. And of course, if your goal is to succeed academically, you should be challenging yourself and studying hard.
Or maybe, try to do it all! Make a lot of friends, study significantly, and challenge yourself as much as you can. You never know. One day, the person sitting next to you could be your future boss, or the next Jeff Bezos.