The University of Hawaii at Manoa and UH Maui College are among the 50 best colleges and universities for summer school, according to CollegeChoice.net.

The higher education website determined the list considering tuition savings, smaller class sizes and increased class frequency, as well as each school’s surroundings.

UH-Manoa is at No. 12, and the website write-up cites academics and adventure, school and surf, and describes the campus as a place to take classes "amidst the natural beauty of Hawaii."

At No. 47, UH Maui College "is an idyllic place to spend a working summer," the website says, citing windsurfing at nearby Kanaha Beach Park, Kanaha Pond State Wildlife Sanctuary, the Maui Arts and Cultural Center, and other attractions and activities.

Topping the list is the University of California, San Diego in La Jolla Calif., the University of Colorado at Boulder, and third, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Growing numbers of college students are opting for summer enrollment for cost savings and to accelerate their graduation dates, according to J. Alder, CollegeChoice.net managing editor. "The idea behind this list is that if you’re planning to be in school during the summer, why not go to a place you’d want to be anyway?"

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