Community Colleges in Hawaii - Getting a College Education on Maui, Oahu, Kauai, and Hawaii (The Big Island)

Attending college in Hawaii is a dream come true for many students. With average temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees every single day of the year, these tropical islands are considered by many to be one of the most desirable locations in the world. The white sandy beaches, blue skies, palm trees, clear water, beautiful landscapes, and daily rainbows make Hawaii one of the top destinations of all time.

The cost of living in this tropical paradise is much higher when compared to that of the United States mainland. Knowing this fact, it should be no surprise that Hawaii education can be expensive. One option for obtaining a more affordable education is to attend trade, junior or community colleges in Hawaii instead of private universities. There are actually several options for attending community colleges in Hawaii.

This 50th State of the U.S. is actually made up of 8 islands. The 4 commonly recognized and most populated major islands of Hawaii are Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii (also known as “The Big Island”). Educational facilities can be found on each of the main islands. (The other lesser known islands are Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Niihau.)

Community Colleges in Hawaii, by Island

Community colleges in Oahu are the most abundant. Since Oahu (especially the city of Honolulu) contains such a high percentage of Hawaii’s population, it makes sense that there are many schools there. There are at least 14 different community college to choose from. Oahu contains four community colleges created by the of the University of Hawaii: Honolulu Community College, Kapiolani Community College on Diamond Head Road, Leeward Community College in Pearl City, and Windward Community College in Kaneohe.

Honolulu is also home to Hawaii Tokai International College (HTIC) and a division Remington College that offers a wide selection of associate degrees. There are 3 University of Phoenix locations on Oahu (two of them are learning centers), a school that specializes in medical assisting called Med-Assist School of Hawaii, and a Wellness Institute that offers courses in wellness counseling and life coach certification.

The schools of Heald College, Wayland Baptist University (Hawaii campus), and Hawaii Pacific Univeristy are located on the island of Oahu as well. While these are not true community or junior colleges, they do offer several choices for pursuing 2 year associate degrees.

The Big Island has 2 choices for community college institutions. The well known Hawaii Community College is located in Hilo near the main campus of the University of Hawaii. Also on the Big Island in Kailua-Kona is the Univerisity of the Nations where you can an associate degree in 6 different fields.

The beautiful island of Maui is home to The Univeristy of Hawaii Maui College, located in the large town of Kahului.

Kauai, this oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands, also has only one school to offer. Kauai Community College, located in Lihue, is another division of the University of Hawaii.