Best Community Colleges in Hawaii 2026
The best community colleges provide an effective springboard into higher education, offering students high-quality two-year degree programs in a wide range of disciplines. The top-rated community colleges in Hawaii offer a broad selection of associate’s degrees, affordable tuition rates, and strong partnerships with public four-year schools so that students can easily transfer their credits into accredited bachelor’s degree programs.
Key Takeaways
- Located in a diverse ecological environment, the best community colleges in Hawaii provide unique opportunities for hands-on learning in marine biology, volcanology, and environmental science, leveraging Hawaii’s rich natural resources.
- The colleges in our ranking often emphasize Hawaiian culture, language, and traditions within their curriculum, offering programs in Hawaiian studies and opportunities to engage in cultural practices, such as hula and traditional navigation.
- Many of the best community colleges in Hawaii offer strong transfer agreements with state universities, ensuring a seamless transition for students pursuing bachelor’s degrees while starting with affordable tuition and smaller class sizes.
Best Community Colleges in Hawaii in 2026
Choosing among Hawaii’s community colleges in 2026 means weighing academic quality, transfer pathways, and island-specific logistics. This list of 6 community colleges in Hawaii focuses on institutions that primarily grant associate degrees and that are most relevant for students seeking affordable credentials, clear routes to four-year schools, or workforce-ready technical training.
Below you’ll find concise profiles emphasizing program strengths, articulation agreements, campus locations, and factors that matter for in-state and returning adult students. If you prefer distance learning, see our page on the best online associate degrees in Hawaii for fully or partially remote options.
Best Community Colleges in Hawaii
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
24%
Student body
9K
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
28%
Student body
10K
Career Outlook for degree at Leeward Community College
Cost of Degree: $3,214Starting Salary: $37,500What is Leeward Community College known for?
Leeward Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
23%
Student body
5K
Career Outlook for degree at Honolulu Community College
Cost of Degree: $3,174Starting Salary: $40,600What is Honolulu Community College known for?
Honolulu Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
25%
Student body
4K
Career Outlook for degree at Windward Community College
Cost of Degree: $3,194Starting Salary: $32,400What is Windward Community College known for?
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
31%
Student body
3K
Career Outlook for degree at Hawaiʻi Community College
Cost of Degree: $3,204Expenses: $13,584Starting Salary: $30,300Cost Recoup Time: 11 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryTuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
37%
Student body
2K
2021 Ranking Archive
Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.
