Community Colleges
Community Colleges are a great option for students! Many McKinley HS students continue their education at Honolulu Community College and Kapiolani Community College to earn Associate's Degrees. Many go on to complete Bachelor's Degrees at UH-Manoa and other 4-year Universities across the state! More information can be found below! Announcements specific to HCC and KCC will also be posted here!
UHCC's Ranked 5th Best in the Nation!
The University of Hawaiʻi Community College system is ranked as the 5th best community college system in the United States by WalletHub. The UH community college system consists of seven community colleges statewide—Hawaiʻi CC, Honolulu CC, Kapiʻolani CC, Kauaʻi CC, Leeward CC, UH Maui College and Windward CC.
The personal finance website said the ranking was based on an analysis of the 2022’s Best & Worst Community Colleges, a sample of 677 institutions and 19 key metrics including tuition cost, transfer rates, student loan defaults and the presence of free community college education.
Connecticut, Maryland, New Mexico and Washington ranked No. 1–4, respectively out of the 41 states ranked. Nine state do not have community college systems.
Four-year schools cost three times as much as community colleges, according to WalletHub, which stated, “ Community colleges are an especially attractive option this year as many families deal with financial struggles caused by rising inflation and the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
UH offers the Hawaiʻi Promise Scholarship, which provides free in-state tuition for qualified UH Community College students with financial needs. Hawaiʻi Promise provides the “ last dollar” to cover direct education costs—such as tuition, fees and books—that are not met by other forms of financial aid.
ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
You are eligible to apply any one of the University of Hawai'i Community Colleges, if you:
- Are 18 years of age or older, or
- Have earned a high school diploma, GED or equivalency
When you are ready to apply, make sure to have ALL the information completed and/or available on this Application Worksheet.
FALL 2024 APPLICATIONS now OPEN!
REMINDER:
YOU CANNOT APPLY TO THESE PROGRAMS AS AN ENTERING FRESHMAN! These programs require that you take PREREQUISITE AND SUPPORT COURSES prior to applying!
Dental Assisting, EMT, Nursing, Medical Assisting, Medical Lab Tech, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiologic Technology, Respitory Care Practitioner, Mobile Intensive Care Technician.
Select LIBERAL ARTS as your major if you are interested in any of the above programs.
Written Instructions on how to submit an application to a UH Community College can be found HERE!
Kamaaiana App Student Flyer 2023 (2).pdf