Community college transfer in Hawaii
A complete guide to how to transfer from a community college to a university in Hawaii — including the state's 8 accredited community colleges, the major receiving universities, and the statewide articulation programs that govern credit transfer.
How transfer works in Hawaii
Two-year colleges in Hawaii serve as the primary on-ramp to a bachelor's degree for tens of thousands of in-state residents each year. The state's 8 accredited community colleges enroll a median of 8,718 students each, charge an average of $5,718 per year for in-state residents, and transfer roughly 36% of incoming degree-seeking students into a four-year institution within six years.
Like most U.S. states, Hawaii coordinates community-college-to-university transfers through a combination of statewide articulation agreements, common course-numbering schemes, and institution-specific transfer pathways. A student who completes the state's transfer-oriented associate degree — typically an AA or AS bearing a "transfer" or "university parallel" designation — usually receives junior standing at the receiving public university, with all general-education requirements considered satisfied.
Top receiving universities for Hawaii transfer students
The most common 2+2 destinations for community college students in Hawaii are the state's flagship and regional public universities. Each has a published transfer-admission policy with a minimum GPA, a credit-hour cap, and an application deadline distinct from the freshman cycle.
| University | System | Min transfer GPA | Application window |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Hawaii at Manoa | University of Hawaii System | 2.5 | Apr 1 (fall) / Sep 1 (spring) |
Costs and aid in Hawaii
Community college tuition in Hawaii averages $5,718 per year for in-state residents and $8,318 for out-of-state students. Most colleges layer the federal Pell Grant — worth up to about $7,400 per year for the lowest-income students — with state need-based aid, institutional scholarships, and federal Direct Loans where required. Roughly two of every three community college students in the state receive some form of grant aid, and a substantial minority pay nothing at all out of pocket for tuition once aid is applied.
The practical playbook is the same in every Hawaii city: pick a target four-year institution before you finish your first semester at the community college, find that school's articulation agreement on the receiving registrar's website, and lock in your course selections accordingly. Skipping this step is the single most common reason transfer students lose credit on the way to the bachelor's degree — surveys regularly find that around forty percent of transfer credit is wasted nationally, almost always because the student picked courses without checking the articulation table first.
Largest community colleges in Hawaii
Kauaʻi Community College
Hawaiʻi Community College
University of Hawaii
University of Hawaiʻi Maui College
Leeward Community College
Honolulu Community College
Plan your Hawaii transfer by program area
Each program-area page below combines Hawaii's state-specific articulation rules with the typical two-year coursework for that major. Use it to confirm prerequisites and the most common receiving universities for your intended bachelor's.
- Business Administration in Hawaii
- Nursing (RN) in Hawaii
- Computer Science in Hawaii
- Information Technology in Hawaii
- Engineering Transfer in Hawaii
- Early Childhood Education in Hawaii
- Criminal Justice in Hawaii
- Psychology in Hawaii
- Biology / Pre-Health in Hawaii
- Communications & Media in Hawaii
- Liberal Arts (General Studies) in Hawaii
- Hospitality & Culinary in Hawaii
- Welding & Skilled Trades in Hawaii
- Graphic Design in Hawaii
- Paralegal Studies in Hawaii
- Environmental Science in Hawaii
- Social Work in Hawaii
- Accounting in Hawaii