Honolulu Community College — Main Campus

Dillingham Boulevard places Honolulu Community College in Kalihi-Pālama, a working, largely urban district between the downtown core and the airport side of the island. The main campus is the college’s broad academic base; three additional Honolulu CC training locations specialize in aviation maintenance, automotive and diesel technology, and marine training. The college traces its roots to the Territorial Trade School established in 1920, later became part of the University of Hawaiʻi system, and now lists 78 degrees, certificates and credentials. Its program menu ranges from liberal arts and natural sciences to nursing-related fields, fashion, cosmetology, cybersecurity, construction, electrical work, fire response, refrigeration, welding and transportation technology. The campus decision is practical: verify the program’s actual teaching address before arranging a commute.

Admission begins through the University of Hawaiʻi application, followed by Honolulu CC’s own enrollment checklist, residency documentation, placement and advising steps. The institution is open-admission, but selective programs such as health and technical sequences can have prerequisites, separate applications or limited entry. Placement tools help select an appropriate starting course; they are not a substitute for program admission. New students should contact Admissions and Records early, send official transcripts when requested and meet an adviser before choosing a credit load. The admission overview and application steps are the right starting point.

For 2026–27, Honolulu CC publishes undergraduate tuition of $131 per credit for Hawaiʻi residents and $345 for nonresidents. At 12 credits, that is $1,572 or $4,140 in tuition for one semester, before the listed student fees, books, supplies, program charges, transportation and living costs. The college’s full-time cost-of-attendance estimates are much higher because they include housing, food, transport and personal expenses; those are planning budgets rather than a bill from the college. Residency classification and course level matter, so students should use the current fee schedule and request an individual estimate. Check current tuition and fees and the 2026–27 cost-of-attendance budget before registering.

Financial aid may include federal and state grants, work-study, loans and scholarships. The college’s FAFSA code is 001612. Hawaiʻi Promise can help eligible students at University of Hawaiʻi community colleges with remaining tuition costs after other aid is applied; it has its own eligibility, filing and satisfactory-academic-progress requirements. Honolulu CC also points students to UH Foundation and community scholarships, including options for Native Hawaiian students. Apply for aid even while comparing programs, and follow the financial-aid office’s dates: filing FAFSA does not guarantee a grant or scholarship. Start with Honolulu CC financial aid and complete the UH system application.

English learners have two distinct routes. The credit-bearing ESL sequence develops academic reading, writing and grammar through three levels and can take up to three semesters, depending on placement and progress. HELLO is a separate noncredit option for adult English learners who want to build workplace skills or prepare to apply to college; completion of advanced HELLO may support entry to credit study without a separate English test, subject to the college’s rules and instructor recommendation. Residents can begin by contacting the ESL coordinator; international applicants have additional admission and visa requirements. The college’s ESL and HELLO pathways explain placement and who each program serves.

An associate degree commonly requires about 60 credits and is often planned across two years at a full-time pace, but the calendar depends on course sequence, prerequisites, availability and the student’s schedule. Honolulu CC’s catalog includes transfer-oriented AA study and applied associate programs tied to Hawaiʻi employers. Many technical certificates are shorter; the catalog, rather than a general two-year estimate, is where each program’s credits and course order are specified. Academic advising can help distinguish a transfer plan from a direct-to-workforce credential and confirm whether labs meet at Dillingham or another site. Use the 2026–27 catalog alongside the program finder.

Daily logistics shape the choice. The campus sits along Dillingham Boulevard and is served by city bus service; visitors should check the current route and stop with TheBus before leaving. Driving is possible, but the college requires a permit or pass for every vehicle. Visitor parking is limited and time-restricted, and longer visits require a special pass; students apply for a term permit. The main campus map identifies Admissions, financial aid, the library, learning support, labs and the technical-training areas. A route to a different HonCC site may be substantially longer, so use the location-specific profiles below instead of treating all programs as if they met at Dillingham.

The four linked Honolulu CC profiles distinguish the Main Campus from the Airport Training Center, Automotive Technology and Diesel Mechanics site, and Marine Education and Training Center. Kapiʻolani Community College, Leeward Community College and Windward Community College are separate institutions in the same statewide two-year college system, each with its own program list and student services. These distinctions help applicants choose a campus based on the credential and course location, not just the nearest mailing address.