Public
Accredited · Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
Honolulu, Hawaii
Kapiolani Community College — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
$11,562Annual Cost
$44,599Grad Salary
17%Pell Grant
Selectivity
Open Enrollment
Institution Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
SAT Middle 50%
-40–30
Avg Net Price
$5,194
Need-Based Aid
17% receive Pell
Kapiolani Community College HI Kapiolani Community College is one of Hawaii's leading institutions for transfer education, hospitality management, healthcare, and culinary arts. Its location in Honolulu provides students with unique cultural and professional opportunities.\n\nThe college is particularly attractive to students interested in tourism, hospitality, nursing, and Pacific-region studies. Strong transfer pathways to the University of Hawaii system support continued educational advancement.
Kapiolani Community College Acceptance Rate
Admission at Kapiolani Community College is inclusive by design: 100% of applicants who meet basic eligibility are accepted.
What to Expect
- Eligibility First: A high school diploma or GED typically clears the main bar.
- Plan Ahead for Placement: Placement tests can shape which courses you start in — worth preparing for.
Selectivity at a Glance
Open Enrollment
Selectivity scale: Open Enrollment — rate not reported
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
A GPA a bit under the average isn't disqualifying at this tier — a solid test score or clear leadership record can offset it.
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Kapiolani Community College Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
Kapiolani Community College follows a Rolling Admissions policy, meaning applications are reviewed as they arrive and there is no single fixed deadline, though the priority deadline of December 15 is recommended for the best chances of admission and financial aid.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 136 days left — Rolling
Rolling Admissions — Apply Anytime
KCC reviews applications continuously throughout the year. Seats and scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so applying early gives you a significant advantage for both admission and financial aid.
Rolling
December 15
Rolling
May 1
Rolling
June 15
Rolling
August 1
💡 The scholarship deadline (FAFSA Priority: 2026/03/01) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
Check Your Admission Chances at KCC
Admission Chance Predictor
Built from Kapiolani Community College's own verified admissions data — adjust the sliders below
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Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
⚠️ Note: Predicting based on regional averages as this institution does not publicly report full score datasets.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
Kapiolani Community College (KCC) Test Requirements
Scores aren't just a formality at KCC — landing within or above the 2026 admitted class's middle 50% keeps you fully competitive, even where submission is optional.
Can I Get Into KCC Without SAT or ACT?
KCC's test-score policy isn't published. As a default, submit your score only if it's at or above the state/national average — a below-average score can work against you.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for KCC
Inclusive Strategy: Success & Transfer
Getting into KCC is the easy part — what matters next is using placement testing, advising, and available resources to set up a strong first year.
Select "Liberal Arts" as your declared major even if Nursing is your actual goal - a structural quirk of KCC's application system
Because Nursing is a "select" program requiring prerequisite completion before you can even apply to the program itself, KCC explicitly instructs prospective nursing students to choose LIBERAL ARTS - ASSOCIATE IN ARTS as their declared major on the general college application - declaring "Nursing" directly on your initial application is the wrong move and doesn't reflect how the program's application flow actually works. Confirm this specific major-selection instruction before submitting your general application, since choosing incorrectly doesn't just cause paperwork confusion, it can misroute your advising path entirely.
Take the ATI-TEAS at a physical testing center only - remote/at-home scores have been categorically rejected since 2022
Effective June 1, 2022, KCC's Nursing Department stopped accepting at-home-proctored ATI-TEAS scores entirely for both ADN and Practical Nursing programs; only in-person testing-center scores count now, with a specific note that exams from March 2020 onward under the old "Stay at Home" order were grandfathered but nothing since. Schedule your TEAS at an actual testing center from the start - don't assume remote/online options you may see referenced in older forum posts or outdated guides still apply.
Understand the "best qualified" ranking formula precisely: GPR, TEAS percentile, and co-requisite completion, with Hawaii residents considered first for Practical Nursing
KCC's Practical Nursing program explicitly ranks "best qualified" applicants using a points formula combining prerequisite GPR, ATI-TEAS percentile score, and completed co-requisite courses - with Hawaii residents for tuition purposes considered first, before non-resident qualified applicants are considered at all. If you're not a Hawaii resident, understand you're in a genuinely secondary consideration pool for PRCN specifically, and maximize every other scored factor to compensate; the ADN program uses a similar but distinct point structure with health-related work experience given "extra consideration."
If culinary arts interests you, know KCC is nationally recognized and ACFEF-accredited - reference this specific credential
KCC's culinary program holds accreditation from the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation (ACFEF), the leading national accrediting body for culinary education, and is described as one of KCC's most locally and nationally recognized programs alongside its health sciences and EMS offerings. Naming the ACFEF accreditation specifically in program-related outreach or personal statements - rather than generic "I love cooking" language - signals genuine research into what makes this program credentialed and respected within the industry.
Expert Insight:
Because KCC's general admission is fully open (100% acceptance) and the college's marketing emphasizes accessibility, applicants can underestimate how tightly regulated the nursing application timeline is. TEAS scores expire after exactly 3 years, retakes are only permitted every 90 days (with early retakes before that window counted as invalid, not just discounted), and an official ATI-TEAS report must arrive directly from ATI to KCC's Nursing Department by the application deadline - a self-reported or student-submitted-only copy renders the application incomplete regardless of the actual score. Missing this direct-reporting requirement is a common, entirely avoidable way strong applicants get marked incomplete.
KCC Profile
Full Name
Kapiolani Community College (KCC)
City
Honolulu
State
Hawaii
ZIP Code
96816-4421
Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (WASCJC)
Is a KCC Degree Worth It?
Whether KCC is worth it depends less on its reputation and more on your program choice, financial aid package, and career goals — here's the data to weigh it against.
Admitted students' families report a median household income around $67,600, and graduates see a 3.66% unemployment rate.
How much does a degree from KCC Cost?
Listed tuition runs $11,562/year at KCC; factor in Pell and federal grant aid and most students land closer to $5,194.
At KCC, 17% receive a Pell Grant and 7.1% carry federal loans. Filing FAFSA early and naming KCC on it improves your shot at both.
How much does a KCC Graduate earn?
Ten years out from enrollment, KCC graduates report a median income of $44,599, about 10% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Degree Programs at KCC
Associate Degree Programs
UG Certificate or Diploma Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About KCC Admissions
Kapiolani Community College graduates earn a lower median salary of $44,599/year, especially outside technical fields.
Tuition at Kapiolani Community College is relatively affordable, around $11,562/year.
17.0% receive a Pell Grant here, below the ~35% national average — Kapiolani Community College skews toward higher-income students, though merit aid may still be worth checking.
Kapiolani Community College's deadline is December 15 (Rolling). Rolling Admissions applies too, so earlier is always better.
For priority financial aid consideration, get your FAFSA in before FAFSA Priority: 2026/03/01 — that's Kapiolani Community College's scholarship priority date.
Transferring in is a well-trodden path here. Line up your transcripts, recommendations, and a strong personal statement before applying.
The biggest levers are academic performance, a clear extracurricular focus, and essays that stand out — plus a solid test score where the school considers one.