With all of the options you have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take when you want to pursue a college degree. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our Best Associate Degree Colleges in Hawaii ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
We analyzed 8 colleges and universities across Hawaii to determine which ones have the best associate degree programs. Instead of depending on subjective information to rank the best schools, we focus on objective factors in our analysis. More specifically, the following explains what we consider and why.
Higher Than Average Earnings
The average early-career salary of those graduating with a associate degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. A associate degree holder from a school in Hawaii makes an average starting salary of $37,980, but the students who attended schools in the top 7 of our list make an average of $42,589.
Starting Salary ( 30007 to 55554 )
Taking Out Student Loans
Another factor that we look at to determine a school's ranking is the average debt load that students take on while they are working on their associate degree.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients from schools in Hawaii have accumulated an average of $16,727 in student debt.
The average debt load at a particular school may not be bad, but it's an important thing to consider in conjunction with post-graduation earnings.
More Ranking Factors That Are Important
Our Best Associate Degree Schools considers other factors in addition to average post-graduation earnings and average student debt.
On a broad level, other factors that go into our rankings include such things as the demand of the school, the student body caliber, if the school has online options, and the educational resources provided by the school.
You may also want to narrow this list by location to find the best associate degree schools nearest you. In addition, we've put together a number of other college rankings that may help you in your search.
Our 2024 rankings named Honolulu Community College the best school in Hawaii in terms of overall quality for students working on their associate degree. Located in Honolulu, Hawaii, the small public school handed out 562 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $55,089 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by associate students is $10,663.
A rank of #2 on our Best Associate Degree in Hawaii list means Kapiolani Community College is a great place for students working on their degree. Kapiolani CC is a medium-sized public school situated in Honolulu, Hawaii. It awarded 857 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a associate degree from Kapiolani CC is $42,781 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $13,227 in student loans.
The excellent associate degree programs at Leeward Community College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in Hawaii. Leeward CC is a public institution located in Pearl City, Hawaii. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,038 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a associate degree from Leeward CC is $29,405 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $10,625 in student loans.
Out of the 8 associate degree schools in Hawaii that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Hawaii Maui College landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Kahului, Hawaii, the small public school handed out 407 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a associate degree from UH Maui College make an average of $47,986 per year during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by associate students is $14,929.
Out of the 8 associate degree schools in Hawaii that were part of this year’s ranking, Kauai Community College landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Lihue, Hawaii, the small public school handed out 124 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, associate degree graduates from Kauai CC make an average of $60,307 a year.
With a ranking of #6, Hawaii Pacific University did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in Hawaii list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Honolulu, Hawaii, and it awarded 70 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #7, Hawaii Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Schools in Hawaii list. Hawaii CC is a public institution located in Hilo, Hawaii. The school has a small population, and it awarded 362 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a associate degree from Hawaii CC go into careers with an average salary of $36,268 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by associate students is $10,220.
Windward Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Hawaii ranking. Windward CC is located in Kaneohe, Hawaii and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 247 associate degrees to qualified graduate students.
Those who receive a associate degree from Windward CC go into careers with an average salary of $26,285 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $11,384 in student loans.
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
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