Public · Community college
Kauai Community College
Lihue, Hawaii · Fringe rural
- 10%
- Transfer rate
- $10,436
- Avg net price
- 48%
- Grad / completion
- $36,868
- Median earnings
Kauai Community College is a public certificate-granting institution in Lihue, Hawaii (fringe rural setting), enrolling 716 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Lihue, Hawaii
Līhuʻe is an unincorporated community, census-designated place and the county seat of Kauaʻi County, Hawaii, United States. In ancient times, Līhuʻe was a small village. Līhuʻe means "cold chill" in the Hawaiian language. Līhuʻe is in the ancient district of Puna, the southeastern coast of the island, and the land division (ahupuaʻa) of Kalapaki. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Fringe rural
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 109 miles to Honolulu, HI
- To the ocean
- 3 miles
- Nearest airport
- 4 miles to Lihue (LIH) · major hub
How Kauai Community College compares
Higher than 34% · #6 of 12 in Hawaii
Higher than 25%
Higher than 56% · #6 of 9 in Hawaii
Cheaper than 69% · #7 cheapest of 11 in Hawaii
Lower than 42%
Lower than 78%
Larger than 68%
Percentiles compare Kauai Community College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Hawaii.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women47967%
- Men23733%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White12%
- Black0.8%
- Hispanic18%
- Asian26%
- Other or multiracial43%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 716
- Student–faculty ratio
- 11 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 25%
- First-generation students
- 50%
- Students over 25
- 21%
- Median family income
- $23,399
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $92,988
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 200 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Hawaii99%
- Other U.S. states1.0%
Most first-years stay in state — Kauai Community College draws overwhelmingly from Hawaii.
Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $3,252
- Out-of-state tuition
- $8,388
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $1,360
- Total cost of attendance
- $18,742
- Average net price
- $10,436
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 48%
- First-year retention
- 61%
- Transferred to another college
- 10%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $31,592
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $36,868
- Median debt at graduation
- $10,500
- Students with federal loans
- 2%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 45%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- $25
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- B
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.5 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 1
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 1
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,335 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 61% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $4,034. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 99 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $36,868
- Typical debt at graduation
- $10,500
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 28%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 45%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.8 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $8,428 (25%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 85°F
- Winter low
- 66°F
- Annual rain
- 36.2″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Lihue Wso AP 1020.1, HI US station (3.7 mi from campus).
What Kauai Community College graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Kauai Community College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Kauai Community College side by side →
Windward Community College
Kaneohe, Hawaii · Midsize suburb · 8 mi to Honolulu
- Students
- 1,159
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 12%
- Earnings
- $38k
Hawaii Community College
Hilo, Hawaii · Remote town · 212 mi to Honolulu
- Students
- 1,546
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 11%
- Earnings
- $35k
University of Hawaii Maui College
Kahului, Hawaii · Small city · 94 mi to Honolulu
- Students
- 1,700
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 8%
- Earnings
- $34k
Southern State Community College
Hillsboro, Ohio · Distant town · 47 mi to Dayton
- Students
- 761
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 13%
- Earnings
- $35k
Tennessee College of Applied Technology Northwest
Newbern, Tennessee · Distant rural · 80 mi to Memphis
- Students
- 717
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 7%
- Earnings
- $39k
Southern Arkansas University Tech
Camden, Arkansas · Distant rural · 81 mi to Little Rock
- Students
- 672
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 5%
- Earnings
- $36k
Colleges near Kauai Community College
Hawaii Tokai International College
Kapolei, HI · Private nonprofit · Associate · 24 students
University of Hawaii-West Oahu
Kapolei, HI · Public · Bachelor's · 2,519 students
Brigham Young University-Hawaii
Laie, HI · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 2,889 students
Leeward Community College
Pearl City, HI · Public · Associate · 3,438 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.








