UHCC System Ranks Among Nation’s Best

The University of Hawai‘i Community College system ranked among Top 25 in the nation. PC: University of Hawai‘i

The University of Hawaiʻi Community Colleges almost cracked the top 10 community college programs in the nation in a recent study, according to the WalletHub personal finance website’s 2019 Best & Worst Community-College Systems.

UHCC’s position of 13th in the Top 25 put it well above most programs across the country, a UH press release stated. A state had to have at least two community colleges to be considered.

WalletHub based its ranking on an analysis of data at the individual-school level across a sample of 710 institutions. The school evaluations were based on three key dimensions—cost and financing, education outcomes and career outcomes. Information was collected from the National Center for Education Statistics, CNBC, US Department of Education, Council for Community & Economic Research and College Measures.

“The UH Community Colleges are very proud to be an open-door, affordable and student-focused system providing all qualified people in Hawaiʻi with high-quality education and workforce training opportunities,” said Erika Lacro, interim vice president for community colleges. “The seven colleges have distinct missions and focus areas, while still managing to support community and industry needs.”

This is not the first time the UH Community Colleges system was nationally recognized. It was among the most affordable two-year public higher education institutions in the country, according to the 2016 College Affordability Diagnosis by the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.