University of Hawaiʻi Maui College began in 1931 as Maui Vocational School, with a focus on practical education for the island's workforce. It later operated as Maui Community College before adopting its current name in 2010.
The name change reflected a broader academic role: the college offers associate degrees and certificates as well as a limited number of bachelor's degrees. It remains part of the University of Hawaiʻi system, but it is a distinct institution from the system's campuses on Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island. That history helps explain its combination of career-focused programs, transfer pathways, and applied bachelor's study.
University of Hawaiʻi Maui College organizes its academics around programs rather than a large set of separately named schools. Students can pursue certificates, associate degrees, and selected bachelor's degrees across career and transfer-oriented fields.
Representative areas include nursing and other health fields, culinary arts, hospitality and tourism, business, technology, and liberal arts. Its applied bachelor's offerings include Applied Business and Information Technology, Engineering Technology, and Sustainable Science Management. The specific credential matters: a liberal arts associate degree may be designed with transfer in mind, while an applied degree may have a more prescribed course sequence and different transfer implications.
Applicants to fields involving clinical placements, specialized equipment, or sequenced courses should review that program's current catalog entry separately from the college's general admission rules. Entry to the college does not by itself establish eligibility for every major.
University of Hawaiʻi Maui College's main campus is in Kahului, on Maui. Its location makes it accessible to many central Maui residents, although travel time and transportation costs can be significant for students coming from other parts of the island.
The college also serves communities beyond its Kahului campus through education centers and other course-delivery arrangements. Students considering a particular location should check where required classes actually meet; a program offered by the college is not necessarily available in full at every site. Kahului Airport is nearby, which may be useful for interisland travel, but day-to-day attendance generally requires a workable local transportation plan.
University of Hawaiʻi Maui College describes its mission in terms of access to higher education, student learning, and meeting the educational and workforce needs of Maui County. Its academic mix reflects that stated purpose: students can begin college-level study, prepare for employment, or work toward transfer and selected bachelor's credentials.
The college's stated priorities also emphasize Native Hawaiian learning and community connections. Prospective students can assess how those commitments apply to them by looking at a specific program's curriculum, support services, and opportunities to learn in the local community. A mission statement expresses institutional goals; it is not, on its own, evidence of a particular student outcome.
Name of the institution
University of Hawaii Maui CollegeLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PublicSetting type
City: SmallInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, not primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
1,000 - 4,999School type
Four-year collegeMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
SemestersFoundation year
1967University of Hawaii Maui College is institutionally accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Certificate of less than 1 year
Certificate of at least 1 year, but less than 2 years
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degreeData last updated on November 2, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.