Criminal Justice Associate Degree Programs in Hawaii

Updated October 5, 2026

Hawaii has six schools offering a criminal justice associate degree, from Honolulu Community College to the University of Hawaii Maui College, with programs running roughly 60 to 63 credits over about two years. Hawaii has no conventional statewide police department; graduates typically start with a county police department or one of the state’s own law-enforcement and corrections agencies.

Hawaii’s island layout changes how criminal justice actually works here. There’s no conventional statewide police department; county police departments handle most local policing, while the state Department of Law Enforcement and its Sheriff Division handle statewide law-enforcement and security functions, and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation runs the state’s jails and prisons. An associate degree is one of the faster, cheaper ways into that system, though exact hiring requirements depend on the specific agency you apply to.

As a graduate, you’ll be trained for work in the courts, county police departments, and correctional facilities across the islands. Current research ties rising homelessness among women in Hawaii to domestic violence and assault (West Hawaii Today, 2016), a connection you’ll see show up in patrol calls and intake interviews more than in a textbook.

Ready to put in the work? Here’s where to start looking.

Featured Programs:

Criminal Justice Associate Programs in Hawaii

School availability varies by island, which is why online degree programs are worth a look if you’re not near a campus that offers what you want. Hawaii’s technical schools and community colleges run several associate tracks, including general criminal justice, administration of justice, and paralegal studies.

The finances and time commitment vary somewhat by school, but run in a fairly consistent range:

Timeframe: about 2 years, full-time
Credits: about 60 to 63 credits for the programs verified here; exact requirements vary by school
Average tuition cost per year: $3,664, per 2016 College Board data — the most recent state-by-state breakdown available in this file. Check your target school’s own net price calculator for a current number.

That timeframe makes an associate degree one of the more affordable ways to start, but you’ll still need to work through whatever curriculum your chosen school lays out. Compare programs directly rather than assuming they’re interchangeable.

If you study administration of justice, expect courses like:

Ethics in Public Services
Juvenile Justice
Constitutional Law
Criminal Law
Current Issues in Justice Administration

If your program includes or offers an internship, that’s often where hands-on experience turns into real professional connections once you start job hunting.

An associate degree can open up financial aid you’d need to access first to get into a program, including criminal justice scholarships. If you’re studying in Honolulu, the Honolulu Police Community Foundation scholarship is open to associate degree students too.

What You Can Do With a Criminal Justice Degree in Hawaii

Hawaii doesn’t have a conventional statewide police department, so your options run through county police departments, the state’s own law-enforcement and corrections agencies, and the airports where Transportation Security Screeners work the checkpoints. If your program includes an internship, that’s usually where those professional connections start.

Pay here tends to run above the mainland average. As of May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, a Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer in Hawaii earns a median $83,820 a year, and a Detective and Criminal Investigator earns $113,940. Hiring is holding steady for both: ProjectionsCentral‘s 2024-34 state projections put patrol officer openings up 4.3%, with about 200 openings a year, while detective positions stay nearly flat at 0.2% growth and 30 openings a year.

Transportation Security Screeners, who staff the checkpoints at Hawaii’s airports, earn a median $70,160 — one figure here worth a caution. ProjectionsCentral‘s 2024-34 Hawaii projection has that role contracting 4.8%, about 110 fewer positions than today, so don’t count on it as a growth path even though the pay looks competitive.

May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers and Detectives and Criminal Investigators, and Transportation Security Screeners. Long-term (2024-34) job growth projections from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, ProjectionsCentral. Figures reflect state-level data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed October 2026.

Where to Study Criminal Justice in Hawaii

Six institutions in Hawaii offer an associate-level program in a criminal-justice-family field, per U.S. Department of Education data. None is flagged as distance-only in that data, meaning all six are physically based on the islands — though that doesn’t mean every program is campus-only. Online availability varies by program: Chaminade University currently advertises its associate program as fully online as well as on campus, while other schools may offer only some individual courses online. Confirm format directly with the school.

Institution	City	Control	Program(s) Offered
Chaminade University of Honolulu	Honolulu	Private nonprofit	Criminal Justice
Hawaii Community College	Hilo	Public	Criminal Justice, Fire Protection
Hawaii Pacific University	Honolulu	Private nonprofit	Criminal Justice, Legal Support Services, Homeland Security
Honolulu Community College	Honolulu	Public	Criminal Justice, Fire Protection
Kapiolani Community College	Honolulu	Public	Legal Support Services
University of Hawaii Maui College	Kahului	Public	Criminal Justice

This reflects what each school reported to the Department of Education as of its most recent collection, not necessarily this year’s course catalog. Confirm current enrollment, program format, and admission requirements directly with each school before you apply.

School and program data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, institution file May 2025 and field-of-study file April 2025. Data accessed October 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a degree to become a police officer in Hawaii?

A college degree is not universally required for entry-level county police officer positions in Hawaii. Minimum education, testing, age, physical fitness, background, and academy requirements vary by county and department, so check the current posting for the agency where you intend to apply. Hawaii County, for example, specifies high-school equivalency plus age, driver’s license, firearms eligibility, and medical/physical requirements as part of its selection process.

How long does a criminal justice associate degree take in Hawaii?

Programs verified here run about 60 to 63 credits, typically completed in around two years full-time. Part-time students and those with an internship component should expect it to take longer, and exact requirements vary by school.

Can I complete my associate degree online if I live on a different island?

Online availability varies by program and isn’t guaranteed across the board. Chaminade University currently advertises its associate program as fully online as well as on campus; other schools may offer only some individual courses online, so confirm format directly with the school.

What jobs can I get with a criminal justice associate degree in Hawaii?

Entry-level roles with county police departments, the state’s corrections system, and airport security screening are the most common paths. Since Hawaii doesn’t have a conventional statewide police department, county agencies handle most local hiring, alongside the state Department of Law Enforcement.

Is financial aid available for criminal justice students in Hawaii?

Yes. Beyond standard state and federal aid, Honolulu-based students can apply for the Honolulu Police Community Foundation scholarship, and criminal justice-specific scholarships are available regardless of which island you study on.

Key Takeaways

Six schools, one credential track – from Honolulu Community College to Chaminade University, all offering an associate in a CJ-family field.
About two years, county-based hiring – roughly 60-63 credits, and hiring runs through county police departments and the state’s own law-enforcement and corrections agencies rather than one statewide police force.
Pay runs above the mainland average – but Transportation Security Screener openings are actually shrinking, so don’t bank on that one for growth.
Financial aid exists beyond federal programs – including a Honolulu-specific scholarship on top of standard criminal justice awards.

If paying for school is the real obstacle, go back to the scholarship options above, both the state and federal aid route and the local Honolulu Police Community Foundation award, before you start pricing out loans.

Looking for a Criminal Justice Associate Program in Another State?

Want the bigger picture? Read the full guide to Associate Degrees in Criminal Justice.