Kapi`olani Community College is named after Julia Kapi`olani Napela-Kapu-o-Kaka‗e, an ali`i or chiefess who was beloved by her people as Queen Kapi`olani. She and her husband, King Kalakaua, reigned from 1874 to 1891.  Kulia i ka nu`u, strive for the highest, was the motto she adopted for her royal seal. With pride and responsibility, Kapi`olani Community College has assumed the Queen‘s name and motto. The college‘s challenge is to perpetuate that heritage of excellence.   

The college started as a postsecondary technical school in 1957. Known then as Kapi`olani Technical School, it was administered by the Territorial Department of Public Instruction. (After statehood in 1959, the department was renamed the Department of Education.) The school was a consolidation of three occupational programs: hotel and restaurant, practical nursing, and business education.   

In 1965, the school was transferred to the University of Hawai`i System and renamed Kapi`olani Community College. Subsequently, the college has expanded its occupational offerings and added the Liberal Arts program, which allows students to undertake course work leading to a baccalaureate degree. It has also added the Continuing Education and Training program, which offers short-term continuing education courses. The college is located on a scenic 44-acre site in Honolulu, on the island of O`ahu. It is next to world-renowned Diamond Head Crater, about a mile from Waikiki Beach.