
Pima Community College provides convenient and affordable education opportunities to people from all backgrounds. Pima Community College's goal is to accommodate everyone, whether they are first-time students, business-training, returning, continuing or transferring students. Pima's university transfer partnerships provide a solid beginning for pursuing a bachelor's degree.
Pima offers small classes, low tuition, convenient schedules with daytime, evening or weekend classes, and many locations. Pima also offers alternative-style course delivery methods for more flexibility, including Web/online classes. There is also an Honors Program for students who wish to pursue a more challenging program.
History
Pima Community College was founded in 1969 with a mission to "provide access to learning without the limits of time, place or distance."
Academics
Pima Community Colleges offers a year-round academic calendar with fall, spring and summer semesters. It has both credit and non-credit continuing education classes, and special credit courses that span all terms of the academic year.
The Alternative-style classes offered at Pima provide various options such as self-paced classes, express or accelerated formats, online courses, open entry/open exit classes, and more.
Colleges and Schools
Pima Community College's different departments, programs and schools include:
- Arts, Humanities & Communication
- Business Careers
- Computer Information Technology
- Education Careers
- Health-Related Professions
- Public Safety Careers
- Science & Engineering
- Social Sciences
- Trade Professions
- General Studies
- Transfer Programs
- General Education Requirements
Student Life
Pima Community College provides a range of resources to its students for staying healthy and happy on campus. The college has worked with various agencies in Tucson to create quality fitness and recreational facilities for students and the general community. Various athletics fields, courts and facilities are available on Pima campuses for recreational sports.
The Westside Health Clinic on Pima's West Campus provides patient education, immunizations, exams and management of chronic or acute health issues. First Aid is available at the Department of Public Safety offices on each campus.
Academic support services include testing, tutoring, advising, counseling, computer facilities, graduation requirements and information on transcripts, financial aid and transferring in or out of Pima.
Athletics
Pima Community College offers many intercollegiate sports competitions, and all are open to the public. Pima's Aztec sports teams participate in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference.
Pima athletics "Aztec" teams sponsor many youth camps and clinics in the local area.
Pima's West Campus has facilities available for public use, including an outdoor track, tennis courts, and racquetball courts.
Pima intercollegiate sports teams include the following:
- Baseball
- Men's Basketball
- Women's Basketball
- Men's and Women's Cross Country
- Football
- Men's Golf
- Women's Golf
- Men's Soccer
- Women's Soccer
- Softball
- Men's Tennis
- Women's Tennis
- Men's and Women's Track and Field
- Women's Volleyball
Satellite Campuses
Pima Community College has six campuses and learning centers.
- Community Campus
- Desert Vista Campus
- Downtown Campus
- East Campus
- Northwest Campus
- West Campus
Learning / Education Centers
Each campus offers something a little different.
Community Campus is large, with more than 800 adjunct faculty and more than 100 satellite locations to reach more than 40,000 students annually.
Pima Community College's Desert Vista Campus has a 60-acre campus in Southwest Tucson on Valencia Viejo, the 1,700-year-old archaeological site of the Hohokam people. This campus offers developmental education, transfer and occupational programs. This campus has an accredited childcare center.
Downtown Campus is centrally located in the Tucson metropolitan area, and offers business-training programs that lead to direct employment, or university transfer programs and continuing education classes. A range of educational programs are offered at this site, including computer-aided drafting, interior design, interpretation and translation studies, fraud examination and paralegal programs. There are also support services.
East Campus is a smaller campus and an oasis in the Sonoran Desert, offering quality programs in general education, university transfer or business-training and developmental education. This campus's range of workforce degrees provides targeted job training.
Northwest Campus is situated on 50 beautiful acres in northwest Tucson, and features a well-reputed hotel and restaurant-management program, along with its other educational programs.
West Campus near central Tucson is the oldest and largest in Pima Community College's six-campus system. Surrounded by the Sonoran Desert, students attending this campus can use the hiking trails, shaded sitting areas and landscaped courtyards. This campus provides courses for health-related careers with classroom work and real-world training. Other programs and subjects are also available, and the Center for the Arts is a popular community attraction.
Pima also has Education Centers and Adult Education Learning Centers throughout the metropolitan Tucson area:
- Northeast Education Center
- Southeast Education Center
- Davis Monthan Air Force Base Education Center
- Green Valley Community Learning Center
Pima's Distance Education program also offers a wide range of courses online.
Community Life
In addition to credit programs, the College offers non-credit personal interest classes, adult basic education services, children's programs, childcare facilities and community access to its libraries.
Pima offers a wide variety of performing arts events that provide cultural opportunities for students and the community.
Pima Community College's Center for the Arts, located on the West Campus, is a complex of theaters and galleries with performances and showings open to students and the public.
Estimated Costs & Financial Aid
The average "out of pocket" cost of attendance, after any grants and scholarships are considered, is around $2,700. In order to calculate a more accurate and detailed cost of attendance check out their cost calculator here. The figures listed below are for informational purposes only and do not represent current or future tuition, fees, and expenses.
Tuition & Fees Information
- Tuition estimates per year:
- State Residents: $1,800-$2,200
- Out-of-State: $8,400-$10,140
- Charges for part-time students are:
- State Residents: $76-$91 per credit unit
- Nonresidents: $350-$420 per credit unit
Financial Aid Details
The table below breaks down the types of financial aid, the percent of students receiving aid, and average amount of aid per student per year.
Percent of Students | Average Amount | |
---|---|---|
Any Financial Aid | 66% | - |
Receiving Grants & Scholarships | 59% | $4,679 |
Receiving Student Loans | 12% | $3,104 |
Admissions, Academics, & Student Services
Student Services
To support students and graduates, Pima Community College may offer services like those listed below:
- Online course work available
- Night and weekend classes available
- Remedial instructional courses
- Academic counseling for students
- Employing students to lower education costs
Graduation & Transfer Rates
Many community colleges are not only a source of technical or career training but also a stepping stone for students to transfer-out to a 4-year college, therefore we have included both graduation and transfer rates below and how this school compares against other community colleges in Pima County and the community colleges in Arizona as a whole.
Pima Community College | Pima County | Arizona | |
---|---|---|---|
Graduation Rate | 6.8% | 13.2% | 14.1% |
Transfer-out Rate | 21.4% | 21.4% | 27.9% |
Specialized Programs & Accreditations
Campus: Pima Community College
- Dental Assistant Program
- Accredited by the American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation (since 1972)
- Dental Hygienist Program
- Accredited by the American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation (since 1991)
- Dental Laboratory Technician Program
- Accredited by the American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation (since 1977)
- Associate's Degree in Nursing (ADN) Program
- Accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. ? May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (since 1981)
- Find all the other nursing programs in Arizona
- Radiology Technician Program
- Accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (since 1973)
Campus: Pima County Community College District - West Campus
- Radiology Technician Program
- Accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (since 1973)
Programs Offered
The program list below is organized by areas of study. The programs that have a link will direct you to the program's profile page where you can learn more about education requirements and career pathways.

Get more information about the programs offered by Pima Community College by clicking the request information to the right.
(C) Certificate or Award | (A) Associate's | (B) Bachelor's | (M) Master's Degree | (D) Doctorate (PhD,...)
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
- Biotechnology (C)
Business and Marketing Studies
- Commerce (A)
- Accounting (A, C)
- Hospitality Administration and Management (A, C)
- Business Administration (C)
- Administrative Assistant (A, C)
- Human Resources (C)
- Bookkeeping (C)
- Business Operations Support and Secretarial Services (C)
- Logistics and Supply Chain Management (A, C)
- Customer Service Management (C)
- Retail Management (C)
- Fashion Merchandising (A, C)
- General Office Occupations and Clerical Services
- Tourism and Travel Services Management
- Insurance
- Business, Management, Marketing and Related Support Services
Communication Technology
- Communications Technology (C)
Communications and Journalism
- Multimedia (C)
- Radio and Television (C)
Computer and Information Sciences
- Computer Networking (A)
- System Administration (C)
- Computer Systems Analyst (A, C)
- Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (C)
- Data Processing Technology
Construction Trades
- Electrical and Power Transmission Installation (C)
- Property Management (A, C)
- Electrical and Power Transmission Installers (C)
Education
- Elementary Education (C)
- Early Childhood Education (A, C)
- Education (A, C)
- Special Education (C)
- Special Education and Teaching (C)
- Physical Education (C)
- Bilingual and Multilingual Education
- Teacher Education and Professional Development
Engineering
- Pre-Engineering (A)
Engineering Technology
- Architectural Drafting cad (A, C)
- Cad Drafting (C)
- Environmental Engineering Technology and Environmental Technology
- Mining and Petroleum Technologies
- Computer Engineering
- Computer Aided Design (CAD)
- Electrical Drafting and Electrical cad
Ethnic Cultural and Gender Studies
Family and Consumer Sciences
- Child Development (A, C)
Foreign Languages and Literature
- Language Interpretation and Translation (A, C)
- Sign Language Interpretation and Translation (A)
Health and Clinical Professions
- Nursing (A)
- Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) (A, C)
- Nursing Assistant (C)
- Health Management and Clinical Assistant (C)
- Health Aide (C)
- Veterinary Assistant (A, C)
- EMT & Paramedic (A, C)
- Clinical Social Work (A, C)
- Health and Medical Administrative Services (C)
- Health Information and Medical Records Technology (A, C)
- Radiologic Technology (A)
- Dental Assistant (C)
- Dental Hygienist (A)
- Pharmacy Technician (A, C)
- Respiratory Therapy (A)
- Mental Health Technician (C)
- Somatic Bodywork (A, C)
- Phlebotomy (C)
- Dental Laboratory Technology (A, C)
- Medical Lab Technician (A)
- Surgical Technologist (C)
- Health Preparatory Programs (C)
- Clinical Research Coordinator (A)
- Medical Laboratory Assistance (C)
- Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (C)
- Medical Office Assistant
- Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
- Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention and Treatment Professions
- Histologic Technician
- Pre-Dentistry Studies
- Pre-Pharmacy Studies
- Pre-Veterinary Studies
- Pre-Nursing Studies
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences
Legal Professions and Studies
- Paralegal (A, C)
- Legal Administrative Assistant (C)
Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Liberal Arts (A, C)
- General Studies (A)
Mechanic and Repair Technology
- Industrial Electronics Technology (A, C)
- Aircraft Powerplant Technology (C)
- Auto Mechanic (A, C)
- Aircraft Mechanic (A)
- Avionics Maintenance Technology (C)
- Electrical Equipment Installation and Repair (A)
- Heating and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
Personal and Culinary Services
- Restaurant and Catering Management (A, C)
- Baking And Pastry (C)
- Culinary Arts (C)
- Food Preparation and Professional Cooking
Precision Production
Public Administration and Social Services
Recreation and Fitness Studies
- Sports Medicine (C)
Security and Protective Services
- Criminal Justice (A)
- Fire Science (A, C)
- Forensic Science (C)
- Police Science (A, C)
- Corrections Officer
- Law and Justice Administration
- Juvenile Corrections
- Corrections Administration
- Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, and Firefighting
Social Sciences
- Archaeology (C)
- Political Science (A)
- Anthropology (A)
- Sociology (A)
Transportation and Materials Moving
Visual and Performing Arts
- Visual and Performing Arts (A)
- Digital Arts (A)
- Game Design (A)
- Cinematography And Film (A)
- Design and Visual Communications (A)
- Fashion Design (C)
- Interior Design (A)
- Art Studies
Other Community Colleges Nearby
The list of nearby schools has been selected by researching which schools offer similar programs to Pima Community College.
- Central Arizona College in Coolidge, AZ (64 miles away)
- Tohono O'Odham Community College in Sells, AZ (64 miles away)
- Eastern Arizona College in Thatcher, AZ (83 miles away)
- Chandler - Gilbert Community College in Chandler, AZ (88 miles away)
- Mesa Community College in Mesa, AZ (96 miles away)