Mesa Community College

Mesa Community College: Academics, Admissions & Tuition Info

Research the associate's degree and certificate programs offered at Mesa Community College. Learn about its academics, and get admission and financial aid info to decide if this is the right school for you.

About Mesa Community College

Mesa Community College (MCC) is a 2-year, public school and the largest of the ten colleges associated with the Maricopa County Community College District in Arizona. MCC is a member of the North Central Association and has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Courses are hosted at two primary locations, the Southern and Dobson campus and the Red Mountain campus; the former is considered the main campus for the college. Other learning sites associated with MCC are located throughout the East Valley region of Arizona.

The Southern and Dobson campus was established in 1965 with the introduction of MCC to the Phoenix Metro area. The Red Mountain campus is markedly newer, as it opened in 2001; the campus occupies 100 acres within the Sonoran Desert in the Northeast part of Mesa, AZ. Classes at Red Mountain are focused on preparing students to transfer to 4-year colleges and universities.

Academics

MCC offers more than 180 certificate and degree programs, providing educational services to more than 40,000 students every year. The average class size is 22 students. The school offers online classes, with more than 500 courses available through its eLearning program. A full-service library is located on each of the two primary campuses.

The majority of certificates requiring less-than-one year to complete were earned within the health professions and related programs in 2011. The most popular tracks of study for 2-year certificates were in the visual and performing arts, while the most commonly pursued associate's degrees were in the liberal arts and sciences.

Admissions

MCC operates with a very liberal open admissions policy, requiring only enrollment. No application is required. Once a student account has been established, other pre-registration steps include the completion of a FAFSA application for students applying for financial aid, placement testing, academic advising, and registration for orientation and classes.

As part of the Maricopa County Community College District, MCC has transfer agreements with a network of more than 40 partner institutions, including the three public universities in Arizona: Arizona State University, University of Arizona, and Northern Arizona University. While no guarantees are made, students interested in continuing their educations at 4-year institutions are encouraged to acquaint themselves with the academic advisement departments to ensure that credits earned are transferable.

Tuition & Financial Aid

Tuition costs at Mesa Community College are different for in-state and out-of-state students. Residents of Arizona could expect to pay about $1,700 for tuition and $1,200 for books for the 2011-2012 academic year. Nonresidents could expect to spend approximately $6,704 for tuition and $1,200 for books during the same year.

Financial aid opportunities include scholarships offered by MCC, some of which include the REACH (ACE) Scholarship, the President's Scholarship, and the Honors Department Fee Award Scholarship. There are also multiple scholarships provided by the Maricopa County Community College Foundation.

MESA COMMUNITY COLLEGE QUICK FACTS
School Type	Public, 2-year*
Degrees Offered	Associate's degrees, certificate programs*
Religious Affiliation	None*
Academic Calendar	Semesters**
School Setting	Large city*
Student Body	25,695 undergraduate students in fall 2011*
Student Housing	Not offered*
ACADEMICS
Departments and Programs	21 departments offering over 180 programs, degrees and certificate programs**
Student-Faculty Ratio	22 to 1*
Most Popular Fields of Study by Degree Level (Number of Recipients)	In 2011: Associate's: Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies (970) Less than 2-year certificate: Art/Art Studies (1,063) Less than 1-year certificate: Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic) (210)*
Undergraduate Graduation Rates	4% within normal time, 11% within 150% of normal time, and 15% within 200% normal time (students who enrolled in fall 2007)*
ADMISSIONS
Admission Rate	Open admissions*
Entering Class Size	Approximately 4,385 in fall 2011***
First-Year Retention Rates	From fall 2010 to fall 2011: 58% (full-time students) 38% (part-time students)*
TUITION & FINANCIAL AID
Tuition	$1,700 per year for in-state students, and $6,704 for out-of-state students (cost for 2011-2012, excluding fees)**
Financial Aid Sources Available (Percent of Full-Time Beginning Undergraduates Receiving it)	In 2010-2011: Federal grants (49%), state and local grants/scholarships (2%), institutional grants/scholarships (13%), federal student loans (21%)*
Percent of Students Receiving Some Form of Aid	70% of full-time beginning undergraduates*

Sources: *College Navigator, National Center for Education Statistics; **Mesa Community College; ***IPEDS Data Center, National Center for Education Statistics.

School Contact Information

Address: Office of Admissions, Mesa Community College, 1833 West Southern Ave, Mesa, AZ 85202
Phone: Admissions: (480) 461-7600
Website: www.mesacc.edu