Quality, Career-Oriented Online Degrees From MCC
Mesa Community College appears in our ranking of the Top 15 Affordable Associate’s in Web Development Online.
Ranked Washington Monthly’s 11th best school for adults, Mesa Community College is a public, two-year MCCCD member in Greater Phoenix that offers 78 associate degrees and 130 certificates, including 500+ online courses for 35 programs, at a 20:1 student-faculty ratio. For example, the AAS in Landscape Horticulture follows a 62-credit sequence led by Prof. Peter Conden with 200-level online courses like Gardening Practices for a 2+2 transfer track to Arizona State University East. Chaired by Prof. Linda Collins, the Business Department delivers a 63-credit AAS in Retail Management online with 85 percent job placement at Target, Adidas, Apple, Home Depot, and more.
Online via Canvas, the AAS in Administration of Justice Studies builds a 62-credit, HLC-accredited major overseen by Prof. Bert Ouderkirk with optional Corrections, Forensic Investigation, and Homeland Security certificates for entering public safety careers with median $46,272 pay. The AAS in Bookkeeping builds a 65-credit, 18-month track to NACPB certification with online classes like Income Tax Preparation, free Cranium Café advising, and Mesa’s famous Zero-Textbook-Cost option. Other Web offerings include the AGS in General Studies, AAS in Communication, AAS in International Trade, AAS in Real Estate, AAS in Project Management, AAS in Computer Programming, AAS in Music Business, AAS in Web Development, AAS in Marketing, AAS in Project Management, and AAS in Women’s Studies.
About Mesa Community College
Mesa Community College originated on September 11, 1963, when Mart Godinez registered an inaugural class of 330 to the Phoenix College Mesa Extension Center on Main Street. In 1964, it purchased the present 160-acre Dobson & Southern Campus for its headquarters. On April 12, 1965, the Maricopa Community College District Board voted to adopt the current Mesa name. In 1968, MCC joined the National Junior College Athletic Association where they’ve won 18 championships. By 1982, Mesa Community College had the MCCCD’s highest enrollment. In 1985, Mesa opened its first satellite at Chandler-Gilbert Education Center. In 2000, the Red Mountain Campus made history in Arizona by going wireless. In 2002, Microsoft approved Mesa for the Office User Specialist Certification. Accredited in 2005, MCC started the Connect for Success Mentoring Program in 2010.
Budgeting $98.9 million yearly, Mesa Community College now employs 973 faculty teaching 20,424 Thunderbirds from 60 countries online and face-to-face in the East Valley with 40+ clubs like Phi Theta Kappa. In 2007, Mesa earned the CHEA Award for Institutional Progress in Student Learning Outcomes. In 2017, Mesa was chosen as an Aspen Institute Prize for Community College Excellence finalist. Mesa Community College was designated a 2019 Voter-Friendly Campus by the Fair Election Center too. On WalletHub, MCC boasts America’s 74th best career outcomes and 212nd top value. The Center for Online Education placed MCC 47th nationally. The Maricopa County Community College District was crowned Forbes’ 19th best employer of women. OnlineColleges.com honored Mesa for Arizona’s second best associate degrees.
Mesa Community College Accreditation Details
On June 23, 2015, the Higher Learning Commission on North Central Association (HLC-NCA) Institutional Actions Council mailed a formal notification letter to Mesa Community College that reaffirmed the Level I accreditation through 2024-25 under its seventh president, Dr. Richard Haney, who accepted the ACCT Charles Kennedy Equity Award. Based 1,743 miles northeast via Interstate 40 in Chicago, this widespread 19-state Western Region accreditor is authorized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education (ACPE). Mesa Community College also boasts the following degree accreditations:
- Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
- National Automotive Technician Education Foundation
- American Dental Association Commission on Accreditation
- National Association for the Education of Young Children
- Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
- National Institute for Metalworking Skills
- Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities
Mesa Community College Application Requirements
Getting into Mesa Community College is classified “least selective” by the U.S. News & World Report because 100 percent of the 6,419 Fall 2013 entrants were accepted. First-year Thunderbirds still must exhibit postsecondary readiness with a high school or GED diploma. The Early College is only available to juniors or seniors with at least 720 SAT or 22 ACT scores. Otherwise, minimum grades aren’t published to ensure open access. Maintaining a cumulative GPA above 2.0 is ideal for avoiding probationary status. Placement tests are waived for GPAs of 2.6 and ACT marks of 18 or higher. Transferring up to 30 college-level credits into Mesa requires “C” grades and greater. International students falling below 400 TOEFL pBT or 5.5 IELTS scores enter an English as a Second Language Program.
Mesa Community College conveniently has rolling admission until final deadlines of July 1st for Fall and November 1st for Spring starts. Financial aid consideration requires filing before June 30th. Note the International Education Program closes on March 1st each year. Accordingly, create a Maricopa Enterprise ID to submit the Mesa Application online for free. Have each previous school send official transcripts to 1833 West Southern Avenue in Mesa, AZ 85202. Though optional, test scores are generated with SAT code 4513 or ACT code 0093. Other checklist items include the proof of identification, residency/citizenship form, transfer report, placement exam, academic advising sheet, and FAFSA application. Inquire further by contacting (480) 461-7000 or admissionsandrecords@mesacc.edu.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2018-19, Mesa Community College charged Maricopa County residents $85 per credit. Local senior citizens were billed only $42.50 per credit. Out-of-county Arizonans paid $401 per credit. Non-resident associate tuition was $326 per credit. The Western Undergraduate Exchange drops costs to $127.50 per credit. The MCC Online Department priced distance learning at $215 per credit. Beyond tuition, Mesa budgeted $1,424 for books, $80 for loan fees, and $4,680 for personal expenses. If living independently, off-campus room and board adds $8,532 yearly on average. Annual associate attendance ranges from $4,084 to $24,130 based on location.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Student Financial Services Office at Southern & Dobson Building 39 gets 66 percent of new Mesa Thunderbirds average aid of $4,170 each for $3.82 million combined. Available Maricopa Community College District funds include the Dr. Mary Kathryn Kickels Scholarship, B. Davis Scholarship, Piper Scholarship, Engage Estrella Scholarship, James Raab Memorial Scholarship, Degree Completion Scholarship, Ladies Auxiliary of the Elks Scholarship, Community Engagement Scholarship, West Valley Nurses Club Scholarship, and Business/IT Programming Scholarship. The Presidents’ Honors Scholarship covers full in-state tuition for associate majors with unweighted GPAs above 3.25. The Carstens Family Scholarship gifts $3,500 yearly to freshmen applying by May 17th. FAFSA applications coded 001077 unlock need-based federal resources like the Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, and Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan. The Arizona LEAP Grant also awards $1,000 to $2,500 for locals studying at least half-time.
Find out more about Mesa Community College at the MCC Online Department website.
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