Strong transfer numbers
from a dual-purpose Mesa, Arizona CC
You're deciding whether to spend your first two years at Mesa Community College before finishing a bachelor's elsewhere in Arizona. That choice involves the transfer-out rate, what programs run at real scale, and what this school actually costs you net of aid.
17,077 undergrads, 36% transfer out by year 8, median $44k 10-yr earnings, $7,473 median debt.
A high transfer-out rate with a strong workforce credential side
Mesa Community College enrolls 17,077 undergraduates in Mesa, Arizona — 73% part-time. Its eight-year transfer-out rate of 36% clears the national community college average by a wide margin, making it a legitimate springboard toward a four-year degree. Median earnings land at $44k ten years out, median debt is a modest $7,473, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. The top program by completions is Art/Art Studies at 897, followed by Business and Liberal Arts. Alongside those transfer-prep fields, Mesa runs high-volume workforce programs in nursing assistance, welding, and emergency medical technology. In-district tuition is $2,328, though net price reaches $12,132.
Mesa Community College sits in Mesa, Arizona and enrolls 17,077 undergraduates — 73% part-time. That part-time majority stretches timelines, so the 36% eight-year transfer-out rate is a meaningful result: more than one in three students reaches a four-year institution within eight years, which outpaces the national community college norm. The college's top program by completions is Art/Art Studies at 897, followed by Business/Commerce at 500 and Liberal Arts at 420 — all fields with clear transfer-prep applications. Mesa also runs substantial workforce programs: Nursing Aide (411 completions), Welding (403), and EMT (291). Students aiming at transfer can find a path here, but the campus is genuinely split between transfer-prep and career-credential tracks. Median earnings ten years out are $44k, median debt is $7,473, and the loan default rate is 0%. In-district tuition is $2,328, but net price reaches $12,132 — worth factoring into your cost comparison.
What this CC teaches at scale
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Art/Art Studies, General. | 793 |
| Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic). | 391 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. | 354 |
| Building/Construction Site Management/Manager. | 353 |
| Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide. | 345 |
| Business/Commerce, General. | 335 |
| Welding Technology/Welder. | 306 |
| Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician. | 301 |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse. | 205 |
| Natural Sciences. | 193 |
Source · IPEDS completions (all undergraduate credentials).
Where Arizona transfers tend to go
Reflects state-aggregated IPEDS transfer-in volume — CC-specific destinations are not publicly available from IPEDS or the College Scorecard.
Frequently asked
- Is Mesa Community College a good place to start a bachelor's degree?
- The transfer-out data is encouraging. Mesa's eight-year transfer-out rate is 36%, which sits well above the national community college average typically cited in the 15–25% range. Median earnings ten years after enrollment are $44,034, and median borrower debt is $7,473 — both reasonable for a two-year starting point. The three-year loan default rate is 0%. The main caveat is cost: in-district tuition is $2,328, but the net price reaches $12,132, which is meaningfully higher than at many peer CCs. If you can keep borrowing low and arrive with a clear transfer plan, Mesa's outcome data supports it as a functional launchpad toward a bachelor's.
- How does Mesa Community College's transfer-out rate compare to typical community colleges?
- Mesa's eight-year transfer-out rate is 35.6%. National benchmarks consistently place the community college average somewhere between 15% and 25%, so Mesa clears that range by a significant margin. The 2.8% still-enrolled rate at year eight suggests a small additional cohort that may eventually transfer. The 21.9% credential-completion rate at Mesa itself reflects the school's dual identity: a meaningful share of students complete workforce credentials here rather than transferring. Even accounting for that split, the transfer-out number stands as one of the stronger signals in the Arizona community college market.
- What programs does Mesa Community College offer at meaningful scale?
- Mesa's highest-volume programs by completions are Art/Art Studies at 897, Business/Commerce at 500, Liberal Arts and Sciences at 420, Nursing Assistant/Aide at 411, and Welding at 403. Emergency Medical Technology produced 291 completions, Building/Construction Site Management 263, Automotive Mechanics 230, Registered Nursing 219, and Business Administration and Management 188. The top ten breaks roughly into two tracks: transfer-prep fields (art, business, liberal arts) and direct-employment credentials (nursing aide, welding, EMT, construction, automotive). If your goal is transfer, Mesa has the course volume and advising infrastructure to support it, but you'll be on a campus where workforce credential students are equally present.
Methodology — Transfer signals reflect IPEDS Outcome Measures 8-year cohorts; earnings and debt come from the College Scorecard. Destinations are state-aggregated; we do not claim CC-specific transfer destinations without authoritative per-student tracking data.