Highlights
- More than 300 students earned bachelor's degrees from MCCCD this spring, a record since the district began offering four-year programs in 2023.
- Tuition for Maricopa County residents runs about $14,500 for a full bachelor's degree, a fraction of state university costs.
- Three new programs in law, exercise science, and health leadership were added in May 2026, bringing the total to 14; the district targets 26 programs by 2032.
- Classes in the newest programs are proposed to begin Fall 2027, pending Governing Board approval.
Maricopa County Community Colleges District posted its largest bachelor's degree graduating class on record this spring, with more than 300 students completing four-year degrees across nine programs, according to Arizona PBS. The 2026 spring class is the biggest since MCCCD began offering bachelor's degrees in 2023.
The price point is the story. For Maricopa County residents, a full bachelor's degree costs about $14,500, and the district announced in April that tuition would not increase for the fourth consecutive year.
MCCCD now enrolls more than 10,000 students across all its bachelor's programs. Three degrees in Law and Legal Studies, Exercise Science, and Health Services Leadership were added in May 2026, bringing the current catalog to 14 programs. The district's stated goal is 26 programs spread across its 10 campuses by 2032, with new offerings added annually targeting healthcare, information technology, finance, construction, and artificial intelligence.
Chancellor Steven Gonzales said in a press release that the district has taken a collaborative approach to building programs that reflect both workforce demand and occupational growth, and that graduates are positioned to move into careers that will transform their futures.
Some graduates in this spring's class were the first to complete degrees in Elementary Education and Special Education and in the Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing track. Classes for the three newest programs carry a proposed start date of Fall 2027, subject to Governing Board approval.
The Arizona Digital Free Press and the district's own news channel separately confirmed the record graduation figures. Governing Board approval of the new program start dates is the next milestone to watch.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- azpbs.org retrieved 29/05/2026 20:36
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 29/05/2026 20:36. Every claim traces to a source.
