About the Maricopa Community Colleges

The following information and more is available from the Maricopa Community College District Overview.

The Maricopa Community Colleges began with one college - Phoenix College, originally founded in 1920 with 53 students. It became the flagship college when in 1962 voters elected to establish today's Maricopa County Community College District. Approximately 7,000 students were enrolled in the one college, where now over 2 million students have attended the District's multiple colleges spread throughout metropolitan Phoenix.

Today, ten nationally accredited colleges, two skill centers and multiple satellite extensions comprise the Maricopa County Community College District.

The Maricopa Community Colleges educate and train a diverse student body of more than 277,000 persons year-round with an enrollment of more than 197,400 students in credit courses and 80,000 enrolled in non-credit special interest courses.

The Maricopa County Community College District ranks among the nation's largest community college systems and is the largest single provider of higher education in Arizona - a major resource for those seeking post-secondary education and job training.

Vision

The Maricopa Community Colleges strive to exceed the changing expectations of our many communities for effective, innovative, student-centered, flexible, and lifelong educational opportunities. Our employees are committed to respecting diversity, continuous quality improvement, and the efficient use of resources. We are a learning organization guided by our shared values.

Mission

The Maricopa Community Colleges create and continuously improve affordable, accessible, effective, and safe learning environments for the lifelong educational needs of the diverse communities we serve.

Our colleges fulfill this mission through: