Do Students Succeed at Pima Community College?
How do students at Pima Community College in Tucson, AZ fare? Explore completion rates, transfers, and key outcomes.
Student Success at Pima Community College at a Glance
Pima Community College is a public institution offering at least 2 but less than 4 years programs located in Tucson, AZ. Current enrollment is 16,283 students.
- 27.6% overall graduation rate (IPEDS)
- 22.9% of all entering students earn their award within 8 years
- 100% of exiters from its largest program (Business-AAS) were employed within 6 months — verified by the U.S. Department of Labor
- DOL-verified median earnings of $5,941 per quarter after exiting Business-AAS
- 5,624 graduates across 129 programs in 2024
- VA-approved for GI Bill benefits — 857 students used them here (Yellow Ribbon participant)
Program-Level Results · Verified by the U.S. Department of Labor
Verified Program Outcomes
Completion and employment results reported to the U.S. Department of Labor for Pima Community College programs on the state Eligible Training Provider List. Missing values ("—") mean the state suppressed or did not report that metric — they never mean zero.
| Program | Completion rate | Employed 6 mo after exit | Employed 1 yr after exit | Median quarterly earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business-AAS | 8% | 100% | 60% | $5,941 |
| Computer Info Sys: CyberSecurity - AAS | 8% | 100% | 71% | $5,673 |
| Nursing - AAS degree for Direct Employment | 37% | 100% | 82% | $7,729 |
| Nurse (Practical) Certificate | 24% | 100% | 81% | $7,077 |
| Computer Info Sys: Programmer/Cyber Security Analyst AAS | 5% | 100% | 66% | $6,181 |
| Medical Billing and Coding Certificate | 21% | 100% | 66% | $7,123 |
| Fire & Emergency Services Higher Edu (FESHE) ' AAS | 2% | 100% | 87% | $12,536 |
| Computer Info Sys: Networking/Cyber Defense AAS | 7% | 100% | 70% | $8,333 |
| Emergency Medical Tech-Certificate | 36% | 100% | 83% | $9,182 |
| Accounting - Associate of Applied Science | 4% | 100% | 72% | $8,023 |
| Health Information Technology AAS- Business Careers | 14% | 100% | 54% | $7,889 |
| Automotive Technology AAS Degree | 5% | 100% | 76% | $6,816 |
| Emergency Medical Tech- Paramedic AAS | 28% | 100% | 69% | $19,438 |
| Automotive Mechanics - Certificate | 16% | 100% | 72% | $6,083 |
| Human Resources Certificate | 20% | 100% | 69% | $11,381 |
| Welding: Associate of Applied Science Degree | 5% | 100% | 68% | $7,267 |
| Bldg & Constr Tech Electrician Certificate | 8% | 100% | 70% | $6,971 |
| CAD: Computer Aided Design Technology-AAS | 9% | 100% | 64% | $4,898 |
| Law Enforcement Academy Certificate-Public Safety Careers | 58% | 100% | 80% | $11,313 |
| Accounting Bookkeeping Certificate | 22% | 100% | 66% | $7,746 |
| Paralegal - AAS | 6% | 100% | 70% | $7,719 |
| Aviation Tech: Aircraft Airframe Mechanics-Cert | 46% | 100% | 69% | $6,008 |
| Logistics & Supply Chain Management AAS | 11% | 100% | 65% | $9,843 |
| Computer Info Sys- IT Support Technician Certificate | 63% | 100% | 66% | $4,632 |
| Medical Assistant Certificate | 11% | 100% | 77% | $7,806 |
| Digital Arts- Digital Game & Simulation AAS | 5% | 100% | 71% | $4,187 |
| Computer Info Sys- IT Support Specialist Certificate | 35% | 100% | 71% | $6,706 |
| Building and Construction Technologies-AAS | 5% | 100% | 75% | $7,947 |
| Aviation Tech: Aircraft Powerplant Mechanics-Cert | 68% | 100% | 80% | $8,844 |
| CTT: CDL training'Class A Vehicle Driver Certificate | 49% | 100% | 78% | $13,922 |
| Fire Science Academy Track - Certificate | 31% | 100% | 83% | $14,527 |
| PimaFastTrack: IT | 7% | — | — | — |
| Pharmacy Technology - Certificate | 17% | 100% | 58% | $5,178 |
| Radiologic Technology - AAS | 36% | 100% | 74% | $6,910 |
| Machine Tool Technology - AAS | 11% | 100% | 80% | $9,008 |
| Welding: Basic Certificate | 13% | 100% | 67% | $7,264 |
| Dental Hygiene - Assoc of Applied Science | 39% | 100% | 77% | $7,155 |
| Automated Industrial Technology AAS | 26% | 100% | 85% | $8,012 |
| Paralegal - Post Degree Certificate | 20% | 100% | 74% | $9,939 |
| Respiratory Care - AAS | 34% | 100% | 80% | $7,119 |
| Clinical Research Coordinator AAS | 26% | 100% | 87% | $9,680 |
| Medical Laboratory Technician - AAS | 8% | 100% | 80% | $8,292 |
| Aviation Tech: Aircraft General Mechanics-Cert | 29% | 100% | 68% | $5,220 |
| PimaFastTrack: Electrical | 44% | — | — | — |
| Accounting Enrolled Agent Certificate | 9% | 100% | 72% | $7,781 |
| Aviation Technology-Aircraft Airframe AAS Concentration | 28% | 100% | 72% | $2,647 |
| Aviation Technology-Aircraft Powerplant AAS Concentration | 28% | 100% | 72% | $2,647 |
| Aviation Technology- Structural Repair AAS Concentration | 28% | 100% | 72% | $2,647 |
| Bldg & Constr Tech Carpenter Certificate | — | 100% | 72% | $6,421 |
| Bldg & Constr Tech Plumber Certificate | 9% | 100% | 78% | $7,349 |
| Logistics & Supply Chain Management Basic Certificate' | 17% | 100% | 71% | $8,846 |
| Phlebotomy Certificate | 14% | 100% | 86% | $6,040 |
| Translation & Interpretation Studies (Spanish) Certificate | 18% | 100% | 66% | $7,735 |
| Welding: Fabrication Certificate | 13% | 100% | 83% | $6,176 |
| CAD Technician Certificate | 41% | 100% | 67% | $9,450 |
| PimaFastTrack: Automotive | 19% | — | — | — |
| CTT: CDL Basic Vehicle Operations-Coach/Transit Bus Certific | 47% | 100% | 89% | $10,695 |
| Surgical Technology | 25% | 100% | 94% | $7,729 |
| Dental Assisting Education-Certificate | 25% | 100% | 82% | $5,961 |
| PimaFastTrack: Carpentry | 33% | — | — | — |
| Automated Industrial Technology: Level 1 Certificate | 58% | 100% | 92% | $3,851 |
| Machine Tool Tech Comp Numerical Control Operator (CNC) Cert | 40% | 100% | 81% | $6,562 |
| CAD Architectural Technician Certificate | 22% | 100% | 75% | $6,496 |
| PimaFastTrack: Plumbing | 31% | — | — | — |
| PimaFastTrack: EMS | 43% | — | — | — |
| PimaFastTrack: HIT: Cert Electronic Health Record Specialist | 100% | — | — | — |
| Hotel & Restaurant Management Certificate | 14% | 100% | 67% | $6,336 |
| Nursing Assistant (Certified) Certificate | 8% | 100% | 83% | $8,552 |
| Aviation: Part 65- FAA Airframe and Power Plant Exam Prep | 92% | — | — | — |
| Bldg & Constr Tech Cabinetmaker Certificate | — | 100% | 63% | $4,973 |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, WIOA participant outcomes (trainingproviderresults.gov), PY 2023.
College-Wide Statistics · IPEDS Federal Survey
What Are the Student Outcomes at Pima Community College?
Unlike the program-level results above, the figures below cover all students at Pima Community College, tracked over eight years by the federal IPEDS survey.
Overall Completion Rate
22.9%
Working Student Success
23.6%
Transfer Out Rate
15.1%
Still Enrolled Rate
1.9%
How Pima Community College Compares
Pima Community College's 23% completion rate is below the typical trade-college range (which usually falls in the 30–50% band). However, 15% transfer to continue elsewhere — for trade schools, transfer often reflects intentional pathway design. 2% are still enrolled. It's worth asking the school about retention support and program-length structure if completion matters to your decision.
What Happens After Students Enroll at Pima Community College?
Eight-Year Student Outcomes
Eight-year outcomes for students who entered Pima Community College. This shows what happened to students in their cohort by the end of the tracking period.
Understanding These Outcomes
Completed: Students who earned a certificate, diploma, or degree from this institution.
Still Enrolled: Students who remain enrolled at this institution after the tracking period.
Transferred Out: Students who transferred to another institution and may have completed there.
No Award: Students who left without earning a credential and are not enrolled elsewhere.
Combined completion and transfer rate of 40.6% indicates strong student success pathways.
These outcomes track what happened to students eight years after they first enrolled. Completion rates include certificates, diplomas, and degrees earned at this institution. Transfer rates show students who continued their education at other colleges. Understanding these pathways helps prospective students set realistic expectations and plan their educational journey.
What Are the Transfer and Continuation Patterns at Pima Community College?
Success Rates by Student Entry Pathway
Comparing completion rates across different student entry pathways helps understand which groups succeed and how transfer experience impacts outcomes.
Key Insights
First-time students have an advantage of 12.0 percentage points over transfer students, which may reflect the benefits of starting fresh at the institution.
Combined 13.5% transfer-out rate suggests this institution may serve as a stepping stone for students continuing their education elsewhere.
Cohort Composition
Understanding Student Pathways
First-Time Students: Beginning postsecondary education for the first time at this institution.
Transfer-In Students: Previously attended another postsecondary institution before enrolling here.
Continuing Students: Returned to this institution after a break in enrollment.
Completion rates tracked over 8 years from initial entry.
Different student entry pathways lead to varying success rates. First-time students enter directly from high school or are starting college for the first time. Transfer students bring prior college experience and credits. Understanding these patterns helps you identify which pathway aligns best with your situation and predict your likelihood of success.
What Are the Completion Rates by Student Type at Pima Community College?
What does this mean for you? These completion rates show how different types of students succeed at this institution. Notably, part-time students have a higher success rate here (23.6% vs 23.2% for full-time), which is great news if you plan to work while studying. This pattern is common at trade colleges where programs are designed to accommodate working adults. First-time students are those new to college, while transfer students have attended another institution before.
What Are the Cohort Outcomes Over Time at Pima Community College?
Tracking outcomes for the 2015-16 cohort of 10,211 students
After 4 Years
After 6 Years
After 8 Years (Final)
Final Student Status
Completion Breakdown by Cohort
Part-time First-time Students
All First-time Students
Full-time First-time Students
Part-time First-time Transfer Students
All First-time Transfer Students
Full-time First-time Transfer Students
All Full-time Students
Part-time Non-first-time Students
Time to Completion
About This Data
Outcome measures data tracks student cohorts over 4, 6, and 8-year periods. Data is sourced from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and reflects the most recent available reporting year.