Legislature Authorizes Community Colleges to Offer Four-Year Degrees

After more than a decade of legislative attempts, Governor Ducey signed a bill that permits community colleges to offer certain four-year degrees. The bill passed out of both chambers by significant margins and was signed by the Governor on May 4, 2021. The bill limits the number of new four-year programs at community colleges in Maricopa and Pima county to no more than five percent of their total degree offerings for the first four years of offering four-year programs, and no more than ten percent beginning in the fifth year. The legislation does not cap the number of new four-year program offerings at community colleges in all other counties.

Any community college that offers a baccalaureate program will not be permitted to charge tuition for the third and fourth years of the program that exceeds 150 percent per credit hour of any other program in the district. Community colleges will also be required to obtain applicable regional accreditation and demonstrate workforce need and financial analysis of any new programs. If a community college is located in the same county as the main campus of one of Arizona’s three public universities, the community college must notify that public university it is developing a baccalaureate program and the university may provide the district board with a written response. However, the district board may still proceed with the new program at their own discretion.

Arizona will join over 20 other states in the U.S. that have granted their community colleges the ability to offer four-year baccalaureate degrees.