| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year community college for Yuma and La Paz counties; campus and online classes |
| Locations | Five listed here, all in Arizona: the Yuma main campus, the Wellton Manufacturing Training Center, the San Luis Technology Institute and learning centers in San Luis and Parker |
| Students | 9,996 in fall 2025, 26% of them in dual or concurrent enrollment (AWC) |
| Credentials | Occupational certificates (CERT), AAS degrees and transfer associate degrees; bachelor’s degrees through NAU, ASU and UA on the Yuma campus |
| Tuition 2026-27 | $105 per credit for Arizona residents plus a $5 per credit technology fee |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission since 1968; next comprehensive evaluation 2028-29 |
| Federal aid | Yes, federal school code 001071 |
| Founded | 1963 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Yuma and La Paz counties’ community college since 1963
Arizona Western College (AWC) is the public community college district for Yuma and La Paz counties in southwest Arizona. The district was approved in 1961 and the first classes met in August 1963. In fall 2025 AWC counted 9,996 students, 11.5% more than a year earlier, and about a quarter of them were dual or concurrent enrollment students. Three universities, Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University and the University of Arizona, teach on the Yuma campus, so students can finish a bachelor’s degree without leaving town. For trade and health students, the main draws are the accredited nursing, radiography, paramedic and police academy programs, a manufacturing center in Wellton and on-campus residence halls.
Career programs at AWC’s Yuma, Wellton, San Luis and Parker sites
AWC awards occupational certificates, which it labels CERT, Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees and transfer degrees. Program pages seldom give credit totals or name a campus, so the table shows a length and a site only where AWC states one; nearly all career programs are taught on the Yuma campus.
| Program | Credential | Length | Where | Exam or accreditation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing (RN) | AAS, 66 credits | 4 semesters | Yuma | NCLEX-RN; ACEN |
| Practical Nursing | CERT (exit option in the RN program) | After the 3rd nursing semester | Yuma | NCLEX-PN |
| Nursing Assistant | CERT | 8 or 16 weeks | Yuma, San Luis, Parker | State nursing assistant exam |
| Radiologic Technology | AAS | 25 prerequisite credits + 6 semesters | Yuma | ARRT (R); JRCERT |
| EMS Paramedic | AAS and CERT | – | Yuma | CAAHEP |
| Medical Assistant | AAS, CERT and apprenticeship CERTs | 2–4 semesters | Yuma | NHA CCMA |
| Medical Coding and Billing | CERT | – | Yuma | AAPC CPC |
| Phlebotomy Technician | CERT | – | Yuma | NHA phlebotomy exam |
| Law Enforcement Training Academy | CERT | 21 weeks | Academy facility, Yuma | AZPOST |
| Fire Academy / Fire Science | CERT / AAS | – | Yuma | IFSAC Fire Fighter I and II |
| HVAC (Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) | AAS, CERTs, apprenticeship CERTs | – | Yuma | – |
| Welding | AAS, CERT, proficiency certificates | – | Yuma; Wellton (manufacturing) | – |
| Electrical Technology | AAS, CERTs | – | Yuma; Wellton (manufacturing) | – |
| Carpentry and Construction | AAS degrees, CERTs | – | Yuma | NCCER-aligned |
| Manufacturing | AAS and 12 CERTs | – | Wellton | NIMS ITM standards |
| Automotive Technology | AAS, 5 CERTs | – | Yuma | NATEF (ASE Education Foundation) |
| Commercial Driver’s License | CERT, 12 credits | Open entry, open exit | With Yuma Truck Driving School | Class A CDL |
| Culinary Arts | AAS, 3 CERTs | – | Yuma | – |
| Applied Agriculture | AAS, 5 CERTs | – | Yuma | – |
| Computer Information Systems / Informatics | AAS degrees, CERTs | – | Yuma; San Luis Technology Institute | – |
Four programs hold their own accreditation: Nursing (ACEN), Radiologic Technology (JRCERT, an eight-year award), EMS Paramedic (CAAHEP) and the Law Enforcement Training Academy (AZPOST). Some career areas also have apprenticeship certificates, in HVAC, electrical, medical assisting, broadband fiber optics and barbering. AWC’s IT degrees are Computer Information Systems and Informatics; it has no AAS called Information Technology, and Computer Science and Hotel and Restaurant Management are transfer degrees only.
What the main programs cover
Nursing AAS (RN)
The courses that lead to the Practical Nursing exit after the third nursing semester are NUR 117, 121, 122 and 221, with anatomy and physiology I and II, English 101, psychology and human development. AWC set up a nursing affiliation with Yuma Regional Medical Center in 2023, and NCLEX review is built into the course fees. Applications close on 1 September 2026 for spring 2027 and on 1 March 2027 for fall 2027. LPNs and transfer students can ask about advanced placement, and students can take an RN-to-BSN with NAU, ASU, GCU or the University of Phoenix through concurrent enrollment.
Radiologic Technology
Radiography students first complete the prerequisite courses, then join a cohort that studies full time for six semesters, summer, fall and spring twice over, with 57 credits of program coursework and clinical rotations. Applying means taking the TEAS and a reading placement test and submitting a fingerprint card. The program publishes a yearly effectiveness report: completion was 16 of 17 students in 2024, and all 14 graduates that year who were looking for work found it. There was no graduating class in 2022.
Manufacturing at Wellton
AWC describes the Wellton program as seven stackable certificates alongside the AAS. The list starts with Basic Manufacturing and goes on to CAD-CAM at basic and advanced levels, Materials Processes in Manufacturing, Automation, and Manufacturing-Automation for Metals Joining and Severing Processes. Welding for Manufacturing and Electrical for Manufacturing are taught here too, as are Basic Power Generation and a Broadband Fiber Optics Technician certificate, which also comes in an apprenticeship version. The college counts 13 manufacturing credentials in all.
Law Enforcement Training Academy
Recruits are selected and sponsored by participating agencies before they start, so the agencies, not the college, decide who attends. The basic curriculum lasts 21 weeks and is split into two academy courses, LET-160 and LET-260. Recruits need a valid driver’s licence and their own transport, since the academy is about 8 miles from the AWC residence halls. Graduates who later want a degree can count 18 academy credits toward the Administration of Justice AA.
Fire Academy and Paramedic
The Fire Academy is taught in two parts and follows the NFPA 1001 firefighter standard; testing for IFSAC Fire Fighter I and II and HazMat Awareness and Operations is done through the Arizona Center for Fire Service Excellence. AWC held its first regional Fire Academy graduation in 2023. Paramedic training is a separate path in three academies: students arrive already certified as EMTs, and the first semester includes clinical onboarding at Yuma Regional Medical Center.
Commercial Driver’s License
The CDL certificate packs four three-credit courses into one credential: an introduction to Arizona CDL rules, safe operating practices, vehicle control, and general driving and testing. AWC’s Entrepreneurial College announced the partnership with Yuma Truck Driving School in October 2024, and students can start and finish on an open-entry, open-exit basis rather than a fixed semester. Ask where behind-the-wheel training takes place and how long it usually takes; we could not confirm either.
Tuition and fees for 2026-27
AWC’s new rates take effect each summer, so the 2026-27 schedule applies from Summer 2026. All Arizona residents pay the same rate, with no separate in-district price and no cap on credits.
| Student (2026-27) | Tuition per credit |
|---|---|
| Arizona resident | $105.00 (age 60 and over: $90.00) |
| Out-of-state, up to 6 credits | $120.00 |
| Out-of-state, 7 credits or more | $160.00 |
| Out-of-state, age 60 and over | $100.00 |
| Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) | $158.00 (age 60 and over: $135.00) |
| Technology fee, all students except dual enrollment | $5.00 |
At the resident rate, a full-time year of 30 credits comes to about $3,300 in tuition and technology fees, before books and course fees. The out-of-state schedule charges a lower rate for students taking 6 credits or fewer and a higher rate from 7 credits; AWC gives no explanation of the tiers, so confirm your rate with the college. Some programs publish their own estimates: $14,220 for the Nursing AAS, which AWC still prices at the older $100 credit rate, and $18,140 for Radiologic Technology (revised April 2026). Academy fees for 2026-27 are $1,000 for each of three paramedic academies, $500 for each of two fire academies, and $2,049 and $500 for the police academy.
Federal aid, the Promise program and military students
AWC takes part in federal student aid under school code 001071, which covers every AWC location, and gives February as the FAFSA priority date. The Yuma and La Paz Promise reimburses out-of-pocket tuition and program fees for graduates of Yuma County (class of 2020 on) and La Paz County (class of 2019 on) high schools who study full time for up to five consecutive semesters, but only students completing a transfer degree qualify, so it does not pay for occupational certificates or AAS degrees. AWC joined the Arizona Community College Workforce Scholarship in 2024. For military students, AWC runs education centers at MCAS Yuma and Yuma Proving Ground, holds the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services “Veteran Supportive Campus” designation, and offers a Military Legacy Scholarship and the Arizona Spouses of Military Veterans Tuition Scholarship.
Admissions and schedules
Admission to the college is open, but Nursing, Radiologic Technology, Paramedic and the police and fire academies have their own entry steps. Nursing applicants attend an information session (in person or on Zoom) and take the HESI A2. Radiography applicants complete 25 prerequisite credits and the TEAS, and their cohort starts in summer. Paramedic students need a current EMT certification. The police academy accepts only agency-sponsored recruits. The CDL certificate is open entry and open exit. AWC counted an online headcount of 6,143 in fall 2025, but its program pages rarely say which career credentials can be completed online.
Accreditation and published results
AWC has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1968. After an Assurance Review in November 2023, HLC continued AWC’s accreditation with monitoring on student retention, persistence and completion; HLC accepted AWC’s interim report on those areas in December 2025. HLC lists no sanction, and the next comprehensive evaluation is due in 2028-29. Programmatic accreditors are ACEN for nursing, JRCERT for radiography, CAAHEP for the paramedic program and AZPOST for the police academy.
| Measure | Result | Cohort and source |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing, NCLEX pass rate | 88.30% (Arizona 89.92%, national 86.71%) | 2025; 96.83% in 2024. AWC nursing outcomes PDF, which does not split RN from PN or give the number of test-takers |
| Nursing, completion within six semesters | 93% | 2025 (76% within four semesters); AWC, no definition given |
| Nursing, job placement | 94.83% | 2024 (calendar year); AWC, method not defined |
| Radiography, ARRT first-attempt pass rate | 83.3% (55 of 66) | Five years, 2020-2024; 75% (12 of 16) in 2024. AWC Program Effectiveness Report 2020-2024 |
| Radiography, job placement | 96.2% (50 of 52) | Five years, 2020-2024; same report |
| College-wide graduation rate | 25% | Full-time, first-time students starting in fall 2020, finishing within 150% of normal time (College Navigator) |
| College-wide retention | 68% full-time, 40% part-time | Fall 2022 to fall 2023 (College Navigator) |
The nursing and radiography figures come from AWC’s program pages and the college-wide rates from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Navigator, all checked in October 2026. The EMS page links its own graduation outcome report for the paramedic program. We found no published pass rates for the nursing assistant, medical assistant, coding, phlebotomy, fire or police academy programs.
Before you enroll
- The Yuma and La Paz Promise covers transfer degrees only. Students in a trade or health certificate or AAS need federal aid, scholarships or their own money.
- Several AAS “STEM Emphasis” versions are closed to new students, including Welding Technology, Electrical Technology, Carpentry and Solar Photovoltaic Installation, and the solar program page carries an unexplained announcement. Check that the exact program you want is enrolling.
- The police academy is not open to walk-in applicants: a participating agency must select you.
- The CDL certificate is delivered with a private driving school, and we could not confirm its length or total cost.
- The Medical Assistant program claims no CAAHEP or ABHES accreditation, and the HVAC and welding pages do not mention EPA 608 or AWS certification.
Housing and career help
AWC has residence halls on the Yuma campus. In 2026-27 a double room costs $1,210 a semester in Kino or Garces and $1,387 to $1,450 in DeAnza, a DeAnza single $3,460, and meal plans $3,210 or $3,530 a semester. AWC also charges a $7 bus transportation fee each fall and spring. We found no verified job placement service; the career features we could confirm are built into programs: the medical assistant externship, the nursing affiliation with Yuma Regional Medical Center, apprenticeship certificates, and the Entrepreneurial College and Food Incubator for students starting a business.
What students say on Niche
On Niche, Arizona Western College has 3.91 out of 5 from 1,046 reviews and an overall grade of B− (checked 9 October 2026). Reviewers praise supportive faculty and staff, small classes, and a low-cost start before transferring to a university. Complaints center on few extracurricular activities, limited food options and cafeteria prices, and limited bus transport. We could not see when the reviews were written or whether the college invited them, and we did not check Trustpilot or GradReports.
Sources
Checked October 2026: AWC locations · HLC accreditation status · AWC tuition and fees 2026-2027 · AWC Nursing and outcomes · AWC Radiologic Technology · College Navigator · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing and Health
- Nursing AAS (RN)
- Practical Nursing (exit option within the RN program)
- Nursing Assistant (Yuma, San Luis and Parker)
- Radiologic Technology
- EMS Paramedic (AAS and certificate)
- Basic EMT course (EMS 152)
- Medical Assistant, including apprenticeship certificates
- Medical Coding and Billing
- Phlebotomy Technician
- Community Health Worker
- Behavioral Health
- Health Coach
Public Safety and Law
- Law Enforcement Training Academy (AZPOST)
- Fire Academy and Fire Science
- Detention Officer Training Academy
- Paralegal Studies
- Homeland Security certificate (transfer-oriented)
Skilled Trades
- Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC)
- Welding
- Electrical Technology
- Carpentry
- Construction Trades Management and Flooring Installation
- Masonry
- Plumbing
- Industrial Technology
- Drafting CAD Technology
- Automotive Technology
- Energy Technology and EV Technician
Manufacturing (Wellton)
- Manufacturing AAS and certificates
- Manufacturing CAD-CAM
- Welding and Electrical for Manufacturing
- Broadband Fiber Optics Technician
- Automation
Transportation and Logistics
- Commercial Driver's License, Class A (with Yuma Truck Driving School)
- Logistics and Supply Chain certificates
Culinary and Agriculture
- Culinary Arts
- Applied Agriculture and agriculture certificates
Business
- Accounting and Bookkeeping
- Business and Business Administrative Services
- Marketing; Digital Marketing and E-Commerce
- Project Management
Computer and Information Technology
- Computer Information Systems
- Networking and Computer Security
- Cybersecurity, cloud and IT support certificates
- Informatics (San Luis Technology Institute)
- AI and Machine Learning
- Video Game Design and Development (certificates)
- Drones and Geospatial Technology
Education and Other
- Early Childhood Education
- Media Arts and Broadcasting
- Personal Fitness Trainer
- Barber Apprenticeship
University transfer
- Transfer degrees (AA, AS, A.BUS), including Computer Science, Hotel and Restaurant Management and Administration of Justice
Campus Locations
Yuma, AZ 2020 S. Avenue 8E, Yuma, AZ 85365
Yuma (Wellton), AZ 28851 County 12th Street, Wellton, AZ 85356
Yuma (San Luis), AZ 1135 N. Main Street, San Luis, AZ 85349
Yuma (San Luis), AZ 1340 N 8th Avenue, San Luis, AZ 85349
Parker, AZ 1109 Geronimo Ave, Parker, AZ 85344