| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year college, one of the 10 Maricopa Community Colleges (Maricopa County Community College District); campus-based, with some hybrid and live-online programs |
| Campuses | 4 teaching sites, all in Phoenix, Arizona: Washington Campus (main), 18th Street, Central City and Deer Valley Campus |
| Credentials | Associate degrees (AAS, plus transfer degrees), Certificates of Completion (CCL, credit hours), Certificates of Competency (CCT, clock hours) and two bachelor’s degrees |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission (Open Pathway), reaffirmed 2020, with a 2023 assurance review |
| Federal aid | Yes; a few short programs, such as EMT, are not aid-eligible |
| 2026-27 tuition | $97 per credit for Maricopa County and nearly all other Arizona residents; $372 out-of-state on campus, $253 online; clock-hour programs $5–$6 per clock hour |
| Students | 5,553 in fall 2024 (80% part-time), plus 477 at Central City in fall 2023, which federal data count separately |
| Founded | 1968, as Maricopa Technical College; renamed GateWay Community College in 1987 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
GateWay: Maricopa’s technical college in Phoenix
GateWay Community College is one of the 10 Maricopa Community Colleges, governed by the Maricopa County Community College District, which sets one tuition schedule for all of them. It opened in 1968 as Maricopa Technical College and calls itself the first technical college in Arizona; it took the GateWay name in 1987, when it moved to 40th and Washington Streets. In 2016 the former Maricopa Skill Center became its Trade and Technical Training Division, now taught at Central City and Deer Valley. GateWay says it offers more than 160 degree and certificate programs. Most students study part-time. It also awards two bachelor’s degrees: the RN to BSN and a BAS in Nuclear Medicine Technology and Computed Tomography.
Main career programs and where they are taught
GateWay’s award pages do not say which site teaches each award, so the sites below come from its program-area pages, campus pages and the Trade and Technical Training start-date list. Credit programs are priced per credit hour and clock-hour certificates per clock hour (see the next section).
| Program | Credential | Length and format | Where | Prepares for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing (MaricopaNursing) | AAS | 4 semesters; evening track about 24 months, accelerated about 16 months | Washington | NCLEX-RN |
| RN to BSN | BSN, 120 credits (62–75 transferred in) | Suggested 5 terms | Phoenix; some in-person lab and clinical | For licensed RNs |
| Fast Track Practical Nursing | CCL | Two semesters or less | Washington | NCLEX-PN |
| Radiologic Technology | AAS | 22 months | Washington | ARRT radiography; Arizona certification |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonography | AAS or CCL | Full-time, hybrid | Washington | Sonography credentialing exams |
| Surgical Technology | AAS | 20 admitted each fall | Washington | CST |
| Respiratory Care | AAS | – | Washington | – |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | AAS | – | 18th Street, Washington | NBCOT (COTA) |
| Physical Therapist Assisting | AAS | – | Washington | – |
| Medical Assisting | CCT | Cohort | Washington | – |
| Pharmacy Technician | CCT, 602 clock hours | Includes 200-hour practicum | 18th Street | PTCE or ExCPT |
| Clinical Phlebotomy; ECG Technician | CCT | Cohorts | 18th Street | – |
| Emergency Medical Technology | CCT, 220 clock hours | About 20 weeks | Deer Valley (start listed) | NREMT eligibility |
| Welding (Precision, Structural and others) | CCTs only | Day programs about 9 months, 24 hours a week | Central City | – |
| HVAC Residential Installation and Service | CCT, 660 clock hours; HVAC AAS | – | Washington | – |
| CNC Machining I (Day) | CCT; CNC credit certificates | 22 Feb – 2 Dec 2027 cohort | Central City | – |
| Collision Repair Technician | CCT, 624 clock hours | Next start not yet scheduled | Central City | I-CAR ProLevel 1 |
| Automotive Service | AAS and CCLs | – | Washington | – |
| Electrical Technology | AAS, 62–69 credits; wiring CCLs | Admission through the Electric League of Arizona | – | – |
| Cosmetology, Aesthetician, Nail Technician, Massage Therapy | Clock-hour programs | Cohorts | Central City, Deer Valley | – |
Programmatic accreditation named by GateWay includes ACEN for the Nursing AAS (the RN to BSN is a candidate for ACEN initial accreditation; the candidacy expires on 27 March 2027), JRCERT for radiologic technology, CAAHEP for sonography, surgical technology, medical assisting and clinical neurodiagnostic technology, CoARC for respiratory care, ACOTE for the occupational therapy assistant program, CAPTE for physical therapist assisting, JRCNMT for nuclear medicine and the ASE Education Foundation for automotive. The Arizona State Board of Nursing approves the nursing, practical nursing and nurse assisting programs.
What the main programs cover
Registered Nursing (AAS)
The Nursing AAS is GateWay’s part of MaricopaNursing, the district’s shared registered nursing program, taught at the Washington Campus. Students choose a traditional four-semester track, an evening track of about 24 months or an accelerated track of about 16 months. Admission is selective, unlike most of the college. Graduates take the NCLEX-RN. Students also train in the Safe Patient Handling Education Lab at the 18th Street site. RNs who finish can continue straight into GateWay’s RN to BSN, which gives MaricopaNursing graduates preferential placement.
RN to BSN
GateWay awards this bachelor’s degree itself, not through a university partner. It is 120 credits, of which 62 to 75 transfer in as a block from an RN diploma or associate degree, followed in a suggested five-term sequence. Applicants need an active, unrestricted RN license and an Arizona DPS Level One fingerprint card. Three courses include in-person lab, simulation or clinical work. The first 19 graduates finished in May 2026. The degree is a candidate for ACEN initial accreditation, with the candidacy expiring on 27 March 2027.
Radiologic Technology
Radiologic Technology is a 22-month associate degree at the Washington Campus, holding an eight-year accreditation award from JRCERT. Graduates take the ARRT radiography exam and then apply for Arizona certification as radiologic technologists. All 34 students in the 2024 cohort completed the program, according to its page. Graduates who want to specialize can add GateWay’s Computed Tomography or MRI certificates, or the bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Medicine Technology and Computed Tomography. In August 2026 the district said GateWay’s program is being modernized while new programs open at two other Maricopa colleges in fall 2027.
Welding certificates
All welding at GateWay is taught at Central City as clock-hour Certificates of Competency, in cohorts; the college lists no welding associate degree. The two new certificates, Precision Welding Technologies and Structural Welding Technologies, are the only welding programs with starts on the 2026-27 list, beginning 9 November 2026. The earlier Welding Fundamentals (Day) certificate is 720 clock hours, and further certificates cover GTAW on ferrous and non-ferrous metals and SMAW pipe welding. Day programs meet 24 hours a week for about nine months. The program pages do not mention AWS certification.
HVAC
The HVAC Residential Installation and Service Technician (Day) certificate is 660 clock hours at the Washington Campus: an electrical course, ELR131, of 140 hours, then four 130-hour HVAC courses, HVC101, HVC102, HVC120 and HVC130. The next cohort starts on 26 October 2026. Students who want more can take the credit certificates in commercial installation and service or residential service, or the Air Conditioning/Refrigeration/Facilities associate degree. GateWay’s program pages do not mention EPA 608 refrigerant certification, so ask how students prepare for it.
Pharmacy Technician
The Pharmacy Technician certificate is 602 clock hours at the 18th Street site, ending with a 200-hour unpaid clinical practicum, PHC253DC, in a hospital or retail pharmacy. GateWay says the program meets the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board’s requirements for the PTCE, and the NHA’s ExCPT exam is another route. The program page names no ASHP/ACPE accreditation, so ask about it if an employer requires it. The next cohort starts on 11 January 2027.
2026-27 tuition and how students pay
The Maricopa County Community College District Governing Board sets one tuition schedule for all 10 colleges. For 2026-27, residents of Maricopa County and of every other Arizona county except Apache and Greenlee pay $97 per credit hour in lower-division courses. Only Apache and Greenlee County residents without an affidavit pay the higher out-of-county rate.
| 2026-27, per credit hour | Lower division | Upper division (BSN and BAS courses) |
|---|---|---|
| Maricopa County and nearly all other Arizona residents | $97.00 | $145.50 |
| Out-of-state students living in Arizona (on campus) | $372.00 | $420.50 |
| Out-of-state students online | $253.00 | $379.50 |
| Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) | $145.50 | $218.25 |
| Apache or Greenlee County residents without an affidavit | $546.00 | $594.50 |
| Clock-hour certificates (CCT) | $5–$6 per clock hour | – |
Registration is $15 per semester (clock-hour certificate pages say $15 per academic year), and course fees vary. For a full-time year of 30 credits, a county resident pays about $2,940 in tuition and registration. Program estimates for in-county students, from GateWay’s program pages, include about $5,200 for a day welding certificate with lab and book fees, $9,951–$13,351 for Respiratory Care, $11,433–$13,957 for Occupational Therapy Assistant, $12,086–$17,057 for Surgical Technology and $14,210–$14,875 for the Sonography AAS. College Navigator puts the average net price at $13,821 for 2023-24, including living costs.
GateWay takes federal student aid, but some short programs, including the EMT certificate, are not aid-eligible. In fall 2024, 54% of full-time students at the main campus received Pell Grants, according to GateWay’s consumer disclosure. GateWay’s own tuition page (headed 2025-2026) gives out-of-state military students and veterans studying online $225 per credit, or $2,700 for 12 or more credits. The Gene Haas Foundation has funded scholarships for CNC machining students.
Open admission, cohort starts for clock-hour programs
GateWay admits openly, but nursing, the RN to BSN and the allied health degrees have their own selective admission; Surgical Technology, for example, takes 20 students each fall. Electrical Technology admits students only through the Electric League of Arizona. Clock-hour certificates run as cohorts with set start dates: on the 2026-27 list, Clinical Phlebotomy and HVAC start on 26 October 2026, the new welding certificates on 9 November 2026, Pharmacy Technician and Massage Therapy on 11 January 2027, ECG Technician on 25 January 2027 and CNC Machining I on 22 February 2027. Day welding meets 24 hours a week; nursing has traditional, evening and accelerated tracks; sonography is hybrid; and Medical Billing and Coding is taught live online.
Accreditation and results
GateWay is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission on the Open Pathway. The college’s accreditation page says accreditation was reaffirmed in 2020, with a Year-4 Assurance Review in 2023, and mentions no sanction. The program figures below are as GateWay and the district publish them, checked in October 2026.
| Measure | Result | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing AAS, first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 97% (194 of 200); Arizona 89.92% | Calendar 2025, Maricopa nursing outcomes page |
| Nursing AAS graduates working as RNs | 87.3% of 201 graduates | 2025 academic year, same page (method not defined) |
| Radiologic Technology, ARRT first-attempt pass rate | 80% (131 of 166) | Five years, 2020–2024, program page |
| Radiologic Technology, job placement within 12 months | 98% (48 of 49 seeking work) | 2020–2024, program page |
| Sonography, placement within six months | 94% | 2023–2025, program page |
| Surgical Technology, CST pass rate and placement | 81% and 100% | 2023–2025 report to ARC/STSA, program page |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant, graduation | 92% (95 of 103) | Students starting 2021–2025, program page |
| College graduation rate | 29% within 150% of normal time (24% transferred out) | Full-time, first-time students who started in fall 2018 (College Navigator) |
GateWay publishes no NCLEX-PN pass rate for practical nursing, and the Respiratory Care and Occupational Therapy Assistant pages link out, to CoARC and to NBCOT, for exam results instead of listing them. The 29% graduation rate counts only full-time students, while 80% of GateWay’s students attend part-time.
Before you enroll
- The RN to BSN is not yet ACEN-accredited. It is a candidate for initial accreditation, and the candidacy expires on 27 March 2027.
- EMT is uncertain: the 2026-27 start list shows a Deer Valley cohort in January 2027, but the award page says its courses are not currently offered at GateWay. The certificate is open only to students located in Arizona and is not eligible for federal aid.
- GateWay has no welding associate degree, and only the two new welding certificates show start dates. Collision Repair and Medical Billing and Coding show no scheduled next start.
- Electrical Technology is not open enrollment: admission is only through the Electric League of Arizona.
- Some programs rely on courses GateWay does not teach. The Banking and Finance degree and the Web App Development certificate include required courses that are not offered at GateWay, so students take them at other Maricopa colleges or, for two finance courses, cannot take them at any listed college.
Four Phoenix sites: what each teaches
| Campus | Address | Main programs here |
|---|---|---|
| Washington Campus (main) | 108 N. 40th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85034 | Nursing AAS, practical nursing and nurse assisting; radiologic technology, sonography, surgical technology, respiratory care, physical therapist assisting and other allied health; automotive; HVAC; IT and cybersecurity; business and transfer |
| 18th Street | 555 N. 18th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85006 | ECG Technician, Pharmacy Technician, Clinical Phlebotomy; Occupational Therapy Assistant (with Washington); HUG Clinic |
| Central City | 1245 East Buckeye Road, Phoenix, AZ 85034 | Welding, CNC machining, collision repair; Aesthetician, Cosmetology, Nail Technician, Massage Therapy |
| Deer Valley Campus | 2931 West Bell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85053 | Aesthetician, Cosmetology, Cosmetology Instructor, Nail Technician, Massage Therapy; EMT start listed for January 2027 |
GateWay also lists Phoenix Forge, a community makerspace at 535 West Van Buren Street open to Maricopa students and the public, and the Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation, a business incubator. Neither teaches credit programs, so they are not counted as campuses here.
Clinics and practice spaces
Students train at the HUG Clinic at 18th Street and the salon and spa clinics at Deer Valley, and nursing and allied health students train in the Safe Patient Handling Education Lab. Students can also use the Phoenix Forge makerspace and the Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation business incubator.
What students say
On Niche, GateWay Community College is rated 4.11 out of 5 from 588 reviews, with an overall grade of B- (checked 10 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise supportive faculty and staff, flexible online and hybrid options at a low price, and free tutoring, counseling and career services. The most common complaints are a quiet campus life, slow advising and poor communication between departments, and limited office and library hours for evening students. The reviews cover the whole college rather than a single program, and we could not see when they were posted, so we cannot say whether they came in bursts or were invited by the school.
Sources
Checked October 2026: GateWay campus locations · GateWay degrees and certificates · Trade and Technical Training start dates · GateWay accreditation · Maricopa tuition and fees 2026-27 · MaricopaNursing outcomes · College Navigator · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Nursing (AAS, MaricopaNursing)
- Nursing: RN to BSN
- Fast Track Practical Nursing
- Nurse Assisting
- Nursing Refresher
- Operating Room Nursing
Health Sciences
- Radiologic Technology
- Computed Tomography
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Nuclear Medicine Technology and Computed Tomography (BAS)
- Diagnostic Medical Sonography
- Surgical Technology
- Hospital Central Service Technology
- Respiratory Care
- Occupational Therapy Assistant
- Physical Therapist Assisting
- Clinical Neurodiagnostic Technology
- Medical Assisting
- Pharmacy Technician
- Clinical Phlebotomy
- ECG Technician
- Medical Billing and Coding
- Emergency Medical Technology
- Health Services Management
- Healthcare Regulatory Compliance
Beauty and Wellness
- Aesthetician
- Cosmetology
- Cosmetology Instructor
- Nail Technician
- Massage Therapy
Applied Technology and Trades
- Air Conditioning/Refrigeration/Facilities (HVAC)
- Electrical Technology
- Welding
- CNC Machining
- Quality Assurance
- Automotive Service
- Collision Repair Technician
- Industrial Design Technology
- Water and Wastewater Treatment
Computer and Information Technology
- Cybersecurity
- Network and Systems Administration
- Cisco Network Administration (CCNA)
- AWS Cloud Associate
- Red Hat Linux Administrator
- Information Technology
- Computer Information Systems
- Data Analytics
- Computer Science (transfer, AS emphasis)
Business
- Accounting
- Banking and Finance
- Organizational Management
- Organizational Leadership
Campus Locations
Phoenix, AZ 108 N. 40th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85034
Phoenix, AZ 555 N. 18th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85006
Phoenix, AZ 1245 East Buckeye Road, Phoenix, AZ 85034
Phoenix, AZ 2931 West Bell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85053