| Type | Campus-based private career college; hybrid classes at some campuses; online division run from Tucson |
|---|---|
| Campuses | 16 in 7 states (AZ 4, CA 2, CO 3, NV 1, NM 1, TX 3, WA 2), plus online |
| Credentials | Certificates and associate degrees on campus; bachelor’s and master’s degrees online only |
| Program length | About 6 weeks (nurse aide; the 40-hour Expanded Duties Dental Assistant course is shorter) to 24 months (radiography, respiratory therapy); most certificates about 9 months |
| Accreditation | ABHES (national, institutional); programmatic accreditation for many degree programs, e.g. JRCERT, CAPTE, ACOTE, CoARC, CODA and AVMA CVTEA |
| Federal aid | Yes (Pell, FSEOG, Direct and PLUS Loans, Work-Study); GI Bill and MyCAA |
| Owner | Employee-owned, for-profit. Founded January 1972 in Tucson, AZ |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
About Pima Medical Institute
Pima Medical Institute (PMI) is a for-profit, employee-owned career college that teaches only health care: medical, dental, veterinary, imaging, therapy, nursing and emergency medical programs. It opened in Tucson in 1972 and now has 16 campuses in seven states, plus an online division run from Tucson that offers certificates, associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree. PMI says it has more than 180,000 graduates and offers more than 30 programs.
Most on-campus programs are certificates of about nine months or associate degrees of 18 to 24 months, and many of the associate degrees carry their own programmatic accreditation. PMI’s former campus in Dillon, Montana, which taught veterinary technology, no longer appears on PMI’s site; College Navigator shows its accreditation period ending in May 2024.
Programs at PMI’s 16 campuses
Programs vary a lot by campus. Lengths and hours come from PMI’s program pages; costs are total program costs (tuition, registration, books, supplies, uniform and technology fee) from the campus price lists effective 1 July 2026.
| Program | Credential | Length (about) | Campuses | Prepares for | Sample total cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Assistant | Certificate | 9 months | All 16 | CMA, RMA, CCMA or NCMA | $18,459 (Tucson) |
| Pharmacy Technician | Certificate | 9 months | 12 | PTCE (CPhT) or ExCPT | $18,358 (Tucson) |
| Phlebotomy Technician | Certificate | 3 months | 7 (AZ, TX, WA) | NHA CPT, AMT RPT, NCCT | $5,623 (Tucson) |
| Medical Billing and Coding | Certificate | 9 months | East Valley only | NHA CBCS, AAPC CPC, AHIMA | $18,155 (East Valley) |
| Dental Assistant | Certificate | 9 months | 15 (all but East Valley) | NELDA, DANB RHS | $18,940 (Tucson) |
| Expanded Duties Dental Assistant | Course | 40 hours | Aurora, Colorado Springs, Denver | Colorado expanded functions | $2,288 (Colorado) |
| Sterile Processing Technician | Certificate | 9 months (400-hour externship) | Phoenix, Denver, Seattle | CRCST, CSPDT | $17,607 (Phoenix) |
| Veterinary Assistant | Certificate | 9 months | 14 | NAVTA AVA | $18,823 (Tucson) |
| Nursing Assistant/Nurse Aide | Certificate | 6 weeks | East Valley, Denver | AZ or CO nurse aide exam | $1,982 (East Valley) |
| Practical Nursing | Certificate | 12 months | Aurora, Albuquerque | NCLEX-PN | $28,033 (Aurora) |
| EMT / Advanced EMT | Certificates | 15 weeks each | Las Vegas | NREMT | $2,504 / $2,599 (Las Vegas) |
| Nursing (ADN) | Associate | 20 months | Mesa, Tucson | NCLEX-RN | $62,189 (Mesa) |
| Radiography | Associate | 24 months | 10 | ARRT RT(R) | $52,211 (Tucson) |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonography | Associate | 22 months | 6 (AZ, TX, WA) | ARDMS or ARRT sonography, by campus | $50,193 (Tucson) |
| Dental Hygiene | Associate | 18–23 months | 5 | NBDHE | $79,918 (Phoenix) |
| Surgical Technology | Associate | 18 months | 5 | Not named by PMI | $41,230 (Tucson) |
| Medical Laboratory Technician | Associate | 19 months | Colorado Springs only | Not named by PMI | $47,084 (Colorado Springs, 2026–27 list) |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | Associate | 18 months | 8 | NPTE-PTA | $45,078 (Tucson) |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | Associate | 20 months | 7 | NBCOT (COTA) | $45,742 (Tucson) |
| Respiratory Therapy | Associate | 24 months | 8 | NBRC CRT, then RRT | $54,358 (Tucson) |
| Veterinary Technician | Associate | 18 months (21 at El Paso) | 13 | VTNE | $20,789 (Tucson; varies by state) |
| Paramedic | Associate | 15 months | Las Vegas only | NREMT Paramedic | $23,730 (Las Vegas) |
Online programs, on the Tucson and online price list (1 July 2026): Medical Administrative Assistant certificate ($13,470), Computed Tomography certificate for registered technologists ($3,884), AAS in Health Care Administration ($27,244), Radiography Bridge for people already working in the field ($32,988), RN to BSN ($16,823), BS in Health Care Administration ($30,350), BS Physical Therapist Assistant ($27,542), BS Radiologic Sciences (about $26,125), BS Respiratory Therapy (about $25,300) and MS Organizational Leadership (about $23,470).
Most on-campus programs include an externship, clinical rotation or fieldwork; PMI says it arranges externships and works with more than 15,000 employers. Hybrid versions of some certificates meet on campus two days a week and online three; externships are always in person.
What the main programs cover
Medical Assistant
The certificate takes about nine months and combines about 330 classroom hours, 230 to 270 lab hours and a 160- to 200-hour externship. Modules cover anatomy and physiology, CPR and first aid, medical office management, insurance, billing and coding, exam techniques, pharmacology, phlebotomy, office laboratory procedures, and law and ethics. PMI arranges the externship, which is always in person. Hybrid versions meet on campus two days a week and online three, and some campuses run evening classes. Graduates can choose among four national exams: CMA (AAMA), RMA (AMT), CCMA (NHA) and NCMA (NCCT).
Radiography
The degree runs about 24 months and 66.5 to 69.5 credits: 655 to 700 classroom hours, 68 lab hours and 1,680 clinical hours. It ends with an ARRT review course (RAD 299) before the ARRT exam for the RT(R) credential. Admission is competitive: applicants need at least 20 on the Wonderlic and 24 on a math test, and are then ranked on both scores plus an interview, out of 130 points. A score of 90 or more means acceptance or a waitlist place; below 75 means denial. Degree classes are mostly daytime.
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
The sonography degree runs about 22 months and 82.5 credits: 675 classroom hours, 405 lab hours and 1,080 clinical hours. Which exam graduates prepare for depends on the campus: ARDMS exams at El Paso and Houston, and the ARRT sonography exam at Phoenix, Tucson, Renton and San Antonio. Only the three Texas programs (El Paso, Houston and San Antonio) are CAAHEP accredited. If you want a particular credential, ask your campus which one its graduates take before you enroll.
Physical Therapist Assistant
The PTA degree (an Associate of Occupational Studies at most campuses, an AAS at Houston) runs about 75 weeks and 80 to 83 credits, including 640 clinical hours, and prepares graduates for the NPTE-PTA licensing exam. PMI publishes campus outcomes: for 2022–23 graduates (two-year average), first-time NPTE pass rates ran from 52.3% at Las Vegas and 64.4% at Mesa to 83.0% at Houston and 91.3% at Albuquerque, and employment was 97% to 100%. San Marcos’s program was on CAPTE probationary accreditation in October 2026.
Nursing (ADN and Practical Nursing)
The ADN at Mesa and Tucson runs about 20 months in five semesters and prepares graduates for the NCLEX-RN; licensed practical nurses can join at semester III. It has full Arizona Board of Nursing approval but, as PMI states, no programmatic accreditation. The Practical Nursing certificate at Aurora and Albuquerque runs about 12 months with 488 classroom, 168 lab and 405 clinical hours (1,061 hours in all at Aurora) and leads to the NCLEX-PN. Both PN programs have state board approval; Aurora holds initial NLN CNEA accreditation and Albuquerque is on NLN CNEA probation until December 2027.
Veterinary Technician and Veterinary Assistant
The Veterinary Technician degree runs about 18 months (21 at El Paso) and 77.5 to 80.5 credits in a blended format, with a 240- to 465-hour externship depending on the campus. It is accredited by the AVMA’s CVTEA and prepares graduates for the VTNE; Chula Vista’s program was on probationary accreditation in September 2026. The Veterinary Assistant certificate is shorter (about nine months: 316 classroom, 164 lab and 240 externship hours) and leads to NAVTA’s AVA credential. It is taught at 14 campuses, including Albuquerque and Denver, which have no vet tech degree.
Cost and paying for it
PMI publishes a price list for each campus in its catalog addenda. On the lists effective 1 July 2026, most nine-month certificates cost about $17,600 to $20,400 in total: Medical Assistant, for example, was $18,459 in Arizona, Nevada and Texas and $19,997 at Renton, WA. Most associate degrees cost about $41,000 to $59,000, and dental hygiene is the most expensive program, from $79,918 at Phoenix to $86,053 at Albuquerque. The cheapest are the nurse aide course ($1,982), Colorado’s 40-hour Expanded Duties Dental Assistant course ($2,288), EMT ($2,504) and Advanced EMT ($2,599). Totals differ by state, so check your own campus’s price list; we could not read the Seattle and El Paso lists.
PMI is eligible for federal student aid: Pell Grants (up to $7,395 for 2026–27), FSEOG, Direct and PLUS loans and Federal Work-Study. At East Valley, College Navigator shows 58% of full-time beginning students receiving aid (32% Pell grants, 49% loans) and an average net price of $21,457 for 2023–24. Veterans can use the Post-9/11 and Montgomery GI Bill, DEA (Chapter 35) and VR&E (Chapter 31), and MyCAA pays up to $4,000; PMI’s military page does not mention Yellow Ribbon or Tuition Assistance.
PMI’s named scholarships include a Phlebotomy Graduate Scholarship of up to $4,650 toward another certificate, a Nursing Assistant Graduate Scholarship of up to $1,305, an alumni online education scholarship of up to $1,500, a Las Vegas EMT graduate scholarship equal to the EMT tuition paid, and five $5,000 scholarships per Albuquerque practical nursing cohort for working CNAs and patient care technicians.
Admissions and schedule
Applicants need a high school diploma or GED, must pass an entrance exam at a set minimum score and have an interview; applicants under legal age need a parent’s or guardian’s approval. Radiography is competitive and points-based (see above), and Advanced EMT requires an active EMT licence. Certificate programs start several times a year. Schedules vary by campus: Mesa, for example, runs class shifts of 8:00 to 12:00 or 12:30 to 4:30 Monday to Friday, or 5:30 to 9:50 pm Monday to Thursday, while degree programs are mostly daytime. Hybrid versions of medical assisting, veterinary assisting, pharmacy technician and billing and coding are offered at select campuses.
Accreditation, probations and results
PMI is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES), a national accreditor. It has no regional accreditation. Its approvals from state agencies in each of its seven states, such as California’s BPPE and the Texas Workforce Commission, are licences to operate, not accreditation. Programmatic accreditors include JRCERT (radiography), CAAHEP (sonography at the three Texas campuses, and paramedic), CODA (dental hygiene), CAPTE (PTA), ACOTE (OTA), CoARC (respiratory therapy), AVMA CVTEA (vet tech), ASHP (pharmacy technician at Las Vegas only), NLN CNEA (practical nursing) and CCNE (RN to BSN). The ADN, surgical technology and medical laboratory technician programs have no programmatic accreditor beyond ABHES; the ADN has Arizona Board of Nursing approval.
Programs on probation or a similar status, as listed by PMI (checked October 2026):
- Practical Nursing, Albuquerque: NLN CNEA probation, June 2026 to December 2027.
- Radiography, Albuquerque and El Paso: JRCERT probation. El Paso’s five-year ARRT pass rate was 70%, below JRCERT’s 75% benchmark, and Albuquerque’s published outcomes page was a blank template when checked.
- Physical Therapist Assistant, San Marcos: CAPTE probationary accreditation.
- Veterinary Technician, Chula Vista: AVMA CVTEA probationary accreditation (September 2026 catalog addendum).
Mesa’s ADN was on Arizona Board of Nursing probation from September 2022 until it ended in August 2024.
PMI’s June 2026 Student Right to Know disclosure shows that, for the 2022–23 cohort of first-time, full-time students, between 62% (Albuquerque) and 83% (San Marcos) graduated within 150% of normal time; most campuses fell between 63% and 76%. Tucson’s figure (54%) is for an older, 2019–20 cohort. NCLEX-RN pass rates in 2026 were 92.5% at Mesa (January to June) and 91.3% at Tucson (January to March), per the Arizona Board of Nursing. PTA licensing exam results by campus are given above. We did not find published pass rates for the practical nursing, vet tech, sonography, surgical technology or respiratory therapy exams.
Housing and career help
PMI has no student housing: College Navigator lists none, and no PMI page mentions it. Older descriptions of students living on campus and paying about $12,000 for room and board are wrong. Career services include externship placement, workshops on résumés, cover letters, interviewing and networking, job placement help that continues after graduation, and an alumni portal.
Before you enroll
- Check that your campus teaches your program and ask about its accreditation status. Five programs at four campuses are on probation or probationary accreditation (see above), and some programs, such as vet tech, are missing at campuses that teach the related assistant certificate.
- ABHES is a national accreditor, and PMI has no regional accreditation. Credits may not transfer to community colleges or universities, so ask any school you might move to later.
- Surgical technology, the ADN and medical laboratory technician have no programmatic accreditation beyond ABHES. Ask how graduates qualify for the certification exams employers in your area expect, such as the CST or ASCP MLT.
- The sonography credential you prepare for (ARDMS or ARRT) depends on the campus.
- Prices differ by state for the same program: radiography was $52,211 at Tucson and $57,491 at Chula Vista (1 July 2026).
What students say
PMI’s main Niche page has too few reviews, so we looked at its campus pages. Ten campuses have 25 or more Niche reviews, 1,073 in total, with averages from 3.47 (Colorado Springs) to 4.29 (Seattle) out of 5 and a weighted average of about 4.1 (checked October 2026). The largest are Tucson (4.25, 273 reviews), Mesa (4.20, 179) and Houston (4.21, 140). We could not check review dates, so we can’t say whether reviews were invited or posted in bursts. PMI has no Trustpilot reviews.
- Praised: hands-on labs and externships, supportive and experienced instructors, small classes, simulation facilities and welcoming staff.
- Criticized: financial-aid communication and administrative hurdles, strict attendance rules (especially for missed clinical days), a sense that the school is focused on money, and a very fast pace.
Sources
PMI campuses · PMI programs · PMI accreditation · Catalog and campus price lists · Student Right to Know, June 2026 · Arizona NCLEX-RN results 2026 · PTA outcomes · Niche
Programs & Courses
Certificates (on campus)
- Medical Assistant
- Medical Billing and Coding
- Pharmacy Technician
- Phlebotomy Technician
- Dental Assistant
- Expanded Duties Dental Assistant (40-hour course)
- Sterile Processing Technician
- Veterinary Assistant
- Nursing Assistant/Nurse Aide
- Practical Nursing
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- Advanced EMT
Associate degrees (on campus)
- Nursing (ADN)
- Radiography
- Diagnostic Medical Sonography
- Dental Hygiene
- Surgical Technology
- Medical Laboratory Technician
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- Occupational Therapy Assistant
- Respiratory Therapy
- Veterinary Technician
- Paramedic
Online programs
- Medical Administrative Assistant (certificate)
- Computed Tomography (certificate)
- Health Care Administration (AAS)
- Radiography Bridge (associate)
- RN to BSN
- BS Health Care Administration
- BS Physical Therapist Assistant
- BS Radiologic Sciences
- BS Respiratory Therapy
- MS Organizational Leadership
Campus Locations
Mesa, AZ 2160 S. Power Rd, Mesa, AZ 85209
Mesa, AZ 957 S. Dobson Rd, Mesa, AZ 85202
Phoenix, AZ 13430 N. Black Canyon Hwy, Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85029
Tucson, AZ 2121 N. Craycroft Rd, Bldg 1, Tucson, AZ 85712
Chula Vista, CA 780 Bay Blvd, Suite 101, Chula Vista, CA 91910
San Marcos, CA 111 Campus Way, Suite 100, San Marcos, CA 92078
Aurora, CO 13750 E. Mississippi Ave, Aurora, CO 80012
Colorado Springs, CO 5725 Mark Dabling Blvd, Suite 150, Colorado Springs, CO 80919
Denver, CO 7475 Dakin St, Suite 100, Denver, CO 80221
Las Vegas, NV 3333 E. Flamingo Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89121
Albuquerque, NM 4400 Cutler Ave NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110
El Paso, TX 6926 Gateway Blvd E, El Paso, TX 79915
Houston, TX 11125 Equity Dr, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77041
San Antonio, TX 6550 First Park Ten Blvd, San Antonio, TX 78213
Renton, WA 555 S. Renton Village Pl, Suite 400, Renton, WA 98057
Seattle, WA 9709 Third Ave NE, Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98115