Arizona's largest community college, serving over 15,000 students across two comprehensive campuses.
Mesa Community College offers more than 200 degrees, transfer, career and certificate programs across diverse disciplines including Agribusiness, Business, Biotechnology, Computer Science, Dental Hygiene, Electronics, Engineering, Fire Science, Mortuary Science, Nursing, and Urban Horticulture. The college provides traditional, online, and hybrid courses to accommodate flexible learning needs. MCC is one of the largest transfer providers to Arizona State University, while many programs prepare students for immediate entry into the job market. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
The college operates two comprehensive campuses serving the Mesa area. The Southern & Dobson campus in southwest Mesa includes the Paul A. Elsner Library, Kirk Student Center, and various academic and athletic facilities. The Red Mountain campus in northeast Mesa, opened in 2000, features the Desert Willow Building (library & commons), Mesquite Building (student & administrative services), Palo Verde Building (classrooms & laboratories), and the Ironwood Building. Student life includes athletics through the Thunderbirds teams, competing in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference and NJCAA.
Mesa Community College was launched in 1963 as an extension branch of Phoenix College with 330 students. On April 12, 1965, it became a separate institution within the Maricopa Junior College District. The college graduated its first class from its new campus in 1968 and has undergone continuous expansion, including the addition of the Paul A. Elsner Library in 1999, the Red Mountain Campus (2000), and recent facilities such as the art museum (2016). The college's mascot changed from Hokam to Thunderbird in 1974.