Bigger and better: Pima Community College starts Fall Semester with strong enrollment

Pima Community College is starting the fall semester with more students in classrooms across Tucson, a sign that the two year college remains a major part of the region’s education and workforce pipeline. The college counted 19,447 students on the first day of fall classes, Aug. 24, up 1.34% from the 19,186 students recorded on the first day of fall 2025. Students also registered for more credit courses, with enrollment rising 2.2%, from 58,349 last fall to 59,635 this semester.

The increase continues five consecutive semesters of year over year enrollment growth. Pima’s first day headcount has climbed from 17,412 students in fall 2022 to 17,745 in fall 2023, 17,922 in 2024, 19,186 in 2025 and 19,447 this fall. That is an increase of more than 2,000 students in four years. The first day figures are distinct from the college’s broader count of full time and part time students, which exceeded 30,000 in recent reporting and topped 33,000 in fall 2024.

For Tucson students weighing the cost of a four year university, Pima’s affordability is a central part of the appeal. Sophia Byrket, a Pima sophomore and Salpointe Catholic High School graduate, said she and her friend Enya Illegems, also a Salpointe graduate, considered four year schools before choosing Pima. Byrket said tuition was substantially less expensive, and she preferred a smaller campus environment to the size and intensity she associated with the University of Arizona.

Pima Chancellor Jeffrey P. Nasse said affordability, flexibility and student support are helping the college attract students. Pima offers about 150 transfer and occupational programs, along with online classes and workforce development options. Downtown and West campuses are identified as the college’s busiest locations, and Nasse said on campus classes are especially strong. He described campuses as full and said finding parking had become difficult as the semester began.

The college’s reach also extends into local high schools. During the previous academic year, 6,616 high school students took part in dual enrollment, earning Pima credit through classes connected to their high schools. That represented an increase of nearly 25% from the prior year. For Pima, early college participation creates another route into higher education for Arizona students, while giving high school students a chance to earn credits before deciding whether to transfer or enter the workforce.

Pima is also considering a major change to how students take those courses. Through a proposed initiative called Acceler8, the college is studying whether to offer most classes in two eight week sessions instead of one traditional 16 week semester. About 30% to 40% of current classes are already available in eight week formats. If the plan moves forward, about 90% of courses could be offered that way, potentially beginning in the 2028 to 2029 school year.

The proposal is intended to help students who work full time, care for families or otherwise cannot easily manage several classes at once. Pima Provost Ian Roark said shorter sessions could allow part time students to concentrate on one or two courses rather than juggling three or more over 16 weeks. The college is examining course content, assessments and hybrid instruction to determine how to preserve academic rigor. Its committees have visited other colleges, including Amarillo College, where about 80% of classes use eight week blocks, and El Paso Community College, which is in its third year of transitioning one campus to the format.

Not everyone is convinced the shorter schedule will work equally well for every subject. Eman Mousa, an international student from Yemen studying computer design, said an eight week schedule might suit general education classes but could be difficult for project based courses that require students to learn design processes and new software before completing major assignments. Faculty and staff have also raised concerns about writing courses, where students need time to build integrated skills and instructors must monitor classroom work and identify work produced by artificial intelligence. The timeline was delayed to allow more research, consultation and professional development, as well as compensation for faculty redesigning courses. The plan still requires input from students and employees and approval from the Governing Board.

The debate comes as Pima weighs how to improve completion while maintaining access. The college’s three year graduation rate for students pursuing two year degrees was 28% in the 2024 to 2025 school year, while about 16% transferred to a four year institution. Pima recently voted to raise tuition and place a bond question on the November ballot. The proposed bond would be the college’s first since 1995 and would support renovations, expansions and debt refinancing. At the same time, the University of Arizona says it is strengthening transfer pathways with Pima and other Arizona community colleges. The university reported that Pima remained its leading transfer institution, linking the community college’s growth to Tucson’s broader higher education system.