Academic Programs

The Santa Cruz Center is a full service institute of higher learning. Our advisors work with students to facilitate admissions, registration, and financial aid for low-income students.
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Outdoor Patio

Students at the Santa Cruz Center enjoy eating, studying or catching up outdoors.

Santa Cruz Center: Capacity For A Growing Student Population

Our tenure as a Provisional Community College District started in the 1904 Courthouse where we offered a small number of courses to a small but growing student body. In 2013, we moved into the current facility, at the corner of Grand Avenue and Mariposa Road. The building tripled our capacity to house the growing student enrollments, increased our ability to promote community functions, and allowed us to focus on new workforce development programs. Today Santa Cruz Center offers over 300 students certificate and degree programs through Pima Community College and UofA Nogales.

Certificates, Associate’s, Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees all in-house

The Santa Cruz Center is the only higher education institution with a physical presence in Nogales. Students can now earn certifications through local business partnerships and two-year degrees through  a  sponsoring Community College. University of Arizona’s UA Nogales campus is located inside our center, providing students with quality post-high school programs, including Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree programs, without ever leaving Santa Cruz County.

The Santa Cruz Center Governing Board is targeting outreach services with the local high schools and school districts to build student enrollment, and they are working with the business community to help them with workforce needs. Our goals are to keep adding classes and programs that meet the needs of a growing student body as well as introduce certificate programs that support local business and industry.

One example is the Logistics Supply Chain Management Associate of Applied Science Degree program. Coursework supports the local international Manufacturing and Produce industries. More specialized programs are in development that will attract students from Nogales, Sonora.

We Accelerate Achievement

With a high proportion of first generation learners, we prepare students for 100 level courses, increasing their skills in reading and writing so they can succeed.

We Advance Service

Our advisors and student coalition do outstanding work. We are advancing our services to accommodate adult learners within the business community.

We Increase Student Success

We focus on course completion over enrollment. We help students throughout the entire process so they receive certificates and open up pathways to associates, bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Community colleges provide education to all segments of society through an open-access admissions policy, a comprehensive educational program, service to its community as a community-based institution of higher education, teaching and lifelong learning.