Starting at Northland Pioneer College and then trans-ferring to a four-year institution is a smart strategy for students who want to earn a bachelor’s degree. As tuition continues to climb at Arizona’s public state universities, more students are discovering they can save nearly $17,516 in just tuition by completing one of NPC’s guaranteed transfer degrees. These degrees contain the needed lower-division general education courses and electives that are required for most bachelor’s degrees.
NPC currently offers five degrees specifically designed for transfer to a four-year college or university: Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Arts in Early Childhood (AAEC), Associate of Arts in Elementary Education (AAEE), Associate of Business (ABus) and Associate of Science (AS).
Students should work with an NPC academic adviser to ensure they select the right degree for their intended university major. The AZ Transfer website (www.aztransfer.com) is also a great source of information for transfer students, allowing them to easily see which courses are guaranteed to transfer to the state universities using the course equivalency guide.
In addition to the tuition cost savings, at NPC, experienced faculty with at least a master’s degree in their field teach the general education courses, with an average of 13 to 15 students per class. At a university, those same courses typically have more than 100 students and are taught by teaching assistants, many of whom are working to obtain their master’s degrees in the subject.
Smaller class sizes and individualized assistance from NPC instructors make NPC “a good stepping stone,” said NPC graduate Leah Heiser. “[Biology instructor] Pat Lopez is fantastic and so helpful,” she continued. Heiser started her studies at UofA this fall.
NPC graduate Christopher Cox found NPC’s instructors extremely focused on student success. Cox, who was enrolled at a valley community college before returning to Show Low and NPC, said he benefitted greatly from the smaller class sizes and personal interest faculty took in his education. NPC geology instructor Randy Porch mentored Cox, who received his AS degree this past May. Cox is currently attending ASU.
Former NPC nursing student Alison Iverson credits instructor Carol Stewart for giving her a “laid-back, quality education.” Iverson is currently pursuing her B.S.N. via online classes from NAU.
These are just a few of the students who started smart at NPC. Don’t go into debt; NPC has everything you need to start your college education.
