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Online Degrees in Arizona (AZ)

Arizona education has come a long way since 2006 when higher education spending per student was lower in Arizona than in all but one other state: Utah. In 2010, Arizona moved above the national average, increasing its higher education spending to 12 percent of the budget, according to a National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) report.

Acknowledging that the state's economic recovery and ultimate success is dependent on an educated workforce, Arizona has put a number of education initiatives high on its to-do list.

Arizona's education initiatives

Access to Higher Education and Degrees (AHEAD) is a collaborative effort among Arizona schools, the business community and state government to "reshape Arizona's post-secondary education system and enable more residents to successfully obtain a college degree in less time at a lower cost" through new degree Pathway Programs.

In one example, Eastern Arizona College (EAC) students in the Transfer Admission Guarantee program enroll in the Arizona General Education Curriculum at EAC, earn an associate degree and are guaranteed a place in an Arizona State University (ASU) bachelor's degree program. Students completing the AAS in Nursing at EAC have guaranteed admission to the BSN program at ASU.

More than 1,100 bachelor's degree Pathway Programs are offered throughout Arizona, with enrollment of approximately 12,700 students, according to a May 2011 news release.

Additionally, the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) is proposing no tuition increase for 2011-2012 and is championing a plan to allocate state educational funding based on "key drivers of success, such as freshman-retention rates, credit-hour efficiency and community-college-transfer rates" rather than enrollment.

Earning online degrees in Arizona

"One thing Arizona does well is innovative, online education," said Jamie P. Merisotis, president and CEO of the Lumina Foundation for Education, in testimony before the Arizona House of Representatives. Merisotis praised online programs at Tempe-based Rio Salado Community College, the largest online public community college in the nation. Rio, named as one of the eight most productive higher education institutions in the country by management consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, offers online certificates and associate degrees as well as campus and hybrid programs at academic and workplace locations throughout Maricopa County.

Arizona is also working on implementing one of the nation's most comprehensive online higher education programs with the goal of growing enrollment fivefold by 2020--more than 50,000 students, according to ABOR co-chair Fred DuVal in an article in The Arizona Republic titled "A bold new plan for higher education in Arizona."

Online education can help Arizona achieve that goal by bringing the classroom to students in more remote areas of Arizona as well as to the state's working adults who need to earn while they learn.

Arizona economy: "Anemic" but headed toward recovery

Economic recovery has been slow to come to Arizona, according to experts, who predict only "anemic" recovery for the next two to three years. Spending should improve and hiring should strengthen during 2011, according to economics experts from the University of Arizona. The unemployment rate also fell to 9.1 percent in June 2011, down from a high of 10.4 percent at the end of 2009. However, housing remains a serious problem for the state as low prices and too much inventory continue to hinder the housing recovery.

According to the June 2011 Arizona Workforce Employment report, professional and business services added 2,300 jobs in May, the highest increase since 2006; leisure and hospitality, which usually loses jobs as tourism begins to wind down, added 1,700 jobs and manufacturing added 1,400 jobs. Other industry sectors showed minor gains or remained flat.

Working in Arizona: Salaries and career prospects

Of the top 25 fastest-growing occupations in Arizona from 2008-2018, 80 percent require or prefer a post-secondary education. More than half--56 percent--are in health care professions, according to Department of Labor data.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Labor and Bureau of Labor Statistics, the following occupations are projected to be the five fastest growing in the state between 2008 and 2018. Careers are listed with 2010 mean annual salary in Arizona and education requirements.

Biomedical engineers: $92,440, 55 percent growth, bachelor's degree
Credit authorizers, checkers & clerks: $27,370, 52 percent growth, some college
Athletic trainers: $40,760, 44 percent growth, bachelor's degree
Network systems & data communications analysts: $87,790, 41 percent growth, bachelor's degree
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists: $80,580, 38 percent growth, doctoral or professional degree

Economic recovery through campus and online degrees in Arizona

Over the last decade, Arizona bachelor's degree attainment has increased 33.1 percent with a record number of degrees awarded in the 2009-2010 academic year. In his "bold new plan," DuVal pledges to the Arizona taxpayer that the state "will have the most efficient and productive university system in the nation, with maximum access for students and quality graduates who can meet our workforce needs." With its innovative programs, Arizona is actively working to strengthen its workforce through education in preparation for full economic recovery.

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