Education & Workforce System
Educational Assets
Nogales is the home to education and workforce assets that include, within the community, K-12 schools, a community college, a branch campus of the University of Arizona, a public workforce Career OneStop, along with training periodically offered through the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas.
K-12 Education
School enrollment in the Nogales area produces more than 630 graduates annually, with an 85 percent 4-year graduation rate. Santa Cruz County offers 13 school districts and 28 schools. Nogales High School and Rio Rico High School have more than1,700 students and 1,000 students, respectively.
Certifications & Degrees
Local Access Encourages Higher Education
The University of Arizona South operates UA Santa Cruz in partnership with Cochise Community College, allowing students to complete lower division degree requirements in Santa Cruz County through a 2+2 program.
Community College AAS and AA degrees can be completed at UA Santa Cruz in: Administration of Justice, Anthropology, Business Administration, Communications, Computer Information Systems, Early Childhood Care and Education, Economics, Elementary Education, Fire Science Technology, General Requirements, General Studies, Journalism and Media Arts, Paramedicine, Political Science, Psychology and Social Work.
Upper division requirements are earned at UA South.
UA Santa Cruz Classroom Versus Online Offerings
Degrees that can be earned in person or online at UA Santa Cruz include:
In person
Administration of Justice (BAS)
Commerce (BAS)
Early Childhood Education (BAS)
Elementary Education (BS)
Psychology (BA)
Online
Educational Technology (MS)
Family Studies and Human Development (BS)
Human Services (BAS)
Organizational Leadership (BAS)
Secondary Education (ME)
Spanish (minor)
Workforce One Stop Center
Santa Cruz County Career One-Stop, 610 Morley Ave., Nogales, AZ, 85621, 520-375-7670The Santa Cruz County One-Stop offers a range of programs including:
Adult Basic Education (ABE)
Adult Basic Education is designed for the learner who wishes to strengthen reading, writing and math. The program offers basic instruction for adults in reading, math and language. Individuals are pre-tested to determine entry levels.
Adult Secondary Education (ASE)
Adult Secondary Education classes offer instruction to adults who are preparing to pass the Arizona High School Equivalency exam (GED®) or who desire to enhance essential skills. The program provides instruction in the five content areas of the Arizona High School Equivalency exam: Language Arts, Reading and Writing, Social Studies, Science and Mathematics.
English Language Acquisition for Adults (ELAA)
This program is designed for individuals who want to learn the English language. The ELAA classes are designed to teach the four basic communication skills- listening, speaking, reading and writing, in ways that relate to everyday life. Classes are offered to students whose native language is not English.
Workforce Development Youth Program in Work Readiness
Youth educational opportunities for work readiness are benefiting from federal grants on career readiness such as “Career Readiness and Educational Opportunities” (CREO), a project that delivers two progressive programs to Nogales students: the Metromatemáticas (measurement-based hands-on math) and the AGUILA Youth Leadership Institute.
Nogales Innovation Centers
Several new innovation centers at the Nogales Community Campus in downtown Nogales will include state-of-the-art offices, training and meeting spaces as well as business incubators. These new resources will strengthen the historic business core of Nogales, meeting traditional challenges of health, food, housing, education and employment with new solutions, strongly encouraging entrepreneurship in the U.S.-Mexico border region.Learn more about Nogales Innovation Centers at the Nogales Community Development website.
Innovative STEM education supports industry in Ambos Nogales:
Read the Arizona Daily Star article on the Metromatemáticas method. Learn more about the new math teaching method at Metromatemáticas.