Earning your associate degree at Rio Salado College and then transferring to a university can make your bachelor's degree affordable. By starting at Rio Salado, you can earn an associate degree at community college pricing, and then transfer those credits to a 4-year institution to complete the final two years of a degree program.
Rio Salado has transfer agreements with the three public universities in Arizona as well as more than 40 other institutions. With all of our partnerships, the entire associate degree may transfer without loss of credit. Using agreements and transfer tools, an academic advisor can tell you before you take a course whether it will transfer to Arizona's three state universities.
Even outside the partnerships, Rio Salado courses are likely to transfer. Rio Salado is a regionally accredited institution. Most coursework completed at a regionally accredited institution is transferable to another regionally accredited institution. Contact your future university to verify course transfer and how your courses will apply to your university program.
Benefits of Transfer Degree Pathways
Transfer degree pathways are recommended for students who want to maximize the number of classes they can take prior to university transfer.
Transfer agreements provide students with a prescribed outline of coursework that has been pre-approved by that educational partner. Students following a transfer agreement can rest assured that all of their credits will transfer when they’re ready to move on to the university.
Students who want to take a few classes at Rio, but do not necessarily want to complete a transfer degree can still transfer credits seamlessly as long as they collaborate with their community college and prospective university advisors.
The key to success is confirming that classes will transfer to your intended university prior to actually taking the courses. To ensure transferability of Rio credits, students should meet with a university advisor first.
Find more information on our Transferring to a University webpage.
Meet Tegan Bernard
Tegan Bernard earned an associate in arts degree from Rio Salado College in May 2023 and transferred his credits as a block to Northern Arizona University to pursue a degree in management.
“I took dual enrollment classes because I wanted to get ahead. Once I got to around 30 credits, I decided to take on a little heavier workload and work toward my associate degree. Now I will finish my bachelor's degree early, work on master’s degree quicker, and enter the job force even faster.”
Want to learn more about the transfer process? Join in any of the upcoming, in-person events held at Maricopa Community Colleges.