The bottom line is simple: education means business.
Coconino Community College isn’t just an educational institution – it’s a major part of the county’s economic backbone. The newest economic impact study from Lightcast shows CCC added $71 million to the Coconino County economy in FY 2023-24 and supported 1,049 local jobs, roughly one out of every 89 jobs here. That single-year impact equaled approximately 0.9% of the county’s gross regional product, nearly as large as the entire mining, quarrying and oil and gas sector.
How does a community college generate that kind of lift? First, CCC is an employer and a buyer. Our day-to-day operations added $19.8 million to county income last year – supporting 336 jobs through local payroll, purchasing and the ripple effect of those dollars in the community.
Second, and most powerful over time, are alumni. CCC graduates drive productivity and earnings for years after commencement. In FY 2023-24, our alumni accounted for $35 million in added county income and 469 jobs supported.
The bottom line is simple: education means business. When students gain skills that employers need, businesses grow, tax revenues rise, and demand for public assistance falls. For students, every dollar invested in a CCC education returns $5.50 in higher lifetime earnings, with an estimated 17.7% average annual rate of return.
Taxpayers benefit, too. As our graduates earn more and rely less on social services, state and local taxpayer benefits total $17.8 million tied to this most recent student cohort. And across Arizona, CCC’s presence yields $236 million in social benefits when you combine added student and business income with health, justice-system and income-assistance savings.
Now, a word about who college is for. I cringe when I hear “college isn’t for everyone.” At CCC, there’s a place for everyone, because the economy needs many pathways: short-term, workforce-ready certificates; two-year degrees that lead directly to high-demand jobs; and seamless transfer pathways to NAU and other university partners. If you want to skill up quickly, switch careers, earn a promotion or pursue a bachelor’s, CCC’s doors are open and ready for you.
We’re also designing college around real lives. Many of our students are working adults, parents or caregivers. That’s why we’re expanding evening and weekend offerings and building schedules that meet people where they are. If the desire is there, we will work to make the time and place align.
One reality we are facing is that CCC’s facilities are reaching their limits. Demand for career and technical education, allied health programs and university transfer pathways continues to grow faster than our current spaces can accommodate. As a workforce training engine for Coconino County, CCC supports programs such as nursing, paramedicine, advanced manufacturing and construction management, fields where regional forecasts show strong job growth.
To address facility constraints, CCC has placed a bond measure on the November ballot. If approved, the funding would help expand facilities for these and other high-demand programs.
Education is opportunity, and opportunity is good business. Whether you’re an employer looking for talent, a high school grad mapping your next step, or a working adult ready for a new chapter, CCC is here to help you move forward and to keep our local economy moving with you. FBN
By Eric A. Heiser
Eric A. Heiser, Ph.D., is the president and CEO of Coconino Community College.
2025-09-04 22:49:00