Cochise County has 9 unified school districts; 11 elementary school districts, which include primary, elementary, middle, and junior high schools; 1 high school district; and 1 accommodation school district, which is located on Fort Huachuca.
Additionally, eight of the county‘s districts have come together to form the Cochise Technology District, which shares resources for high-school career and technical education programs.
Within the school districts are 9 high schools; 7 middle or junior high schools; 29 primary or elementary schools, some of which also offer preschool; 1 preschool; and 4 schools that transcend traditional grade divisions, including one K-12, one grades 5-12, and two grades K-8. In addition to the district schools, there are also 14 charter schools throughout the county covering all grades K-12 in various school-level grade ranges. There are also a number of private schools with religious affiliations.
No Child Left Behind status
Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, 26 percent of district public schools in Cochise County, or 13 of 50, failed to make adequate yearly progress in 2010. Of charter schools located in the county, 57.1 percent, or 8 of 14, failed to make adequate yearly progress.
Under Arizona Learns for the 2010 school year, 1 Cochise County district public school (2 percent) was rated excelling; 7 schools (14 percent) were rated highly performing; 24 schools (48 percent) were rated performing plus; 15 schools (30 percent) were rated performing; and 3 schools (6 percent) were rated underperforming. None was rated failing. Of Cochise County‘s charter schools, 4 schools (28.6 percent) were rated performing plus; 9 schools (64.3 percent) were rated performing; and 1 school (7.1 percent) was rated underperforming.
In fiscal year 2010, per pupil spending of public school districts in Cochise County was $8,051, compared to $7,609 at the state level and $10,297 nationally (U.S. data are from 2008). Per pupil spending in the classroom was $4,315 (53.6 percent of total spending) in Cochise County compared to $4,253 (55.9 percent) at the state level and $6,262 (60.8 percent) nationally. In fiscal year 2010, the average student-to-teacher ratio in Cochise County was 13.0, compared to 17.9 statewide.
Cochise Community College
Cochise County also has a community college district — Cochise College — with campuses in Douglas and Sierra Vista and learning centers in Benson, Willcox, and Fort Huachuca.
The college also offers classes in Bisbee and online, as well as in neighboring Santa Cruz County.
Cochise College offers 2-year degrees in a variety of fields including: Administration of Justice, Early Childhood Care and Education, Elementary Education, Secondary Education in several teaching fields, Economics, Journalism and Media Arts, Mathematics, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work, Business Administration, Computer Information Systems, Allied Health, Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Pre-Nursing, Agriculture, Automotive Technology, Avionics Technology, Building Construction Technology, Culinary Arts, Fire Science Technology, Hospitality Administration, Intelligence Operations, Interpretation and Translation (English/Spanish), Paramedicine, Professional Pilot Technology, Registered Nurse, Welding Technology, and several other arts and sciences fields.
Cochise College also offers certificate programs in numerous fields, non-credit personal enrichment classes, GED, English Language Acquisition, workforce training, and numerous other learning opportunities through its Center for Lifelong Learning, Adult Education Center, and Small Business Development Center.
The college‘s Center for Economic Research conducts community outreach activities, tracks trends in the local economy, and publishes local economic research. Cochise College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association and, in 2006, earned the maximum reaccreditation of 10 years as the result of an exceptional evaluation by the visiting accreditation team.
In addition to Cochise College, other higher education institutions with campuses or centers in Cochise County include: University of Arizona (UA) South, which has a campus in Sierra Vista and offers classes on the Cochise College campus in Douglas. UA South offers upper division courses for students to complete undergraduate degree programs in cooperation with Cochise College and other Arizona community colleges.
Graduate degrees are also offered in select disciplines. UA South is a commuter campus, with schedules designed to accommodate working adults and returning students. Students may also take advantage of UA South courses available online.
Private universities
University of Phoenix, which has learning center campus locations in Sierra Vista and on Fort Huachuca. The Southern Arizona Campus allows students to earn their college degree while maintaining their personal and professional commitments. University of Phoenix classes are scheduled in the evenings, and the university is committed to providing higher education to working professionals.
University of Phoenix offers professional level undergraduate degrees in business, accounting, administration, information systems, management, and nursing, along with graduate degrees in business, counseling, information systems, technology management, management, nursing, and education.
Wayland Baptist University, which has campus locations in Sierra Vista and on Fort Huachuca. Wayland is a private, coeducational Baptist university and seeks to educate students in an academically challenging and distinctively Christian environment.
The majority of Wayland‘s undergraduate and graduate programs cater to the working adult student, to include military, border patrol, and other government employees. Undergraduate programs include a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Education degree; Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies degree; and Bachelor of Christian Ministry degree. Graduate programs include a Master of Christian Ministry and a Master of Arts in Management.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which began offering classes on Fort Huachuca in 2010. The university offers undergraduate degree programs in aviation business administration, aviation maintenance, professional aeronautics, and technical management; and graduate degree programs in aeronautical science and business administration in aviation.
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