Online College
Rio Salado College is the college within everyone's reach. You can study in the United States or study from your own country. While studying in the United States or from your own country, you can earn an American degree in the most convenient and efficient way possible. Rio Salado uses a format that works as easy as e-mail. You can participate anytime and anyplace that works best for you.

History
Rio Salado is proof that new models of higher education can successfully meet the needs of adult students, who are not adequately served by traditional learning formats. When it was established 25 years ago, Rio was charged with reaching out to an emerging market-adults who require flexible and convenient learning formats in order to earn their degrees.

What was most unusual at the time was Rio Salado's status as "the college without walls." Rio Salado has never built a traditional campus. Rather, from its Tempe administrative headquarters, Rio Salado utilizes technology and forges partnerships to deliver educational opportunities to diverse populations throughout Maricopa County and around the world.

Rio Mission
Today Rio Salado College focuses on a threefold mission: customized, unique programs and partnerships, accelerated formats, and distance learning, particularly through Internet courses. Rio Salado is one of 10 Maricopa community colleges. Rio's student population has steadily increased, and now it is the district's second-largest college in terms of credit students served, with headcount exceeding 40,000 last year.

Convenient Learning Formats
A surprising fact is that approximately 22,000 Rio Salado students are not visible at any location. They take their courses anytime and anyplace through distance learning, with the Internet being the preferred format. In fact in 1996, Rio Salado became the first Arizona college to launch Internet courses and simultaneously placed all student services online. Rio Salado now offers more than 300 distance learning courses, including 200 Internet courses.

Student Support
A broad range of student support services such as registration, tutoring, academic advising, electronic library services, and counseling are all just a mouse click away.

A help desk team provides front-line telephone support for students. Online, telephone, and in-person tutoring is available seven days a week. Enrollment services, academic advising, counseling, and financial aid are available by telephone, in person, or via e-mail to meet the needs of students.

Excellence
Evidence of the effectiveness of distance learning can be found through the achievements of Rio Salado College's students. For the past two years, a Rio Salado distance learning student has been named one of the top 20 students in the nation by USA Today, the American Association of Community Colleges, and Phi Theta Kappa. Rio Salado students also score in the highest percentiles on standardized tests, including the Academic Profile.