Proudly celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2012, Nevada State College (NSC), a four-year public institution, is a member of the Nevada System of Higher Education. NSC places a special emphasis on the advancement of a diverse and largely under-served student population. Located on a developing 500-acre campus in the foothills of Henderson, Nevada, the college was established in 2002 as a new tier in the state system between the research universities and the two-year colleges. In this role, the college emphasizes high-quality instruction, exemplary service, engaging learning experiences, and innovation as a means to more efficient, effective outcomes in all corners of the campus. Since 2002, Nevada State College has grown to offer more than 24 majors and minors, has received independent accreditation from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and has expanded its physical campus. Committed to fostering a personal learning environment, students are taught by faculty who serve as mentors and guides in classrooms with an average size of only 23 students. Nevada State College serves over 3,300 students and has over 1,500 alumni, each representing a broad array of cultural and economic backgrounds. For more information, visit http://nsc.edu 

During the past 10 years NSC has achieved remarkable success in furthering its mission and core-values. 

• Since its inception, NSC’s enrollment has grown from 177 students in 2002 to over 3,300 students today, making it the fastest growing college within the Nevada System of Higher Education.


• Over half of NSC’s alumni have graduated with degrees in teaching and nursing. More than 70% of NSC’s alumni live and work in Nevada. 


• In 2007, the NSC campus community, along with state and local dignitaries, gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Liberal Arts and Sciences building, the college’s first permanent facility to be located on the institution’s 509-acre site. A little over a year later, the Liberal Arts and Sciences building opened its doors, ushering in a new era for the college. Additionally, NSC’s Campus Master Plan calls for the seamless, sustainable integration of academic and academic-support uses with its surrounding environment. The full campus build-out will accommodate 25,000 – 30,000 students with roughly six million square feet of academic, residential, industry, retail and cultural space. 


• Over 50 percent of NSC’s students and 30 percent of its full-time faculty belong to an ethnic or racial minority group. Based on recent growth rates, future enrollment projections, and federal reporting guidelines, Nevada State is likely to become the first four-year Hispanic Serving Institution in Nevada and one of only 70 public, four-year colleges and universities in the country. 


• In August 2011, NSC received full accreditation from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, retroactively effective September 1, 2010. Accreditation recognizes higher education institutions for performance, integrity and quality to merit the confidence of the educational community and the public. Successfully obtaining independent accreditation is a crowning achievement for the Nevada State College campus community and its partners, the Nevada Board of Regents and Nevada System of Higher Education, the city of Henderson, and the larger community. 


• Student Satisfaction. According to the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), one of the most comprehensive assessment tools of effective practices in higher education, 90 percent of NSC’s first-year students feel that the college places substantial emphasis on academics, and over 85 percent of these same student say their faculty are available, helpful and sympathetic. Both ratings are well above the national average.

• In May 2012, NSC graduated its largest class to-date with more than 300 students representing each of the 24 degree programs offered by the college. In 2004, the first graduating class included 13 students. 
• The NSC school colors are black and gold. The college’s mascot, a scorpion, was recently named Scotty (an acronym for Scorpion Community of Today, Tomorrow, Yesterday) during a campus-wide selection process. Read more 
• President Bart Patterson has a Facebook (facebook.com/nscpatterson) and Twitter account (twitter.com/nscpatterson).

"While a student at NSC, I worked as an editor of our newspaper, the Scorpion’s Tale. I graduated Cum Laude from NSC in 2009 with a B.A. in English, and was accepted to law school at UNLV’s Boyd School of Law that fall. Also in 2009, I worked as a staff member for U.S. Senator John Ensign before accepting a staff position with U.S. Senator Dean Heller, where I currently serve as the Senator’s southern Nevada liaison for higher education. My experience at NSC prepared me for a rigorous academic atmosphere in law school and equipped me with the writing and analytical skills that have helped me to succeed professionally. I look forward to contributing to NSC’s continued growth and success as a NSC alum!" - Matt Morris, ‘09 B.A., English

"My degree from NSC opened the door to opportunities, such as an apprenticeship my senior year at Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy. This apprenticeship led to my first teaching opportunity where I grew with and developed the kindergarten program. Building the kindergarten program with such success gave me the confidence to explore my new role as an Instructional Coach and lead kindergarten teacher. The relationships I made with faculty and staff, as well as the connection I made to the college as the 164th student to believe in the long term goals of the school allowed me to invest in other new projects, knowing they too can be successful. I received my master’s degree in 2009 in Curriculum Instruction: Reading. I am currently in my 6th year as a licensed teacher and am honored to be mentoring others as an Instructional Coach, as well as leading 23 kindergarteners in meeting high academic standards as a Kindergarten Teacher at a brand new charter school, Imagine School at Mountain View." - Nichole Shaffer, ‘06 B.S., Elementary Education

"After being an x-ray tech in the military, I knew that I wanted to stay in a hospital setting, but I just felt there was more out there for me. I went to the big university and it was a big shell shock. I felt lost and didn’t feel as though I belonged. If I raised my hand to ask a question, I was known as the blonde girl in the back of the room. After that moment I knew I needed something else. At Nevada State College, I immediately felt welcomed. The teacher knew my name – I wasn’t just the blonde girl in the back row anymore, I was Danielle Brooks. The focus of the nursing program at NSC was on caring, and I knew I lived that every day of my life already. The fact that this was an emphasis in the curriculum, I just knew it was meant to be. We emphasize caring in our everyday practice, not just in the hospital, but in our lives as well. Now that I have graduated, I started my career here in Las Vegas at one of the local hospitals. Overall, I feel as though it has changed me as a person. Graduating from NSC really changed my life…I went from serving my country to now serving my community. - Danielle Brooks, ‘08 B.S., Nursing