2026 NJCAA JUCO ALUMNI LEADERBOARD
REGION 1 · ARIZONA
Pima Leads Region 1’s Alumni Placement Score, Southern Nevada Sets the Efficiency Standard
Pima leads NJCAA Region 1 (Arizona) with a 203.0 Raw Alumni Placement Score (APS) — a weighted measure of where its 43 alumni are playing, not just how many — the highest Raw APS of any of the region’s 16 reporting colleges.
Across all 16 Region 1 colleges, 426 alumni are currently active on four-year rosters — spanning NCAA Division I, II, and III, NAIA, NCCAA, and USCAA programs. Starting with this leaderboard, Region 1 is ranked by Alumni Placement Score (APS) rather than raw alumni count alone — a model built to reflect where a program’s alumni are playing, not just how many of them there are. These counts are an annual snapshot, updated as alumni move levels year to year (JUCO to D2, then D2 to D1, for example) — not a full transfer history.
What Is Alumni Placement Score?
Alumni Placement Score weights each alumnus by the level they’re playing at: NCAA Division I counts for 5.0 points, NCAA Division II for 4.3, NAIA for 4.0, NCAA Division III for 3.7, NCCAA for 2.5, and USCAA for 2.0. A program’s Raw APS is the sum of those weighted points across all of its alumni. Two programs with the same number of alumni can post very different Raw APS totals if one is sending players to NCAA Division I rosters and the other to NCCAA rosters — a distinction a simple headcount can’t capture.
Southern Nevada Sets the Efficiency Standard
Efficiency APS — Raw APS divided by total alumni — measures placement quality per alumnus, independent of program size. Southern Nevada leads Region 1 in Efficiency APS at 4.78, despite ranking just fifth in Raw APS with 31 alumni. Central Arizona (4.77) and Pima (4.72) are close behind. Efficiency APS doesn’t factor into the ranking order below, but it’s worth watching as a signal of which programs are placing alumni at the highest levels relative to their size — South Mountain and Paradise Valley, this board’s former storyline, still rank 2nd and 3rd by Raw APS, with win percentage separating them (.743 to .446) since neither led in Efficiency APS.
Full Region 1 (Arizona) Alumni Rankings (2026)
Central Arizona’s Raw APS (138.3) pushes it above Chandler-Gilbert CC (136.6) despite trailing by one in total alumni, 29 to 30 — a direct example of Alumni Placement Score weighing where alumni play over how many there are. Cochise College still posted the region’s best win percentage at .754 (46-15) in 2026, even though its Raw APS (99.2) ranks 12th.
Region 1 on the National Boards
2 Region 1 colleges crack the national NJCAA Top 25: Pima (13th) and South Mountain (25th). 4 more make the NJCAA D2 Top 20: Pima (4th), South Mountain (8th), Paradise Valley (9th), and Chandler-Gilbert CC (20th).
How These Rankings Are Calculated
Rankings are based on Alumni Placement Score (APS), which weights each alumnus by the level they’re playing at rather than counting every roster spot the same. Total alumni is highlighted alongside Raw APS in the table. When two or more colleges tie on Raw APS, the higher total alumni count breaks the tie; win percentage is the second-level tiebreaker if Total Alumni is also equal. See the 2026 APS methodology for the formula, weights, and FAQ.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many alumni does NJCAA Region 1 have on four-year rosters in 2026?
NJCAA Region 1 (Arizona) has 426 alumni currently active on four-year rosters across its 16 reporting colleges, spanning NCAA Division I, II, and III, NAIA, NCCAA, and USCAA programs.
Which Region 1 college has the highest Alumni Placement Score?
Pima leads Region 1 with a Raw APS of 203.0, built on 43 alumni currently active on four-year rosters. South Mountain (176.0) and Paradise Valley (166.8) rank second and third.
What is Efficiency APS and why does it matter?
Efficiency APS divides a program’s Raw APS by its total alumni count, showing placement quality per alumnus rather than total volume. Southern Nevada leads Region 1 in Efficiency APS at 4.78, despite ranking fifth in Raw APS — a sign that a smaller alumni base can still reflect strong placement outcomes.
Which Region 1 program has the best win percentage?
Cochise College posted the best win percentage in Region 1 at .754 (46-15) in 2026, the highest mark among all 16 reporting colleges despite ranking 12th in Raw APS.
How does Region 1 compare to the rest of NJCAA?
Region 1’s 426 alumni account for about 5.1% of the 8,383 total alumni tracked across all 24 NJCAA regions in 2026. See the full NJCAA All-Regions Summary for the complete national picture.
Explore more NJCAA rankings: All-Regions Summary · Top 25 · D1 Top 20 · D2 Top 20 · D3 Top 10
More Than Just Rankings
A CBI subscription unlocks the full Region 1 leaderboard, plus the detailed division breakdown for every program — exactly how many alumni play at each NCAA division, NAIA, NCCAA, and USCAA level.
Insights reflect data available at time of publication and are subject to change.
