Original Research by School Decision on Evit - Marcos De Niza High School
EVIT – Marcos De Niza High School is a career and technical education program housed on the campus of Marcos De Niza High School in Tempe. It is part of the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT), a specialized district focused on career and technical education for high school students across the region. The school serves grades nine through twelve, and its designation is a career and technical school rather than a traditional comprehensive high school. Because of this structure, a student attending Marcos De Niza High School for their core academics can also enroll in EVIT programs at the same location for career training, or students from other high schools may attend EVIT here for part of their day.
Tempe, where the school is located, is an inner suburb of Phoenix with a character heavily shaped by Arizona State University’s main campus. The northern part of the city, especially near the Valley Metro light rail line and ASU, has a fairly dense, urbanized development pattern with high-rise buildings along Tempe Town Lake and the pedestrian-oriented Mill Avenue entertainment and shopping district. Going south, development becomes less dense, with single-family homes, strip malls, and office parks. The city hosts major shopping destinations including Arizona Mills and Tempe Marketplace, and is headquarters to several corporations such as GoDaddy and Circle K. Major employers include ASU, State Farm, and JPMorgan Chase. The light rail connects Tempe to Phoenix and Mesa, supporting transit-oriented walkability in the northern half of the city. Home values in the area are above the typical for Arizona and the nation, reflecting the premium for proximity to the university and urban amenities. Rents follow a similar pattern. Tempe Town Lake and adjacent parks provide recreational activity, and Papago Park offers desert hiking. The city has experienced steady growth over recent decades, with continued commercial and high-rise development along the reservoir.
State testing results were not available for this school. A graduation rate was also not reported. This is not unusual for a career and technical school that may operate as a part-time program serving students who take their core academic courses at their home high school. Because EVIT focuses on career preparation, its students are typically assessed through industry certifications, licensure exams, or competency-based measures rather than standard state accountability tests. However, a parent who wants concrete academic outcome data should inquire with the school or the district directly about credential attainment, postsecondary enrollment, or employment placement rates for graduates. Enrollment data was also listed as zero in the available records, which likely reflects the structure of this site as a program rather than a separately enrolled school. The number of students served at this location is not captured in the standard count.
The district itself, EVIT, is a career and technical education district that operates multiple campuses across the East Valley. No recent bond measures, curriculum overhauls, or major district changes were found in publicly reported information, suggesting a period of stability.
For a family considering this school, the key takeaway is that it is a career-focused option embedded within a traditional high school campus. It suits a student who wants to combine a standard high school diploma with hands-on training in a trade or technical field, rather than following a purely academic pathway. The Tempe location places it in a dense, transit-connected urban environment with the educational and cultural resources of a major university nearby. The lack of state testing or graduation data means a family will need to rely on direct conversations with the school to understand completion rates and the strength of specific program offerings. The housing market in the area carries a premium, so proximity to amenities comes with higher costs.
See more original research from School Decision →