Best colleges in Arizona

Arizona State University and the University of Arizona top the list of best colleges in Arizona. Arizona's livable cities and breathtaking landscapes draw in students nationwide. Arizona State University and the University of Arizona are gaining recognition for their esteemed academics and vibrant social scene. Other reputable options are the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, one of the 7 accredited naturopathic medical schools nationwide, and The School of Architecture, which offers a distinctive graduate program specializing in organic architecture and the design philosophy of Frank Lloyd Wright.

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Studying in Arizona

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There are the best colleges in Arizona for value for money

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#1 in Arizona | #84 in National Universities
Economic score 2.21

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $12,817

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $62,668

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 69%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#2 in Arizona | #126 in National Universities

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

Economic score 2.88

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $14,721

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $59,979

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 66%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

#3 in Arizona | #254 in National Universities
Economic score 4.38

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $15,533

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $54,384

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 62%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

Economic score 13.14

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $29,014

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $51,612

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 44%

Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not  displayed.

www.degreechoices.com is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

Average income based on education level

The following figures are the average salaries in Arizona for each level of education.

Average Income

The average income of people in this state with a high-school diploma, certificate, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree, 10 years after enrollment, based on 2021-2022 CSC data.

HS Diploma $38,547
Certificate $56,638
Associate $44,921
Bachelor $57,416
Master $67,366

Cost of attending college in Arizona

In-state-tuition $17,159

The average in-state tuition, before financial aid, of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.

Out-of-state-tuition $19,681

The average tuition for out-of-state students, before financial aid of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.

Most popular degrees in Arizona

In Arizona the most popular degrees are Business Administration, Registered Nursing, and Education-grades & methods. To create this list, we complied and analyzed data from IPEDS and College Scorecard. 

They both provide information on how many graduates each program has annually. The list below is both undergraduate- and graduate-level programs.

Fastest growing careers

Arizona job growth 23.8%

Nurse Practitioners
100.8%
Occupational Therapy Assistants
70.1%
Physician Assistants
69%
Medical and Health Services Managers
67.3%
Physical Therapist Assistants
60.4%
Respiratory Therapists
59.3%
Speech-Language Pathologists
54.6%
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
54.2%
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
53.9%
Information Security Analysts
53%

Best bachelor’s degrees in Arizona

These majors are most likely to pay off economically after graduation.

Best colleges for social mobility in Florida

Higher education is supposed to act as an economic elevator that lifts students from low-income households into the middle class. But not all colleges do this: unfortunately, many of the nation’s most “prestigious” schools accept very few students from low-income backgrounds. 

To determine what colleges are doing the best job at lifting students out of poverty, we have devised a Social Mobility Index (SMI).  

The best colleges for social mobility in Arizona are shown below.

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