State Hub

Colleges in Arizona

CampusPin tracks 67 colleges in Arizona, 33 universities and 34 community colleges. Compare tuition, acceptance, size, and setting to build a shortlist that fits.

Colleges tracked

67

Universities

33

Community colleges

34

Avg. in-state tuition

$11k

About college search in Arizona

How Arizona's higher-education landscape shapes a search

Arizona’s public higher-education sector is organized around three universities under the Arizona Board of Regents: Arizona State University (Tempe, one of the largest U.S. universities by enrollment), the University of Arizona (Tucson, the state’s land-grant institution), and Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff). ASU has expanded substantially through online and digital learning programs, and is now among the largest universities in the country. The state operates 20 community colleges across 10 districts; the Maricopa Community Colleges system in the Phoenix area is among the largest community college systems in the U.S.

ASU as one of the largest U.S. universities

Arizona State University in Tempe has expanded substantially via online and digital programs and is one of the largest universities in the country by enrollment.

University of Arizona as land-grant

The University of Arizona in Tucson is the state’s land-grant research university.

Maricopa Community Colleges

The Maricopa Community Colleges (10 colleges in the Phoenix metro) is among the largest community college systems in the U.S.

Arizona Promise programs

The Arizona Promise Program and MyAZ Promise extend community-college affordability to eligible in-state students. Verify eligibility with the institution.

Public university system

Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR)

ABOR governs Arizona’s three public universities: ASU, U of A, and NAU. Each operates multiple physical and digital campuses.

Community college network

Arizona Community Colleges (20 colleges across 10 districts)

Each Arizona county is served by one or more community college districts. Maricopa (Phoenix area) and Pima (Tucson area) are the largest. Transfer to public universities is formalized through AZ Transfer (azTransfer.com).

In-state vs. out-of-state tuition

Arizona in-state public university tuition is in the mid-range nationally. Out-of-state rates are substantially higher, though merit-aid programs reduce them for many out-of-state students at ASU and U of A. Verify residency and aid eligibility with the institution.

Top metros for college search

Where Arizona's higher-education density concentrates

  • Phoenix metro

    Phoenix metro is anchored by ASU (Tempe, with multiple Phoenix-area campuses), Grand Canyon University (private), and the Maricopa Community Colleges.

  • Tucson

    Tucson is built around the University of Arizona and Pima Community College.

  • Flagstaff

    Flagstaff is the home of Northern Arizona University and Coconino Community College.

What Arizona actually costs

Median net price after grants
$12,407 for families under $30,000
$19,126 at $110,000 or more
Across 37 Arizona colleges reporting the full series. All five income bands
Median federal debt at graduation
$9,500 with 49.4% borrowing
Debt without the borrower share is misleading, so CampusPin never shows one alone. Debt by college
Studying entirely online
47% of Arizona students
Federal enrolment collection, weighted by students rather than campuses. Where they study

Every college we track

Colleges and universities in Arizona

Filter all Arizona schools

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West region overview

What students weigh when searching colleges in Arizona

Across Arizona (AZ), CampusPin currently indexes 67 institutions: 25 public and 42 private, split between 33 universities and 34 community colleges. Students often deal with large geographic spread, strong public systems, and meaningful differences between urban, suburban, and remote options.

Compare travel distance and delivery format early so your list reflects how you would actually attend.
Use online and hybrid filters when geography is broad but schedule flexibility matters.
Review campus environment and support detail carefully because Western state searches can mix very different school contexts.

Browse by major

Arizona colleges by program

Jump straight to Arizona colleges and universities that offer a specific major. Each page compares tuition, acceptance rate, and enrollment for that program across Arizona.

Fields with a distinct set of Arizona colleges

71 fields where the colleges that awarded credentials in Arizona are a materially different set from those of any closely related field, based on federal completions data. Showing the 36 with the most colleges. The number is how many colleges awarded credentials.

How to use the Arizona hub

Start with CampusPin results filtered to Arizona so your first pass stays geographically focused.
Use school profiles to compare tuition, admissions, program format, and campus fit before building a shortlist.
If you are looking for lower-cost or transfer-first options, compare community colleges and four-year destinations separately.
Use blog guides and help-center content when you need stronger decision frameworks, not just more schools.

Next actions for Arizona

Explore all colleges in ArizonaView community colleges in ArizonaView online programs in ArizonaRead planning guides before you compare

Frequently asked questions

Questions families ask about colleges in Arizona

Which is the public flagship university in Arizona?
Both ASU (Tempe) and the University of Arizona (Tucson) operate as major public research universities; ASU is much larger by enrollment, U of A is the state’s land-grant. Arizona is unusual in having two strong public research anchors rather than one dominant flagship.
How many HBCUs are in Arizona?
Arizona has no federally designated HBCUs.
What is the largest community college system in Arizona?
The Maricopa Community Colleges, serving the Phoenix metro area, is among the largest community college systems in the U.S. with 10 colleges.
How does Arizona Promise work?
The Arizona Promise Program supports tuition costs at ASU, U of A, and NAU for eligible in-state students who complete the FAFSA and meet income / Pell Grant eligibility requirements. Verify current eligibility with ABOR and the institution.
How many Arizona colleges are flagged for lower earnings on the FAFSA?
16 schools in the Department of Education's March 2026 release, the list the 2027-28 FAFSA uses, out of 88 Arizona schools with an earnings figure. The December 2025 release flagged 25: 13 came off and 4 were added. Every one is named in the Arizona section of CampusPin's FAFSA lower earnings list. The notice is informational and does not affect financial aid, and it describes a whole school, not a program.
How many Arizona colleges cost more than a family can borrow from the federal government?
For families earning under $30,000, 6 of the 37 Arizona colleges reporting the complete federal net-price series charge more after grants than the $25,500 a first-year dependent student and their parents can borrow federally from 1 July 2026; the median college there charges $12,407. For families earning $48,001–$75,000 it is 9 (median $15,623). Net prices are averages for students who received federal aid in a prior cohort, not a quote for any family, and Parent PLUS requires no adverse credit history.

Related blog clusters

Guides that pair well with a Arizona search

Cost and Financial Aid

College affordability, net price, aid interpretation, borrowing decisions, and budgeting guidance for students and families using CampusPin to compare higher-ed options with more discipline.

Community College

Community-college strategy, affordability, transfer readiness, and credential pathway content for students exploring two-year options through CampusPin.

College Search Strategy

Filter-first search strategy, shortlist building, and planning content for students and parents using CampusPin to discover best-fit colleges and universities.

Help Center

Workflow guides for students searching in Arizona

Getting Started With CampusPin

A fast orientation to the CampusPin workflow, from your first search through profile review, pins, and next-step planning.

How to Use Filters to Narrow Your College List

A practical help article on how to use CampusPin filters without over-filtering or locking yourself into the wrong criteria too early.

How to Read a CampusPin School Profile

A guide to the major sections inside a CampusPin institution profile and how to interpret them effectively. Each page connects to clearer next steps, related guides, and the CampusPin tools that help you decide.

CampusPin research

National analyses with Arizona in the data

Each report is built from a checksum-verified snapshot, with full methodology and a downloadable CSV that includes Arizona.

Comparing schools on price? See our national analysis of how college cost relates to graduation and earnings, an association driven by selectivity and sector, not evidence that a pricier college pays off.

Explore Arizona

More ways to explore Arizona colleges

By city

Colleges in Arizona cities

CampusPin publishes a directory for 4 cities in Arizona, every one where federal data reports at least five colleges.

Browse colleges by city nationwide

What this count of 67 includes

Other sites publish very different totals for Arizona, and most do not say what they are counting. Here is exactly what this one counts, so you can check it against anyone else's.

By level
33 listed as universities and 34 as community colleges. CampusPin records this as an institution type, and uses it as an approximation of four-year versus two-year; it is not a separately reported degree-level field.
By control
25 public and 42 private. CampusPin records control as public or private only, so private nonprofit and private for-profit institutions are not separated here.
  • Every institution counted has its own CampusPin profile listing the figures behind it and where each one came from, so the total can be checked against its parts rather than taken on trust.
  • This is CampusPin's directory of 3,798 institutions nationwide, not the full federal universe. NCES counted 5,829 Title IV institutions, administrative offices, and U.S. service academies nationwide for 2024-25. That figure includes entities a student would never apply to, which is one reason published totals differ so widely.
  • Figures come from federal sources on a reporting lag, so a very new or very recently closed institution may not be reflected yet. Found something wrong? Tell us and we will correct it.
Full data methodologyCoverage and data quality

Data sources & methodology

College listings for Arizona are compiled from federal datasets and each institution's own published information.

Sources used across this page

Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.

  • IPEDS / NCES College Navigator

    Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.

  • U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

    Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.

  • Institutional websites

    Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.

Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.

Methodology Data dictionary Report a correction

Suggested citation

CampusPin. Colleges in Arizona. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/colleges-by-state/arizona