How to Pick the Best Colleges in Arizona

How to Pick the Best Colleges in Arizona

Do you live in Arizona and are you about to complete high school? It’s an exciting time, isn’t it? Maybe you plan to head off to college. Or, perhaps you wish to further expand the formal education you already possess with an additional degree that you have postponed for far too long. Regardless of your reason for browsing through all of the post secondary opportunities this state offers, we’ve compiled a short and comprehensive list of the best colleges in Arizona that you should consider. Furthermore, we plan to teach you how to pick the best colleges in Arizona.

The criteria for evaluating each of these colleges tends to be rather generalized. No specific field was considered when compiling this list. With that being said, we did consider the quality of education, the cost of tuition to be paid, quality of campus living, the popularity of the college among current enrolled students and alumni, as well as the depth/quality of resources  offered to its students. Resources may include such items as the library system, computer labs, and so on. We feel that these items represent the most important criteria for choosing a school in Arizona (or anywhere else for that matter).

1. University of Arizona

Best Colleges in ArizonaThe public colleges in Arizona are quite well renowned compared to other schools within their tier around the nation. The University of Arizona serves as perhaps the best of the three choices in Arizona’s prestigious public colleges. UA represents a major destination for students living within the desert state as well as for many students coming from other states. The total number of enrolled students currently sits just under 40,000. The University of Arizona holds an acceptance rate of 71% and nearly 85% of all students receive some sort of financial aid package. So, this school will clearly aid all sorts of people from various economic brackets with their attainment of academic achievement. The University of Arizona is ranked number 78 in the top 500 research universities worldwide. Its programs cover a wide range of fields. Whatever field you’re interested in mastering, you can apply here with full confidence that you’ll receive an excellent education at a very affordable price.

2. Embry Riddle Aeronautical University

Considering the name here, you may think that this college is for spatial engineers. This college actually serves as one of the major, highest ranked educational hubs for liberal arts degrees. It holds a commendable acceptance rate of 82%. Although the number of yearly applicants remains quite small (less than 2000 students per semester), the university also scores high in academic performance. The Embry Riddle Aeronautical University financial package serves as yet another distinct, positive quality of this school. We all know that the job market can be particularly harsh for young people with a degree in the liberal arts. So, schools that attempt to minimize and assuage student loan borrowing shouldn’t be overlooked. All in all, the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University definitely serves as one of the best colleges throughout the state of Arizona. This opinion remains especially true for those students pursuing a liberal arts degree.

3. Glendale Community College AZ

Perhaps one of the most popular community colleges in the state of Arizona, Glendale Community College first opened its doors in 1965. Since then, this higher education hub, known to the public by its Gaucho mascot and popular sports teams, expanded to offer ten different accredited college programs under one roof. It currently serves as the largest community college in the U.S. Its programs cover a wide range of degrees: from music and arts, psychology and journalism, to emergency medical technology, engineering and computers. The Glendale Community College AZ also presents many wonderful opportunities for its students in terms of both the academics and in sports. So, if you’re interested in establishing a healthy career with good pay, this may be the perfect place for you to enroll.

4. Arizona State University

Arizona State University is another large, public university system in the state of Arizona. Its campus sits comfortably in Downtown Phoenix, AZ. ASU offers a wide range of degree programs to major in much like its sister universities (the University of Arizona (presented above) and Phoenix College (presented below)). This diverse range of degree programs covers a multitude of topics including letters and sciences, arts, journalism, healthcare, and education. This university also presents another bonus to its students: affordability. ASU’s affordable tuition rates easily position the school as one of the best colleges in all of Arizona in terms of value (or costs versus benefits). The campus offers easy to use access to all of its resources. Students also benefit from a plethora of internship/apprenticeship opportunities in their fields of study.

5. Phoenix College

Phoenix College presents yet another well-known and highly popular public school in the desert state. Much like the others on this list, Phoenix College offers students a very affordable tuition rate for citizens of Arizona. PC currently costs $1,854 per semester for in-state students and $7,638 per semester for out-of-state students. The soaring number of students attending school at Phoenix College showcase its popularity in the world of post secondary education. Currently, over 10,000 undergraduates attend PC. These students originate from over 100 different countries. The work opportunities offered by the university are also pretty good. So, that explains why it’s considered one of the best colleges in Arizona. The only potential downside here is that the school offers no on-campus housing. But, considering the popularity and quality of PC, the lack of housing is easier to swallow.

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