Best Colleges in Arizona for Associate, Bachelor’s & Master’s

Most Popular Degrees and Careers in Arizona

The most popular degrees tend to lead to some of the top careers. Students tend to be attracted to online degree programs that will put them in a position to succeed and thrive post-graduation. For that reason, it's important to attend the best possible school you can. It's also important to graduate in a timely fashion. If you can graduate in under six years, with great grades, you'll find that employers reward your dedication and hard work.

Additional Careers

Top Additional Careers and Salaries

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CAREER NAME	CURRENTLY EMPLOYED	AVERAGE ANNUAL WAGE
Engineer	-	$78,800
Information Technology	-	$57,900
Social Work	1,160	$48,000

• Engineer:
  This career type can describe a range of specific jobs. Some engineers specialize in machines while others are civil engineers whose task it is to build bridges, roads, or work on environmental issues, such as waste management. Many engineers must be state-licensed, and if you wish to work on things like roads and bridges your state will certainly wish to certify your credentials.
• Information Technology:
  Your online Information Technology degree will prepare you to work with your company's information systems. You might be needed to conceive and implement security protocols, manage a computer network, or troubleshoot problems for your fellow workers. IT specialists also find and roll out solutions for a variety of problems, including remote working scenarios, cybersecurity, system-wide upgrades, and even determining which email servers to install.
• Social Work:
  Social Workers often come into the field with online degrees in Psychology, but degrees in sociology or political science are not unheard of. As a social worker, you might work with a government agency to deliver help to people in need. Social Workers place children in foster care, help families find resources such as housing, and even work as independent counselors. A degree in social work is thus very diversified when you apply it to the working world. You could have a practice that includes seeing individual patients for psychotherapy, but also involves work in a local prison.
• Cyber Security
• Addiction Counseling
• Counseling
• Criminal Justice
• Database Manager
• Computer Scientist
• Psychology

Business

Top Business Careers and Salaries

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CAREER NAME	CURRENTLY EMPLOYED	AVERAGE ANNUAL WAGE
Marketing	5,230	$65,900
Finance	12,000	$92,400
Accounting	22,450	$51,600
Management (sales managers)	9,970	$61,300
Logistics	3,100	$51,400

• Marketing:
  In this field you might spend your days collecting and analyzing market data to see how it applies to the goods and services your firm offers. Marketing professionals might conduct wide-ranging surveys, or work with focus groups to see how select individuals respond to certain products or concepts. You might also create marketing campaigns that implement the findings of your study. Some marketing professionals are graphic artists and copywriters who create the fun and entertaining campaigns we see splashed across media platforms.

• Finance:
  Financial concerns have increasingly dominated corporate thinking when devising strategies for future success. As a finance professional, you might analyze your firm's performance in the market, but you might also work on allocating its finances themselves. That is, many finance executives spend their time managing and acquiring assets, equities, and debt instruments. When you succeed, your firm's bottom line expands.

  You can also take your finance career into the banking world where you can work to build individuals' wealth in their portfolio. Other banking executives work with corporations and help them organize for a stock offering, private equity placement, or even a merger or acquisition. Still others find careers in credit or loan departments, and many more positions.

• Accountant:
  Every firm needs a good accountant. You can enter this field with an associate degree and work as a bookkeeper, or you could go all the way to earn an MBA and then top that off with a C.P.A. license. Your work could also entail auditing various systems, including your firm's IT. Primarily, accountants will audit corporate or individual accounts to find any inefficiencies. Accountants are almost always in demand to work for a wide range of employers and individual clients.

• Management:
  An online degree in Business Administration will help you launch out into the world in a management position. Managers work in all sorts of industries, and every industry needs managers. Therefore, you could work as a regional manager of a retail chain and travel around to check on stores, monitor their sales, and consult with local store managers on how to improve sales. You can work in management with as little as an associate degree, but your career will rise higher with every degree you attain. When you graduate with an MBA, you'll be ready for the c-suites.

• Logistics:
  Our global marketplace is making the field of logistics more and more vital to how businesses succeed. This field teaches you how to move items through any number of systems. Whether you're delivering toys to stores, books to individuals, or importing raw materials, you need a logistics professional to get the job done. Logistics professionals often study supply chain management and international business. To bring your logistics career to full fruition you will likely need a master's degree, but you can also get started with an online bachelor's degree in supply chain management.

• Business Specialist

• Business Administrator

Health Sciences

Top Health Sciences Careers and Salaries

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CAREER NAME	CURRENTLY EMPLOYED	AVERAGE ANNUAL WAGE
Physical Therapist	3,600	$71,500
Occupational Therapist	2,100	$66,600
Clinical Psychologist	2,600	$80,800
Healthcare Administration	8,050	$69,500
Public Health (epidemiologist)	140	$64,700
Medical Doctor	-	Varies based on Specialty
Healthcare Informatics	7,880	$68,400

• Physical Therapist:
  You will need a doctoral degree to work as a Physical Therapist. However, some PT assistants have a bachelor's or even associates degree and are still able to work in the field.
  In this career, you will work with a range of patients who have difficulty moving for a variety of reasons. Some may be recovering from an accident and you can help them regain their ability to walk. Others might have a chronic disability, such as cerebral palsy, and you'll work to keep them in shape or consult on ways to help them improve their walking or other movements.
• Occupational Therapist:
  You can start work as a fully licensed Occupational Therapist with a master's degree. Once you start working with patients, you'll help them learn new skills, acquire new coping mechanisms for daily life, and more. OTs work with a range of populations, including geriatric patients facing dementia, people suffering from mental illness, disabled people, and the developmentally delayed. Your training is therefore quite extensive and enables you to positively impact people on a daily basis.
• Clinical Psychologist:
  These psychologists are what are typically portrayed in films and on television. Your career as a clinical psychologist will begin with a master's degree and possibly a PhD. Psychologists work in a variety of environments, including mental hospitals, private practice, and even prisons. Some work for little or no pay to help populations such as homeless individuals who need to sort out their traumas, or with working people who simply cannot afford the normal rates. To become a Clinical Psychologist, you will need to do a set number of hours under the supervision of a licensed therapist, provide proof of your education, and pay certain fees to your state's licensing commission.
• Healthcare Administration:
  As the healthcare field continues to grow, so too do jobs administering hospitals, clinics, and private practices. Healthcare Administration is also becoming a significant part of MBA curricula, and there are graduate and undergraduate degrees dedicated to the field. Essentially, if there is a business-related major suitable for other industries, there is an equivalent focused on Healthcare. Thus, under this umbrella, you might find careers working with information systems, finance, marketing, and communications, among many others.
• Public Health:
  This is a rather broad field that offers many exciting career paths. When you get an online degree in Public Health, you might start work as an epidemiologist, but others start work in public health education. Your role as an educator will impact public health in various ways. After all, when a community learns how to ward off infection and stymie disease vectors, their overall health improves. Still other Public Health degree holders work in public health policy either for a government or a large healthcare system.
• Medical Doctor:
  This career is the backbone of the healthcare industry. Doctors work long hard hours taking care of patients for a wide range of reasons. Most often, you'll be the head of a treatment team including nurses and rehabilitation therapists. Depending on the case, however, you could coordinate your work with another doctor and treatment team working on other issues the patient faces. For instance, one team might address neuro-muscular function and injuries while another works on damage done to internal organs. You might specialize in cardiology, neurology, oncology, or even psychiatry. Medical Doctors often work in conjunction with a larger healthcare corporation, but some still practice in self-contained clinics or practices.
• Healthcare Informatics:
  Healthcare systems, like so many, rely on databases to more efficiently deliver healthcare to patients. In this field, you will be the master of databases. You will not only be an IT whiz who organizes records in your network, you will also learn how to analyze that data. Your auditing could discover inefficiencies in how care is delivered and thus save your healthcare system vast sums of money. You could also look for healthcare trends that help predict employment needs.

Want to See All the Arizona Occupational Wage Averages

Best Associate Degrees in Arizona

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Organizations that rank colleges and universities for quality look at several factors such as financial aid, student resources, graduation and retention statistics, and admission requirements. If you’re looking for associate degree programs, you need look no further for a collection of the best associate programs in the state so that you can choose the best school and program for yourself.

Chandler-Gilbert Community College

College Type 2-year, Public Campus Housing Yes Student Population 15,585 Graduation Rate 24% Net Price $10,347 Grads Salary $38,600

Eastern Arizona College

College Type 2-year, Public Campus Housing Yes Student Population 6,027 Graduation Rate 46% Net Price $9,498 Grads Salary $29,200

Paradise Valley Community College

College Type 2-year, Public Campus Housing No Student Population 7,900 Graduation Rate 20% Net Price $9,950 Grads Salary $35,600

Mesa Community College

College Type 2-year, Public Campus Housing No Student Population 20,351 Graduation Rate 18% Net Price $10,337 Grads Salary $36,000

Rio Salado College

College Type 2-year, Public Campus Housing No Student Population 19,103 Graduation Rate 4% Net Price $9,017 Grads Salary $39,500

Yavapai College

College Type 2-year, Public Campus Housing Yes Student Population 7,428 Graduation Rate 32% Net Price $6,872 Grads Salary $28,800

Estrella Mountain Community College

College Type 2-year, Public Campus Housing No Student Population 10,120 Graduation Rate 20% Net Price $9,110 Grads Salary $33,800

Scottsdale Community College

College Type 2-year, Public Campus Housing No Student Population 8,602 Graduation Rate 17% Net Price $10,547 Grads Salary $35,600

Pima Community College

College Type 2-year, Public Campus Housing No Student Population 19,512 Graduation Rate 18% Net Price $3,696 Grads Salary $30,900

GateWay Community College

College Type 2-year, Public Campus Housing No Student Population 5,067 Graduation Rate 20% Net Price $10,692 Grads Salary $32,800

Full Ranking Report

Cochise County Community College

College Type 2-year, Public Campus Housing Yes Student Population 3,327 Graduation Rate 29% Net Price $6,446 Grads Salary $27,000

Glendale Community College

College Type 2-year, Public Campus Housing No Student Population 18,054 Graduation Rate 14% Net Price $9,597 Grads Salary $33,200

Phoenix College

College Type 2-year, Public Campus Housing No Student Population 11,109 Graduation Rate 15% Net Price $9,655 Grads Salary $31,900

South Mountain Community College

College Type 2-year, Public Campus Housing No Student Population 4,321 Graduation Rate 19% Net Price $9,697 Grads Salary $30,200

Arizona Western College

College Type 2-year, Public Campus Housing Yes Student Population 6,487 Graduation Rate 24% Net Price $9,747 Grads Salary $27,700

Mohave Community College

College Type 2-year, Public Campus Housing No Student Population 3,654 Graduation Rate 18% Net Price $7,105 Grads Salary $27,500

Central Arizona College

College Type 2-year, Public Campus Housing Yes Student Population 4,793 Graduation Rate 16% Net Price $6,017 Grads Salary $26,500

Coconino Community College

College Type 2-year, Public Campus Housing No Student Population 3,582 Graduation Rate 20% Net Price $12,885 Grads Salary $28,500

Northland Pioneer College

College Type 2-year, Public Campus Housing No Student Population 3,008 Graduation Rate 9% Net Price $10,471 Grads Salary $25,200

Bryan University-Tempe

College Type 4-year, primarily associate's, Private for-profit Campus Housing No Student Population 1,115 Graduation Rate 25% Net Price $15,009 Grads Salary NA

Best Bachelor's Degrees in Arizona

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Here, you can find the best bachelor’s degrees in the state of Arizona. Whether you’re hoping to find a university in a large city, a private university, or a college in a smaller town, here you can review the statistics that demonstrate each school’s claim to academic excellence.

University of Arizona

College Type 4-year, Public Campus Housing Yes Student Population 45,601 Graduation Rate 65% Net Price $15,620 Grads Salary $75,000

Arizona State University

College Type 4-year, Public Campus Housing Yes Student Population 53,286 Graduation Rate 66% Net Price $14,653 Grads Salary $72,000

Northern Arizona University

College Type 4-year, Public Campus Housing Yes Student Population 30,733 Graduation Rate 57% Net Price $15,692 Grads Salary $65,000

University of Advancing Technology

College Type 4-year, Private for-profit Campus Housing Yes Student Population 789 Graduation Rate 40% Net Price $12,936 Grads Salary $73,000

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott

College Type 4-year, Private not-for-profit Campus Housing Yes Student Population 2,946 Graduation Rate 59% Net Price $36,356 Grads Salary $84,000

Grand Canyon University

College Type 4-year, Private for-profit Campus Housing Yes Student Population 103,427 Graduation Rate 47% Net Price $20,818 Grads Salary $63,300

University of Phoenix-Arizona

College Type 4-year, Private for-profit Campus Housing No Student Population 89,763 Graduation Rate 12% Net Price $12,780 Grads Salary $73,000

Prescott College

College Type 4-year, Private not-for-profit Campus Housing Yes Student Population 993 Graduation Rate 49% Net Price $23,225 Grads Salary $55,100

American InterContinental University

College Type 4-year, Private for-profit Campus Housing No Student Population 9,952 Graduation Rate 17% Net Price $13,278 Grads Salary $64,500

Arizona Christian University

College Type 4-year, Private not-for-profit Campus Housing Yes Student Population 870 Graduation Rate 44% Net Price $28,962 Grads Salary $56,000

Full Ranking Report

DeVry University-Arizona

College Type 4-year, Private for-profit Campus Housing No Student Population 328 Graduation Rate 15% Net Price $32,182 Grads Salary $81,000

Ottawa University-Phoenix

College Type 4-year, Private not-for-profit Campus Housing No Student Population 1,023 Graduation Rate 46% Net Price NA Grads Salary $63,000

Bryan University-Tempe

College Type 4-year, Primarily associate's, Private for-profit Campus Housing No Student Population 1,115 Graduation Rate 25% Net Price $15,009 Grads Salary NA

Best Master's Degrees in Arizona

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You have a choice from many colleges and universities in Arizona as you look for the best master’s degrees in the state. Whether your goal is to gain employment in top careers, or prepare yourself for promotion, you’ll be able to find the degree program you need to help you advance. These schools not only offer full degree programs, but also some of the most sought-after continuing education in the state. If you are interested in learning more about a master of business administration, here is the University HQ MBA rankings in Arizona.

University of Arizona

College Type 4-year, Public Campus Housing Yes Student Population 45,601 Graduation Rate 65% Net Price $15,620 Grads Salary $75,000

Arizona State University

College Type 4-year, Public Campus Housing Yes Student Population 53,286 Graduation Rate 66% Net Price $14,653 Grads Salary $72,000

Northern Arizona University

College Type 4-year, Public Campus Housing Yes Student Population 30,733 Graduation Rate 57% Net Price $15,692 Grads Salary $65,000

University of Advancing Technology

College Type 4-year, Private for-profit Campus Housing Yes Student Population 789 Graduation Rate 40% Net Price $12,936 Grads Salary $73,000

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott

College Type 4-year, Private not-for-profit Campus Housing Yes Student Population 2,946 Graduation Rate 59% Net Price $36,356 Grads Salary $84,000

Grand Canyon University

College Type 4-year, Private for-profit Campus Housing Yes Student Population 103,427 Graduation Rate 47% Net Price $20,818 Grads Salary $63,300

University of Phoenix-Arizona

College Type 4-year, Private for-profit Campus Housing No Student Population 89,763 Graduation Rate 12% Net Price $12,780 Grads Salary $73,000

Prescott College

College Type 4-year, Private not-for-profit Campus Housing Yes Student Population 993 Graduation Rate 49% Net Price $23,225 Grads Salary $55,100

American InterContinental University

College Type 4-year, Private for-profit Campus Housing No Student Population 9,952 Graduation Rate 17% Net Price $13,278 Grads Salary $64,500

DeVry University-Arizona

College Type 4-year, Private for-profit Campus Housing No Student Population 328 Graduation Rate 15% Net Price $32,182 Grads Salary $81,000

Full Ranking Report

Ottawa University-Phoenix

College Type 4-year, Private not-for-profit Campus Housing No Student Population 1,023 Graduation Rate 46% Net Price NA Grads Salary $63,000

Bryan University-Tempe

College Type 4-year, Primarily associate's, Private for-profit Campus Housing No Student Population 1,115 Graduation Rate 25% Net Price $15,009 Grads Salary NA

Cost of Arizona College Education & Salaries

Educational costs are a big issue for aspiring students. It's important to keep this in mind, as you will likely need to take out student loans, which will start asking for repayment about six months after graduation. For that reason, keep a few guidelines in mind as you pursue your degree.

First, note that public community colleges, online and on-campus, are often your cheapest bet. These schools can offer a terrific education and a degree at the end of your studies. Depending on your state, and how efficiently you manage your courses, you can possibly graduate with a total bill of approximately $10,000. You can then go to work in your field, earn experience, and pay off that debt quickly.

You will eventually need a higher education, however. If you've started off with an associate degree from a community college, a bachelor's degree could cost you aa little as $30,000. However, if you dive headlong into a private college in an expensive metro area, your total cost might be as high as $300,000.

Regardless of what school you attend, your earnings should rise significantly. In fact, the higher-ranked and more well-respected the school you attend, the higher your starting salary is likely to be. It's also been shown that students in highly-competitive schools tend to graduate sooner, and in higher numbers, than those from less-competitive institutions.

When you complete a master's or doctoral-level degree, your earnings will surely be sufficient to justify the money you've invested in education. More than that, your working life will be so much more rewarding. You'll be able to pursue projects about which you'd previously only dreamed. You will be trusted with more and more responsibility, and you'll certainly reap the rewards for years to come.

Keep in mind that if you are working in your field and choose a fully-accredited institution, your employer might reimburse some, or all, of your tuition expenses. Seek out employers that offer these benefits and pursue employment with them. You are sure to make their investment worth their while.

Best Scholarships for Arizona

To help defray the cost of your online Arizona degree, seek out scholarships to help along the way. While most only pay a relatively small sum, under $10,000, you can still apply for multiple scholarships at once. Further, there are still scholarships that provide a full-ride through a degree. These are rare, but it is possible to find them. It's also good to keep in mind that there are many scholarships that go undiscovered and are simply waiting for you to find them. Here are a few of the best scholarships for Arizona students:

BOCA

BOCA Scholarship

http://www.allaboutboca.com/recipients.php
If you grew up on an Arizona ranch, you qualify to apply for this scholarship. If you are a student at any level, a US Citizen, two letters of recommendation, a list of your achievements, a mission statement, and a list of any other scholarships you've won.

ML

Modern Law Scholarship

http://www.allaboutboca.com/recipients.php
If you are an Arizona student you can apply for this open-ended scholarship whose mission is simply to help students pay for college. Their criteria are rather vague, as they only ask that you "impress" them with an essay or video. Given that Modern Law is a firm that specializes in divorce, you might mention how you have been impacted by that phenomenon. You might also focus on more traditional scholarship topics such as your plans and achievements.

MCC

APS/Maricopa County Community Colleges Scholarships

https://mcccdf.academicworks.com/
If you have a 3.0 GPA and can demonstrate financial need, you should consider applying for this scholarship. This fund is overseen by Pinnacle West Capital Corp. and will help you through your Community College experience. You must also be an Arizona resident.

PR

Phoenix Pride Scholarship

https://phoenixpride.org/phoenixpridecommunityfoundation/pride-scholarships/
Maricopa County LGBTQ students who are currently attending an accredited college or university, or who are soon to graduate high school are welcome to apply. There are two award levels: $1,000 and $5,000. Eight students will receive $5,000 and one is awarded $1,000. If you win, you must enroll for at least 12 credit hours in the following term. The $1,000 award is for a student-athlete. All applicants must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA.

GGFM

Gail Goodell Folsom Memorial Scholarships

http://scholarshipchart.com/scholarship/lindenwood-university-scouting-scholarships/
If you intend to pursue a career in legal services, this scholarship will help out with $250. The focus is on students who intend to study, or who are currently studying, Paralegal Studies. To apply, you will need to submit a personal letter along with a completed application form.

AZNA

Arizona Nursery Association Scholarships

https://azna.org/Scholarship
If you love plants and intend on studying horticultural-related curriculum during your college years, this scholarship is intended for you. Your grades must be above-average, you should be employed by a nursery, and display extra-curricular activities related to the industry. Applicants can be attending a university, college, community college, or continuing education program. The Nursery Association awards two scholarships worth $500 and $3000.