Best Online Colleges in Arizona for 2024

Expand in page Navigation

Get Matched With Arizona Programs

Arizona's economy is full of opportunities. Workers make their careers in industries such as real estate, which is the state's #1 industry, business services, manufacturing, finance, tourism, and more. In fact, the state continues to post gains in terms of wages and overall employment. For October 2021, Arizona reported a 4.8% increase in wages over the previous twelve-month period.

For total jobs, the governor's office projected that the state would add over 325,000 new jobs in the period between February 2021 and Spring 2021. That will represent a 5.5% annualized increase, according to Arizona's Office of Economic Opportunity. The state is excited for the post-COVID recovery, which should be a boon to their tourism industry, and the state's overburdened healthcare system will likewise feel relief once infection rates decline.

All of this economic data is fueled by a strong commitment to education. When Arizona residents complete online or traditional college degrees, they not only help themselves succeed but they make their state more successful, too.

arizona_map_university

Compare Popular Online Arizona Programs

Search Programs

Online Higher Education in Arizona

The world of higher education has changed dramatically since the advent of online college degrees. These days, more than half of all Arizona's undergraduate students are attending online degree programs. Of the remaining students, nearly half of those are taking at least some of their courses online. Thus, of 500,000 students, only 100,000 of them take no online classes whatsoever.

As for costs, Arizona's college students pay an average of $4,000 for their tuition and associated fees. That number jumps to over $11,000 for out-of-state students who don't qualify for the Western Undergraduate Exchange. The state's most expensive college is Brookline College-Phoenix, a for-profit, private institution. Their students pay $85,000 for tuition and fees. The state's most affordable school is Dine College, a public four-year college in Tsaile, AZ, which charges $1,400 for tuition and fees regardless of whether a student is from Arizona or another state.

Find Your Online Arizona Program

There is no clear distinction drawn between the cost of online degrees versus traditional classroom degrees. It seems that Arizona's colleges and universities tend to charge the same regardless of content delivery methods. However, students who live in rural areas could choose to attend online classes in Phoenix schools without having to pay the increased costs of living in the city.

Arizona offers its students ample opportunities to study online. When considering all of the state's colleges, 127 of them offer some degree of online education. Larger universities likely offer whole degree programs online while smaller community colleges may be more likely to only offer a few online options. However, this is subject to change since online learning is becoming more and more popular. Students can also study a range of subjects, from skilled trades like trucking and cosmetology to traditional college degrees such as business, psychology, and computer science.

Our School Rankings Methodology

When our researchers assess a college or university, they consider a number of factors. Their goal is to arrive at an objective ranking for online colleges that will be useful to Arizona college students. For this list, they considered Arizona's online colleges and universities according to their retention rate, graduation rate, net price, how much graduates earn with their degree, and the student-to-faculty ratio.

The retention rate measures how well an Arizona college or university retains its first-year, full-time students into their second year. When students continue their learning into a second year, researchers can assume that they are finding a good academic value in the school. This often predicts the graduation rate, which top-ranked institutions report as close to 100%. When a school can boast high numbers like that for their distance learners, that is indeed an achievement. When these academic statistics are assessed along with financial matters, such as net price and alumni earnings, researchers are able to produce school rankings that students can believe in.

Find Online Arizona Schools

What are the Best Online Associate & Community College Programs in Arizona?

Best Online Associates & Community Colleges In Arizona badge
See Methodology Get Ranking Seal

Online community college degree programs are seeing increased numbers every year. A two-year associate degree from a community college shows employers that the student has a high level of drive and determination. The online associate degree option is often sought because it allows students to choose from wider set of degree options than what is offered in their immediate area.

The online option also allows students greater flexibility in their schedules. Even when a student takes one of their classes online, they are able to make time for work or family that might not have been available otherwise.

Eastern Arizona College
College Type
2-year, Public		 Student Population
6,027		 Graduation Rate
46%		 Net Price
$9,498		 Grads Salary
$34,500
Scottsdale Community College
College Type
2-year, Public		 Student Population
7,634		 Graduation Rate
17%		 Net Price
$10,547		 Grads Salary
$43,000
Yavapai College
College Type
2-year, Public		 Student Population
6,009		 Graduation Rate
32%		 Net Price
$6,872		 Grads Salary
$34,000
Paradise Valley Community College
College Type
2-year, Public		 Student Population
6,575		 Graduation Rate
20%		 Net Price
$9,950		 Grads Salary
$40,200
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
College Type
2-year, Public		 Student Population
13,395		 Graduation Rate
24%		 Net Price
$10,347		 Grads Salary
$38,600
Mesa Community College
College Type
2-year, Public		 Student Population
16,948		 Graduation Rate
18%		 Net Price
$10,337		 Grads Salary
$40,763
Pima Community College
College Type
2-year, Public		 Student Population
15,544		 Graduation Rate
18%		 Net Price
$3,696		 Grads Salary
$35,800
Cochise County Community College
College Type
2-year, Public		 Student Population
3,327		 Graduation Rate
29%		 Net Price
$6,446		 Grads Salary
$32,700
Estrella Mountain Community College
College Type
2-year, Public		 Student Population
8,768		 Graduation Rate
20%		 Net Price
$9,110		 Grads Salary
$37,600
Rio Salado College
College Type
2-year, Public		 Student Population
17,362		 Graduation Rate
4%		 Net Price
$9,017		 Grads Salary
$40,900
Full Ranking Report

What are the Best Online Universities & College Programs in Arizona?

Best Online Colleges In Arizona
See Methodology Get Ranking Seal

The best online college degree programs in Arizona have many things in common. First off, they all have very high academic standards. They are also affordable, fully accredited, and provide a variety of degree options.

Students who have a strong desire to learn and achieve, yet who may be constrained by work or a need to stay in their current town, should investigate Arizona's online degree options. Since distance learning generally has the same outcomes as traditional classroom learning, online college students are at no disadvantage. In fact, since they can control their living costs by not having to move into Phoenix or Tucson, for example, they can graduate with a rosier financial outlook than their peers who insisted on classroom learning.

Search Programs Offering Arizona Majors

University of Arizona
College Type
4-year, Public		 Student Population
45,601		 Graduation Rate
65%		 Net Price
$15,620		 Grads Salary
$76,000
Arizona State University
College Type
4-year, Public		 Student Population
74,795		 Graduation Rate
66%		 Net Price
$14,653		 Grads Salary
$73,000
Northern Arizona University
College Type
4-year, Public		 Student Population
29,566		 Graduation Rate
57%		 Net Price
$15,692		 Grads Salary
$66,000
Grand Canyon University
College Type
4-year, Private for-profit		 Student Population
103,427		 Graduation Rate
47%		 Net Price
$20,818		 Grads Salary
$65,000
University of Phoenix-Arizona
College Type
4-year, Private for-profit		 Student Population
89,763		 Graduation Rate
12%		 Net Price
$12,780		 Grads Salary
$74,000
American InterContinental University
College Type
4-year, Private for-profit		 Student Population
15,415		 Graduation Rate
17%		 Net Price
$13,278		 Grads Salary
$70,000
Prescott College
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit		 Student Population
970		 Graduation Rate
49%		 Net Price
$23,225		 Grads Salary
$56,000
Bryan University-Tempe
College Type
4-year, primarily associate's, Private for-profit		 Student Population
1,350		 Graduation Rate
25%		 Net Price
$15,009		 Grads Salary
NA

Search All Programs

✖