Arizona Colleges and Universities

College Degree Finder

Posted Jun 24th, 2014 , Updated Feb 7th, 2018 by College Atlas

If you’re looking for a large selection of higher education opportunities, then Arizona is the right state for you. Arizona is home to over 150 post-secondary and higher education institutions. Additionally, many of the universities in Arizona are some of the top-ranked in the nation. Arizona State University, located in downtown Phoenix, and the University of Arizona were recently recognized by US News & World Report as two of the “Best Colleges” in the nation. Other top Arizona colleges include Phoenix College and Northern Arizona University.

The majority of colleges and universities in Arizona are located in the capital city of Phoenix, or in one of the nearby suburbs Scottsdale, Glendale, Mesa, and Yuma. Tucson, the second largest city in the state, located in southern Arizona just 60 miles north of Mexico, is home to another 25 colleges and universities. A few more colleges are located in Flagstaff, the state’s northernmost city near the Grand Canyon National Park.

Before enrolling in a college or university, you’ll want to check into its accreditation status. Accreditation ensures that a college meets the highest level of education standards–and ultimately that you receive the education you’re paying for. There are two types of accreditation: national and regional. Both national and regional accreditation agencies must be approved by the Department of Education, but they vary in the level of oversight they provide. National accrediting agencies are able to accredit higher education institutions anywhere in the United States, and as such, they tend to have less oversight of the institutions they monitor. Regional accrediting agencies on the other hand only accredit schools within a limited geography or region. Consequently, regional accrediting agencies have much greater oversight over the institutions they accredit. Regional accreditation is considered to be more reputable than national accreditation. As such, it’s usually in the best interest of students to attend a regionally accredited college.

The U.S. is divided up into six geographic regions each represented by a single regional accreditor. All of these regional accreditors are responsible for accrediting both the public and private elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education institutions. Education institutions within the state of Arizona are accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Below you’ll find a comprehensive directory of accredited, 4-year colleges and universities located in Arizona. To learn more about a specific school simply click on its name. To explore colleges in a specific region select a city below. To explore 2-year colleges and technical schools offering diploma, certificate and associate degrees visit the Arizona community colleges section.

With exception of schools listed in Flagstaff and Tuscon, nearly every other school listed in one of the cities below is within commuting distance from anywhere in the Greater Phoenix Metro Area (Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale, Mesa Chandler, and Tempe).

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