With year-round sunshine, no threat of natural disasters and average temperatures above 72 degrees, Arizona makes the perfect backdrop for college education. Offering specialty courses, excelling programs and some of the best research facilities, what’s not to love about Arizona?
Maricopa Community Colleges
Maricopa Community Colleges consists of 10 colleges specializing in university transfer, continuing education, career and job training programs. Their specialty schools include Scottsdale Community College, Paradise Valley Community College, Glendale Community College, Rio Salado College, and GateWay Community College, all of which are excelling colleges.
Fun fact: In 2007, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz visited Glendale Community College with the United Blood Services (UBS) team. He started working with UBS in 2006 and encourages Phoenix citizens to give blood to local hospitals and doctors. After each person donated blood, Ortiz personally met with everyone; signing autographs and taking pictures.
Arizona State University
Although ASU is known as a party school in Arizona amongst younger people, it’s also one of the leading universities for academic research. President Michael Crow, in a speech to university supporters titled “2013 and Beyond,” said he wants to increase research funding to $700 million a year from $385 million, graduate 25,000 students a year by 2020, and ramp up the number of online degrees.
ASU has many specialized schools, including Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, W.P. Carey School of Business, and College of Nursing and Health Innovation.
The Walter Cronkite School moved their journalism school from Tempe to a new facility in downtown Phoenix back in 2008 and shares space with Channel 8, a local television station. The state-of-the-art facility is equipped with 14 digital newsrooms, and computer labs, 280 student workstations, two TV studios, a Cronkite Theater and some of the most sophisticated technology found anywhere, according to the school’s site.
Fun fact: In 2009, President Barack Obama was the keynote speaker at ASU’s University Commencement ceremony, with a record number of 9,200 graduates. President Obama presented the first six recipients of the President Barack Obama Scholars Program.
University of Arizona
Do you want to become a writer? How about an award-winning engineer? At University of Arizona, home of the Wildcats, you can receive some of the best schooling. The faculty consists of Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, members of national academies and world-renowned experts in their fields. According to UA’s site, the school generates more than $600 million in research and gives Arizona an annual $2 billion boost.
Fun fact: A jar is displayed at UA’s College of Pharmacy, which contains wads of Black Jack chewing gum that was once enjoyed by outlaw John Dillinger, according to UA’s site. It seems this outlaw loved sticking his used gum underneath the counter of Tucson’s Owl Drug Store.
Northern Arizona University
If you wish to escape the heat, Northern Arizona University is the place to be. Located in Flagstaff, students get to experience all four seasons (unlike other cities in Arizona) and learn the tools needed to succeed in their field of choice. U.S. News & World Report ranked the undergraduate engineering program among the best in the nation, according to NAU’s website.
Fun fact: NAU was named one of the top 100 public colleges and universities in the U.S., according to Forbes. The school was ranked 78th.
Grand Canyon University
This private Christian university is recognized by Fortune Small Business (FSB) as offering some of the best online education programs in the nation. FSB named Grand Canyon University one of the ‘5 Top E-Schools’ in America for entrepreneurs. The university offers students a positive environment while encouraging students to find their purpose in Christ. GCU offers students top-notch accommodations including a new state-of-the-art recreation center, new dorm buildings and an Olympic-size pool.
Fun fact: Grand Canyon University, which is located in Phoenix, Arizona, offers certificate programs and nearly 100 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs.
Checkout the complete list of colleges in Arizona from which the universities above are the best of.