Tempe, Arizona Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Colleges in Tempe, Arizona: median public in-state tuition $12,219 (+121.7% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $48,662 (-10.5% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 83.5% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $9,500 (-28.4% vs U.S.) 88,450 students enrolled statewide.
Key Facts
- Institutions in this profile: 13 campuses
- Total college enrollment: 88,450 students
- Median public in-state tuition: $12,219 (+121.7% vs U.S.)
- Median earnings 10 years after entry: $48,662 (-10.5% vs U.S.)
- Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 83.5% (-4.5 pp vs U.S.)
- Median net price: $20,907 (+109.7% vs U.S.)
- Median student debt at graduation: $9,500 (-28.4% vs U.S. $13,271); regional median $11,004
- Average completion rate (institutions in state): 40.3%
- Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 79.0%
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Overview
Colleges and universities in Tempe serve students across Arizona with associate, bachelor's, and graduate pathways. 13 reporting campuses in this city profile, with about 88,450 students enrolled in federal data, and median in-state tuition near $12,219. Tables below compare costs, completion, earnings, and standout institutions against Tempe, Arizona and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.
Tempe vs Arizona & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tempe, Arizona | $12,219 | $20,907 | $9,500 | 40.3% | 88,450 |
| Arizona (state median) | $2,358 | $12,055 | $9,500 | 38.0% | 531,808 |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,969 | $13,271 | 50.3% | 14,468,221 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Tempe, Arizona vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tempe, Arizona | $48,662 | 83.5% | 79.0% | 10.2% | — | 53.4% | 0.29 |
| Arizona (state median) | $42,359 | 80.3% | 67.9% | 7.1% | — | 61.8% | 0.35 |
| United States | $54,384 | 88.0% | 76.4% | 5.0% | — | 73.7% | 0.41 |
Other cities in Arizona (3+ campuses)
Other cities in the same state with at least three reporting campuses.
| City | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tempe, Arizona | $12,219 | $20,907 | $9,500 | 40.3% | 88,450 | $48,662 | 83.5% |
| Phoenix | $10,888 | $21,291 | $9,500 | 28.8% | 191,290 | $42,186 | 79.0% |
| Tucson | $13,926 | $20,372 | $9,500 | 67.5% | 61,547 | $47,318 | 84.3% |
| Scottsdale | $2,808 | $22,586 | $9,500 | 8.7% | 59,711 | $62,668 | 87.8% |
| Chandler | $11,960 | $14,916 | $8,834 | 10.7% | 33,298 | $35,774 | 75.9% |
| Flagstaff | $7,980 | $13,996 | $14,625 | 60.7% | 25,354 | $54,384 | 89.8% |
| Mesa | $7,290 | $21,957 | $9,500 | 15.6% | 17,626 | N/A | N/A |
| Glendale | $15,529 | $24,689 | $15,917 | 27.9% | 14,477 | $51,612 | 86.1% |
| Glendale | $15,529 | $24,689 | $15,917 | 27.9% | 14,477 | $51,612 | 86.1% |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,969 | $13,271 | 50.3% | 14,468,221 | $54,384 | 88.0% |
Top 2 colleges in Tempe, Arizona by graduation rate (150% time)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate (4-year bachelor's-predominant institutions, enrollment ≥ 500). Higher rate = more students finishing within 150% of normal time.
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Rank 1, Graduation Rate, 88.9%, Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
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Rank 2, Graduation Rate, 68.0%, Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Top 2 colleges in Tempe, Arizona by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Ranked by share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate. Enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 87.8%, Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 79.2%, Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Top 2 most selective colleges in Tempe, Arizona (lowest admission rate)
Ranked by lowest admission rate (most selective first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500 and a reported admission rate.
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Rank 1, Admission Rate, 89.9%, Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
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Rank 2, Admission Rate, 100.0%, Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Top 2 colleges in Tempe, Arizona by entry-level earnings (1 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings one year after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; reflects completers in reported CIP programs, not all entrants.
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Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $85,169, Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
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Rank 2, Entry-Level Earnings, $84,706, Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Top 2 colleges in Tempe, Arizona by early-career earnings (4 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings four years after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; program cohort, not institution-wide median.
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Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $116,219, Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
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Rank 2, Early-Career Earnings, $87,378, Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Top 2 colleges in Tempe, Arizona by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings six years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $52,843, Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $32,840, Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Top 2 colleges in Tempe, Arizona by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings eight years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $58,779, Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $33,491, Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Top 2 colleges in Tempe, Arizona by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings ten years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $62,668, Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $34,657, Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Top 2 colleges in Tempe, Arizona by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year return on investment (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200 and a computed ROI in the EDsmart dataset.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $215,990, Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $9,822, Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Top 2 most affordable colleges in Tempe, Arizona (net price)
Ranked by lowest average net price (most affordable first). Uses overall net price, or mid-income bracket net price for public schools when available. Enrollment ≥ 300.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $14,967, Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
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Rank 2, Net Price, $31,681, Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Top 2 colleges in Tempe, Arizona by first-year retention (full-time)
Ranked by first-year, full-time retention rate (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, First-Year Retention, 86.6%, Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
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Rank 2, First-Year Retention, 71.4%, Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
In-state tuition: Tempe, Arizona vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Tempe, Arizona median in-state tuition is $12,219, +121.7% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Tempe, Arizona vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Tempe, Arizona is $9,500 (-28.4% vs U.S. median $13,271). Regional median: $11,004.
Median earnings (10 years out): Tempe, Arizona vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Tempe, Arizona center around $48,662 (-10.5% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Tempe, Arizona vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 83.5% at the median Tempe, Arizona campus (-4.5 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
Tempe, Arizona median public in-state tuition is $12,219, about +121.7% vs the national median. Versus the Southwest region, tuition is +231.5%.
Median graduate debt is $9,500 (-28.4% below the U.S. median of $13,271). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Tempe, Arizona are $48,662, about -10.5% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,384).
The median campus reports 83.5% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 88.0% (-4.5 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 79.0% vs a U.S. median of 76.4%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 10.2% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 53.4% (U.S. 73.7%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Arizona State University Campus Immersion (87.8%), Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe (79.2%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Tempe, Arizona is 40.3% (national institution average about 50.3%).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many colleges are in Tempe?
This city profile covers 13 campuses in Tempe, Arizona with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.
How much does college cost in Tempe?
Median in-state tuition in Tempe is $12,219 and median net price is $20,907. For Arizona overall, medians are $2,358 and $12,055; U.S. medians are $5,512 and $9,969.
What do graduates earn in Tempe?
Median 10-year earnings for campuses in Tempe is $48,662 vs $42,359 for Arizona and $54,384 nationally.
What is student debt like for Tempe colleges?
Median completer debt in Tempe is $9,500 vs $9,500 for Arizona and $13,271 nationally.
What are the best colleges in Tempe?
Top campuses on this page include Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe (graduation) and Arizona State University Campus Immersion (10-yr earnings). See Top 10 lists for admission, affordability, and employment metrics.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Tempe?
Among 13 campuses in Tempe, Arizona, 6 campuses with at least 25% Hispanic enrollment in College Scorecard demographics—a common Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) eligibility proxy; examples include Arizona State University Campus Immersion, Rio Salado College, and Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences.
Sources & related
- Arizona college profile
- All college profiles
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
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