Scottsdale, Arizona Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)
Executive Summary (TL;DR)
Colleges in Scottsdale, Arizona: median public in-state tuition $3,189 (-44.0% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $69,111 (+16.4% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 91.5% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $8,500 (-37.0% vs U.S.) 59,711 students enrolled statewide.
Overview
Colleges and universities in Scottsdale serve students across Arizona with associate, bachelor's, and graduate pathways. 7 reporting campuses in this city profile, with about 59,711 students enrolled in federal data, and median in-state tuition near $3,189. Tables below compare costs, completion, earnings, and standout institutions against Scottsdale, Arizona and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.
Scottsdale 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottsdale, Arizona | $3,189 | $19,207 | $8,500 | 22.4% | 59,711 |
| Arizona (state median) | $2,358 | $9,738 | $11,024 | 35.0% | 531,808 |
| United States | $5,700 | $9,912 | $13,500 | 49.3% | 14,465,291 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Scottsdale, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottsdale, Arizona | $69,111 | 91.5% | 100.0% | 7.1% | — | 70.1% | 0.28 |
| Arizona (state median) | $49,894 | 88.2% | 67.9% | 7.1% | — | 61.8% | 0.45 |
| United States | $59,401 | 93.0% | 76.4% | 5.0% | — | 73.8% | 0.36 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottsdale, Arizona | $3,189 | $19,207 | $8,500 | 22.4% | 59,711 | $69,111 | 91.5% |
| Phoenix | $9,552 | $21,107 | $11,066 | 20.7% | 191,290 | $46,811 | 86.5% |
| Tempe | $12,260 | $21,738 | $14,576 | 32.7% | 88,450 | $55,167 | 88.8% |
| Tucson | $13,906 | $18,600 | $11,390 | 54.4% | 61,547 | $54,318 | 89.6% |
| Chandler | $11,960 | $16,125 | $8,298 | 14.2% | 33,298 | $40,922 | 81.7% |
| Flagstaff | $8,560 | $7,206 | $13,625 | 79.3% | 25,354 | $59,083 | 92.0% |
| Mesa | $7,666 | $29,778 | $9,500 | 14.2% | 17,626 | N/A | N/A |
| Glendale | $15,905 | $23,766 | $16,360 | 23.6% | 14,477 | $55,315 | 91.2% |
| Glendale | $15,905 | $23,766 | $16,360 | 23.6% | 14,477 | $55,315 | 91.2% |
| United States | $5,700 | $9,912 | $13,500 | 49.3% | 14,465,291 | $59,401 | 93.0% |
Top college in Scottsdale, 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, 91.5%, Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Most selective college in Scottsdale, 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, 66.7%, Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Top college in Scottsdale, 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, $87,787, Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Top college in Scottsdale, 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, $114,868, Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Top college in Scottsdale, 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, $56,685, Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Top college in Scottsdale, 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, $64,033, Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Top college in Scottsdale, 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, $69,111, Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Top college in Scottsdale, 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, $258,790, Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Most affordable college in Scottsdale, 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, $11,594, Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Top college in Scottsdale, 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, 100.0%, Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
In-state tuition: Scottsdale, Arizona vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Scottsdale, Arizona median in-state tuition is $3,189, -44.0% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Scottsdale, Arizona vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Scottsdale, Arizona is $8,500 (-37.0% vs U.S. median $13,500). Regional median: $12,048.
Median earnings (10 years out): Scottsdale, Arizona vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Scottsdale, Arizona center around $69,111 (+16.4% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Scottsdale, Arizona vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 91.5% at the median Scottsdale, Arizona campus (-1.5 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
Scottsdale, Arizona median public in-state tuition is $3,189, about -44.0% vs the national median. Versus the Southwest region, tuition is -14.2%.
Median graduate debt is $8,500 (-37.0% below the U.S. median of $13,500). 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 Scottsdale, Arizona are $69,111, about +16.4% vs the U.S. campus median ($59,401).
The median campus reports 91.5% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 93.0% (-1.5 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 100.0% 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 7.1% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 70.1% (U.S. 73.8%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Arizona State University Digital Immersion (91.5%)—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 Scottsdale, Arizona is 22.4% (national institution average about 49.3%).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many colleges are in Scottsdale?
This city profile covers 7 campuses in Scottsdale, Arizona with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.
How much does college cost in Scottsdale?
Median in-state tuition in Scottsdale is $3,189 and median net price is $19,207. For Arizona overall, medians are $2,358 and $9,738; U.S. medians are $5,700 and $9,912.
What do graduates earn in Scottsdale?
Median 10-year earnings for campuses in Scottsdale is $69,111 vs $49,894 for Arizona and $59,401 nationally.
What is student debt like for Scottsdale colleges?
Median completer debt in Scottsdale is $8,500 vs $11,024 for Arizona and $13,500 nationally.
What are the best colleges in Scottsdale?
Top campuses on this page include Arizona State University Digital Immersion (10-yr earnings). See Top 10 lists for admission, affordability, and employment metrics.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Scottsdale?
Among 7 campuses in Scottsdale, Arizona, 2 campuses report at least 25% Hispanic undergraduate enrollment in U.S. Department of Education data; examples include Scottsdale Community College and Arizona Culinary Institute; 1 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campus (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: Interdenominational (1).
Sources & related
- Arizona college profile
- All college profiles
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
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