State cost ranking · DOE College Scorecard
Cheapest Colleges in Arizona
According to U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data, 80 Arizona colleges ranked by average net price, what students actually paid after grant and scholarship aid, not the published sticker price.
- $3,405
- Cheapest net price
- $20,861
- Arizona median
- 80
- Schools ranked
Data updated June 2026 · IPEDS 2022–23 vintage
The list in one line
Pima Community College has the lowest average net price in Arizona at $3,405/year, and the state's median net price is 22% above the $17,083 national median across 4,942 schools.
- $3,405
- cheapest ranked net price
- $20,861
- Arizona median net price
- 25 public / 55 private
- schools in this ranking
- $19,487
- avg net price, <$30K income families
Average net price is the institution-reported average amount students actually paid after all grant and scholarship aid, not counting loans that must be repaid. A very low figure at a specialty or religious institution can reflect a narrow enrollment mix rather than typical affordability, check the sector label and enrollment before comparing.
Sticker tuition and real net price diverge most at Prescott College, where in-state published tuition of $35,685 falls to an average net price of $22,583 after aid, a $13,102 gap. This is the widest sticker-to-net-price gap among ranked Arizona schools, and a reminder that published tuition alone is a poor guide to what most admitted students actually pay.
Across all 80 ranked Arizona schools, 25 are public institutions and 55 are private (nonprofit or for-profit). Sector is shown next to every school below because a low sticker-adjacent price at a small religious, seminary, or specialty school can reflect an unusual enrollment mix rather than broad affordability, check enrollment and sector before drawing conclusions from rank alone.
Average net price also blends every income bracket into one figure, so a family's own bracket can land well above or below the number shown here. Federal reporting requires an institution to have enough surveyed aid recipients in a bracket before that bracket is published, so a very small school can show only a partial income-bracket breakdown even when its overall average net price is fully reported. Use the school's own profile page for the full income-bracket table before treating a single average as a personal cost estimate.
Arizona's 25 cheapest colleges by real net price
| # | College | Avg net price | Net price (<$30K income) | Median debt | Median earnings, 6yr | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pima Community College Tucson, AZ · Public | $3,405 93% of the leader · rank #1 | $2,605 | $7,000 | $34,622 | 15,819 |
| 2 | Tohono O'odham Community College Sells, AZ · Public | $4,233 91% of the leader · rank #2 | $4,225 | - | $32,647 | 1,176 |
| 3 | Central Arizona College Coolidge, AZ · Public | $4,714 90% of the leader · rank #3 | $3,900 | $10,010 | $36,057 | 5,131 |
| 4 | Mohave Community College Kingman, AZ · Public | $5,974 88% of the leader · rank #4 | $5,421 | $9,700 | $33,428 | 3,693 |
| 5 | Dine College Tsaile, AZ · Public | $6,057 88% of the leader · rank #5 | $5,332 | - | $23,195 | 1,836 |
| 6 | Cochise County Community College District Douglas, AZ · Public | $7,929 84% of the leader · rank #6 | $7,108 | $6,750 | $33,836 | 3,782 |
| 7 | Rio Salado College Tempe, AZ · Public | $8,341 83% of the leader · rank #7 | $6,800 | $9,500 | $42,314 | 18,631 |
| 8 | Yavapai College Prescott, AZ · Public | $8,683 82% of the leader · rank #8 | $7,882 | $9,000 | $35,028 | 7,200 |
| 9 | Arizona Western College Yuma, AZ · Public | $8,983 82% of the leader · rank #9 | $8,405 | $4,826 | $32,165 | 8,038 |
| 10 | Eastern Arizona College Thatcher, AZ · Public | $9,197 81% of the leader · rank #10 | $8,046 | - | $33,246 | 5,076 |
| 11 | Northland Pioneer College Holbrook, AZ · Public | $9,240 81% of the leader · rank #11 | $9,029 | - | $29,631 | 2,825 |
| 12 | Indian Bible College Flagstaff, AZ · Private nonprofit | $10,439 79% of the leader · rank #12 | - | - | - | 33 |
| 13 | Charles of Italy Beauty College Lake Havasu City, AZ · Private for-profit | $11,200 77% of the leader · rank #13 | $10,209 | $7,388 | $16,810 | 88 |
| 14 | Glendale Community College Glendale, AZ · Public | $11,650 76% of the leader · rank #14 | $10,512 | $6,960 | $37,269 | 13,480 |
| 15 | Phoenix College Phoenix, AZ · Public | $12,055 75% of the leader · rank #15 | $11,172 | $6,750 | $36,674 | 10,384 |
| 16 | Mesa Community College Mesa, AZ · Public | $12,132 75% of the leader · rank #16 | $10,838 | $7,473 | $38,702 | 16,624 |
| 17 | Paradise Valley Community College Phoenix, AZ · Public | $12,180 75% of the leader · rank #17 | $10,823 | $6,995 | $41,597 | 5,880 |
| 18 | Estrella Mountain Community College Avondale, AZ · Public | $12,254 75% of the leader · rank #18 | $10,780 | $7,500 | $39,357 | 10,069 |
| 19 | Chandler-Gilbert Community College Chandler, AZ · Public | $12,726 74% of the leader · rank #19 | $10,940 | $7,000 | $42,763 | 14,725 |
| 20 | South Mountain Community College Phoenix, AZ · Public | $12,780 74% of the leader · rank #20 | $11,902 | $8,000 | $35,633 | 4,157 |
| 21 | Studio Academy of Beauty Chandler, AZ · Private for-profit | $13,257 73% of the leader · rank #21 | $12,637 | $6,221 | $27,180 | 668 |
| 22 | Scottsdale Community College Scottsdale, AZ · Public | $13,336 73% of the leader · rank #22 | $12,138 | $8,000 | $39,059 | 6,875 |
| 23 | GateWay Community College Phoenix, AZ · Public | $13,339 73% of the leader · rank #23 | $12,325 | $6,750 | $42,262 | 5,123 |
| 24 | University of Phoenix-Arizona Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit | $13,520 72% of the leader · rank #24 | $12,776 | $31,553 | $35,359 | 101,150 |
| 25 | Coconino Community College Flagstaff, AZ · Public | $13,996 71% of the leader · rank #25 | $13,971 | $10,250 | $37,040 | 2,696 |
See all 80 ranked Arizona schools →
| # | College | Avg net price | Net price (<$30K income) | Median debt | Median earnings, 6yr | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ · Public | $14,158 71% of the leader · rank #26 | $9,709 | $19,000 | $47,308 | 28,186 |
| 27 | GateWay Community College-Central City Phoenix, AZ · Public | $14,438 70% of the leader · rank #27 | $14,572 | $6,750 | $42,262 | 477 |
| 28 | Turning Point Beauty College Chandler, AZ · Private for-profit | $14,492 70% of the leader · rank #28 | $14,275 | $6,000 | $17,443 | 95 |
| 29 | International Baptist College and Seminary Chandler, AZ · Private nonprofit | $14,660 70% of the leader · rank #29 | $13,703 | - | $28,602 | 81 |
| 30 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ · Public | $14,967 69% of the leader · rank #30 | $9,070 | $19,500 | $52,843 | 79,593 |
| 31 | Empire Beauty School-Chandler Chandler, AZ · Private for-profit | $15,364 69% of the leader · rank #31 | $14,467 | $10,667 | $20,215 | 98 |
| 32 | Arizona School of Integrative Studies Mesa, AZ · Private for-profit | $16,104 67% of the leader · rank #32 | $14,145 | $8,444 | $23,733 | 161 |
| 33 | Empire Beauty School-Avondale Avondale, AZ · Private for-profit | $16,134 67% of the leader · rank #33 | $14,530 | $10,231 | $21,743 | 239 |
| 34 | University of Arizona Tucson, AZ · Public | $16,674 66% of the leader · rank #34 | $13,353 | $19,620 | $47,665 | 53,001 |
| 35 | Empire Beauty School-Tucson Tucson, AZ · Private for-profit | $17,013 65% of the leader · rank #35 | $16,568 | $13,000 | $19,285 | 213 |
| 36 | Avalon Institute-Phoenix Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit | $17,439 64% of the leader · rank #36 | $17,308 | $6,332 | $29,562 | 382 |
| 37 | Tucson College of Beauty Tucson, AZ · Private for-profit | $17,717 64% of the leader · rank #37 | $16,746 | $6,333 | $21,104 | 134 |
| 38 | Avalon Institute-Mesa Mesa, AZ · Private for-profit | $18,972 61% of the leader · rank #38 | $19,123 | $6,332 | $29,562 | 388 |
| 39 | Pure Aesthetics Natural Skincare School Tucson, AZ · Private for-profit | $19,831 59% of the leader · rank #39 | $19,559 | - | $31,509 | 53 |
| 40 | Bryan University Tempe, AZ · Private for-profit | $20,834 57% of the leader · rank #40 | $20,660 | $20,000 | $32,146 | 2,108 |
| 41 | Paul Mitchell the School-Phoenix Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit | $20,861 57% of the leader · rank #41 | $19,320 | $16,779 | $23,932 | 102 |
| 42 | Aveda Institute-Phoenix Tempe, AZ · Private for-profit | $20,907 57% of the leader · rank #42 | $20,857 | $6,333 | $27,978 | 202 |
| 43 | Aveda Institute-Tucson Tucson, AZ · Private for-profit | $20,912 57% of the leader · rank #43 | $20,484 | $6,333 | $27,978 | 264 |
| 44 | Allen School-Phoenix Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit | $21,291 56% of the leader · rank #44 | $20,847 | $9,500 | $31,149 | 11 |
| 45 | Miller-Motte College-Arizona Automotive Institute Glendale, AZ · Private for-profit | $21,459 56% of the leader · rank #45 | $20,590 | $15,917 | $26,349 | 513 |
| 46 | Pima Medical Institute-Mesa Mesa, AZ · Private for-profit | $21,461 56% of the leader · rank #46 | $21,625 | $9,500 | $37,302 | 721 |
| 47 | International Barber College Chandler, AZ · Private for-profit | $21,803 55% of the leader · rank #47 | $20,732 | - | - | 30 |
| 48 | Brookline College-Tempe Tempe, AZ · Private for-profit | $22,297 54% of the leader · rank #48 | $20,795 | $9,500 | $32,705 | 294 |
| 49 | Pima Medical Institute-East Valley Mesa, AZ · Private for-profit | $22,453 54% of the leader · rank #49 | $22,269 | $9,500 | $37,302 | 373 |
| 50 | Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit | $22,472 54% of the leader · rank #50 | $18,557 | $22,114 | $47,280 | 107,563 |
| 51 | Prescott College Prescott, AZ · Private nonprofit | $22,583 54% of the leader · rank #51 | $22,542 | $16,300 | $33,539 | 909 |
| 52 | Penrose Academy Scottsdale, AZ · Private for-profit | $22,586 54% of the leader · rank #52 | $22,329 | $6,333 | $32,256 | 390 |
| 53 | Brookline College-Tucson Tucson, AZ · Private for-profit | $22,871 53% of the leader · rank #53 | $23,550 | $9,500 | $32,705 | 211 |
| 54 | Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences Tempe, AZ · Private for-profit | $22,990 53% of the leader · rank #54 | $22,292 | $8,344 | $32,059 | 637 |
| 55 | Pima Medical Institute-Phoenix Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit | $23,004 53% of the leader · rank #55 | $22,988 | $8,521 | $36,397 | 830 |
| 56 | Xtylo Beauty College Tolleson, AZ · Private for-profit | $23,278 52% of the leader · rank #56 | $23,278 | - | - | 93 |
| 57 | Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit | $24,680 50% of the leader · rank #57 | $24,680 | - | $36,340 | 15 |
| 58 | Universal Technical Institute of Arizona Inc-Motorcycle Mechanics Institute Division Avondale, AZ · Private for-profit | $24,863 49% of the leader · rank #58 | $23,181 | $13,097 | $42,989 | 567 |
| 59 | Refrigeration School Inc Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit | $27,025 45% of the leader · rank #59 | $26,142 | $8,233 | $47,246 | 1,296 |
| 60 | Kino College Tucson, AZ · Private for-profit | $27,579 44% of the leader · rank #60 | $27,478 | - | - | 29 |
| 61 | Arizona College-Glendale Glendale, AZ · Private for-profit | $27,919 43% of the leader · rank #61 | $27,349 | $9,500 | $32,840 | 306 |
| 62 | Xtylo Beauty College Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit | $28,130 42% of the leader · rank #62 | $28,092 | - | - | 35 |
| 63 | University of Advancing Technology Tempe, AZ · Private for-profit | $28,522 42% of the leader · rank #63 | $25,687 | $28,812 | $39,016 | 960 |
| 64 | Arizona College-Mesa Mesa, AZ · Private for-profit | $29,284 40% of the leader · rank #64 | $28,877 | $9,500 | $32,840 | 133 |
| 65 | Brookline College-Phoenix Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit | $30,072 38% of the leader · rank #65 | $29,573 | $9,500 | $32,705 | 751 |
| 66 | Universal Technical Institute of Arizona Inc Avondale, AZ · Private for-profit | $30,451 38% of the leader · rank #66 | $27,707 | $13,124 | $47,320 | 1,791 |
| 67 | Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe Tempe, AZ · Private for-profit | $31,681 35% of the leader · rank #67 | $27,061 | $9,500 | $32,840 | 1,246 |
| 68 | Arizona Christian University Glendale, AZ · Private nonprofit | $32,839 33% of the leader · rank #68 | $30,522 | $23,000 | $39,524 | 1,233 |
| 69 | UEI College-Phoenix Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit | $32,854 33% of the leader · rank #69 | $32,715 | $9,500 | $29,172 | 1,148 |
| 70 | Ottawa University-Surprise Surprise, AZ · Private nonprofit | $33,393 32% of the leader · rank #70 | $28,636 | $21,500 | $49,139 | 836 |
| 71 | Carrington College-Tucson Tucson, AZ · Private for-profit | $33,983 30% of the leader · rank #71 | $33,801 | $9,500 | $34,062 | 437 |
| 72 | UEI College-Mesa Mesa, AZ · Private for-profit | $35,391 28% of the leader · rank #72 | $35,002 | $9,500 | $29,172 | 565 |
| 73 | Arizona College of Nursing-Phoenix Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit | $36,660 25% of the leader · rank #73 | $34,997 | $9,500 | $32,840 | 1,062 |
| 74 | Commercial Divers International Goodyear, AZ · Private for-profit | $36,757 25% of the leader · rank #74 | $36,623 | - | - | 47 |
| 75 | Arizona College of Nursing-Tucson Tucson, AZ · Private for-profit | $37,136 24% of the leader · rank #75 | $35,127 | $9,500 | $32,840 | 566 |
| 76 | Arizona Culinary Institute Scottsdale, AZ · Private for-profit | $38,815 21% of the leader · rank #76 | $35,533 | $9,500 | $36,702 | 157 |
| 77 | Chamberlain University-Arizona Phoenix, AZ · Private for-profit | $40,096 18% of the leader · rank #77 | - | $20,919 | $84,533 | 745 |
| 78 | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott Prescott, AZ · Private nonprofit | $40,287 18% of the leader · rank #78 | $39,171 | $23,666 | $65,391 | 3,286 |
| 79 | Southwest Institute of Healing Arts Tempe, AZ · Private for-profit | $43,883 10% of the leader · rank #79 | $43,248 | $9,500 | $28,145 | 716 |
| 80 | Carrington College-Mesa Mesa, AZ · Private for-profit | $48,877 4% of the leader · rank #80 | $48,159 | $9,500 | $34,062 | 492 |
What this means for you
Use Arizona's ranking as a starting point, real net price depends on your specific financial-aid package.
- Pima Community College reports the lowest average net price in Arizona, but "average" blends every income bracket, check your bracket's figure before assuming it applies to you. View Pima Community College
- See your specific school's in-state cost rank and nearest-price peers. My School Profile
- Compare campus safety alongside cost before deciding. Arizona safety
Figures reflect the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23 release.
Average net price = the institution-reported average amount students actually paid after all grant and scholarship aid, excluding loans. Only schools with a reported average net price in the DOE College Scorecard dataset are ranked. Schools with fewer than 10 net-price-reporting institutions in a state or territory are not given a dedicated ranking page.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Every ranked figure on this page is queried directly from the DOE College Scorecard dataset at request time; no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.