A public R1 research university in Tempe, AZ, admitting 89.89% of applicants with a test-free policy, 38% first-generation enrollment, and one of the most ambitious access missions of any flagship university.
Tempe, Arizona
Arizona State University is a public R1 research university headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, founded in 1885 and the flagship institution of the Arizona Board of Regents. It enrolls approximately 64,674 in-person undergraduates and 14,368 graduate students across fifteen colleges and schools, including the W.P. Carey School of Business, the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.
Business, engineering, social sciences, biological sciences, and communications account for the largest shares of bachelor's degrees. Arizona State University is accredited through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). ASU does not require SAT or ACT scores for admission; Arizona State University is test-free. ASU is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and holds an R1 Carnegie Classification. ASU describes itself as a New American University, a model that combines high research activity with broad access and public service, and it enrolls more in-person students than any other university in the United States.
Official website: asu.edu
UCD scores every college on four pillars: Outcomes, Value, Affordability, and Selectivity. Within peer group A (four-year selective institutions), Arizona State University scores 76.75 overall, rated Good. Outcomes (75.53) reflects a 68.04% six-year graduation rate and 85.96% first-year retention. Value scores 85.56, driven by ten-year earnings of $62,668 relative to an average net price of $14,967. Affordability scores 57.28. All scores use verified federal data only.
Arizona State University admits 89.89% of applicants, making it among the most accessible R1 research universities in the United States. ASU does not require SAT or ACT scores; Arizona State University is test-free. ASU uses its own application portal. The priority deadline for merit scholarship and housing consideration is February 1; the final deadline is July 1.
Arizona residents who meet ASU's automatic admission criteria (a 3.0 GPA in core academic courses or a class rank in the top 25%) are admitted without additional review. Competitive admission to specific programs, including the W.P. Carey School of Business and the Fulton Schools of Engineering, may involve additional requirements or GPA thresholds.
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Arizona State University Campus Immersion is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Arizona State University charges $12,223 in in-state tuition and $33,139 in out-of-state tuition, plus $16,712 in room and board, bringing the estimated in-state total cost of attendance to approximately $34,605 before aid. The average net price after all grants and scholarships is $14,967. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $9,070.
For families earning between $30,001 and $48,000, the net price averages $10,711. For families earning between $75,001 and $110,000, the net price averages $20,130. The endowment stands at approximately $1.5 billion. The federal loan rate of 26.75% and median debt of $19,500 are in the moderate range for a large public research university.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Application fee: $50 (one-time, due at submission)
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
Arizona State University completes a majority of students it enrolls. The six-year graduation rate is 68.04% for full-time, first-time bachelor's-seeking students, below the average for peer R1 flagships. First-year retention stands at 85.96%, also below the peer average.
The below-average completion metrics are partly structural: ASU's explicit access mission brings in a higher share of first-generation (38.13%) and lower-income students who face greater barriers to completion, and the university's scale means it absorbs some students who would not be admitted to more selective institutions. The federal loan rate of 26.75% and median debt of $19,500 are moderate.
Arizona State University graduates enter careers in business, technology, engineering, healthcare, and the creative industries, primarily in the Phoenix metro area and across the Southwest. Median earnings are $52,843 six years after first enrolling and $62,668 at ten years. At the ten-year mark, 83.42% of former students earn more than a typical high school graduate.
Phoenix is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States, with major expansion in technology (Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Amazon, Apple, and others have significant Phoenix-metro operations), financial services, real estate, and healthcare. The W.P. Carey School of Business recruits into Phoenix's growing finance, consulting, and corporate services sectors. The Fulton Schools of Engineering produce graduates aligned with Arizona's expanding semiconductor and technology manufacturing industry.
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Arizona State University enrolls approximately 64,674 in-person undergraduates across four campuses in the Phoenix metropolitan area: Tempe (main campus), West (Glendale), Polytechnic (Mesa), and Downtown Phoenix. Hispanic students account for 26.86% of undergraduates; White students 41.22%, Asian 9.39%, and Black 4.43%. Approximately 28.99% of undergraduates receive Pell grants, and 38.13% are first-generation college students.
ASU is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). The Tempe campus borders Tempe Town Lake and is adjacent to the city of Phoenix; the downtown Phoenix campus is embedded in the urban core. Sun Devils athletics compete in the Big 12 Conference; ASU football plays in Sun Devil Stadium on the Tempe campus.
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
Where students live, learn, and connect at Arizona State University Campus Immersion. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Arizona State University Campus Immersion offers an extensive catalog of programs: 328 distinct programs across 30 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
Arizona State University operates at a student-to-faculty ratio consistent with large public research universities. 72.98% of instruction is delivered by full-time faculty, below the average for a flagship of this size. Instructional spending per full-time equivalent student is $14,734 per year. The endowment stands at approximately $1.5 billion. ASU ranks among the most innovative universities in the country (by U.S.
News and similar measures) due to its research in sustainability, semiconductor technology, biodesign, and entrepreneurship. The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism is consistently ranked among the top journalism schools nationally and benefits from its Downtown Phoenix campus location near Arizona's largest media market. The Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law is the state's flagship law school.
3,369 instructional faculty across 6 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
| Rank | Faculty Count | Share | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Professors | 887 | 26% | $164,653 |
| Associate Professors | 762 | 23% | $117,904 |
| Assistant Professors | 711 | 21% | $95,102 |
| Instructors | 360 | 11% | $62,438 |
| Lecturers | 642 | 19% | $73,985 |
| No Rank | 7 | 0% | $102,661 |
Arizona State University's defining strengths are its UCD 76.75 Good score, test-free admissions, open access mission that serves the highest in-person enrollment of any US research university, moderate net price ($14,967 average, $9,070 for lowest-income families), Phoenix metro's fast-growing technology and business economy, and the W.P. Carey and Cronkite Schools. UCD 76.75 Good.
The considerations: the 68.04% six-year graduation rate and 85.96% first-year retention are below peer R1 averages; the 72.98% full-time faculty rate is below the flagship norm; the out-of-state tuition at $33,139 substantially changes the value calculation; and the scale of ASU (64,674 in-person undergrads) means a very different campus experience than smaller flagships. Best fit for Arizona residents who want an accessible R1 flagship with test-free admissions, a growing Phoenix metro employment market, and specific strengths in business, engineering, journalism, and sustainability.
The questions below address what students and families most commonly search about ASU: what test-free admissions means, how the multi-campus structure works, what the Phoenix tech boom means for careers, and how ASU compares to University of Arizona.
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