There are 128 colleges in Arizona - 44 public and 84 private schools. At Arizona colleges, the Cost of Attendance (COA)—including tuition, fees, books, housing, dining, and personal living costs—has climbed steadily over the past decade, increasing the financial burden on students and families relying on scholarships or student loans.
Arizona Colleges Key COA Trends (2016-2025)
The total Cost of Attendance has increased substantially at Arizona colleges:
- On-Campus: The COA has risen by -2.58%.
- Off-Campus: The COA has risen by -1.06%.
- 2024-2025 Total COA: the average total COA is $33,774 when living on campus and $36,586 when living off campus.
Arizona Colleges Tuition & Fees Changes
Tuition and fees saw dramatic increases across institution types:
| Institution Type |
10-Year Increase (2016-2025) |
2025 Average Tuition & Fees |
| Public, In-State |
-29.99% (from $8,616 to $6,032) |
$6,032 |
| Public, Out-of-State |
-22.29% (from $20,170 to $15,675) |
$15,675 |
| Private Colleges |
-4.43% (from $19,496 to $18,632) |
$18,632 |
Note on Degrees: Undergraduate tuition & fees increased by -22.29%, while graduate program tuition & fees increased by -14.68% over the same period.
Living and Other Costs
Living Costs (Room & Board, Other Expenses):
- At Arizona colleges, living costs increased by 27.26% for on-campus and 26.45% for off-campus.
- The average living cost for 2024-2025 is $17,025 (on-campus) and $19,837 (off-campus).
Books & Supplies:
- Books and supplies costs have remained relatively stable (-4.02%), with the average cost for 2024-2025 being $1,074.
COA (Cost of Attendance) Trends
The COA includes tuition, fees, books & supplies, room & board, and other personal expenses.
For the academic year 2024-2025, the total cost of attendance is $33,774 when a student lives on campus and $36,586 when living off campus at Arizona Colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of COA for Arizona Colleges over the past 10 years.
COA (Cost of Attendance) Trends of Arizona Colleges
| Year | Living On Campus | Living Off Campus |
|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools |
|---|
| 2015-16 |
$23,113 | $34,667 | $33,993 | $25,423 | $36,977 | $36,303 |
|---|
| 2016-17 |
$23,308
0.84% | $36,600
5.58% | $31,752
-6.59% | $23,559
-7.33% | $36,851
-0.34% | $32,003
-11.84% |
|---|
| 2017-18 |
$24,156
3.64% | $37,983
3.78% | $32,227
1.50% | $24,512
4.05% | $38,339
4.04% | $32,583
1.81% |
|---|
| 2018-19 |
$25,197
4.31% | $39,164
3.11% | $33,422
3.71% | $24,797
1.16% | $38,764
1.11% | $33,022
1.35% |
|---|
| 2019-20 |
$26,020
3.27% | $40,566
3.58% | $33,855
1.30% | $25,390
2.39% | $39,936
3.02% | $33,225
0.61% |
|---|
| 2020-21 |
$25,810
-0.81% | $38,735
-4.51% | $33,900
0.13% | $25,589
0.78% | $38,514
-3.56% | $33,679
1.37% |
|---|
| 2021-22 |
$25,978
0.65% | $37,930
-2.08% | $34,005
0.31% | $25,905
1.23% | $37,857
-1.71% | $33,932
0.75% |
|---|
| 2022-23 |
$27,890
7.36% | $40,569
6.96% | $37,381
9.93% | $28,428
9.74% | $41,107
8.58% | $37,919
11.75% |
|---|
| 2023-24 |
$29,636
6.26% | $43,063
6.15% | $39,030
4.41% | $30,513
7.33% | $43,940
6.89% | $39,907
5.24% |
|---|
| 2024-25 |
$24,131
-18.58% | $33,774
-21.57% | $36,731
-5.89% | $26,943
-11.70% | $36,586
-16.74% | $39,543
-0.91% |
|---|
Tuition & Fees Changes
For the current year (2025), the average tuition & fees for Arizona Colleges is $6,367 for Arizona residents and $16,010 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average tuition & fees is $19,753.
For graduate programs, the 2025 average graduate tuition & fees is $11,899 for Arizona residents and $19,759 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average graduate program tuition & fees is $18,609.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes of tuition & fees by tuition rates and degrees.
Tuition & Fees Changes for Arizona Colleges
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate |
|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools |
|---|
| 2015-16 |
$8,616 | $20,170 | $19,496 | $14,154 | $22,589 | $17,473 |
|---|
| 2016-17 |
$8,770
1.79% | $22,062
9.38% | $17,214
-11.70% | $13,707
-3.16% | $24,231
7.27% | $17,582
0.62% |
|---|
| 2017-18 |
$9,263
5.62% | $23,090
4.66% | $17,334
0.70% | $14,037
2.41% | $24,743
2.11% | $16,914
-3.80% |
|---|
| 2018-19 |
$9,580
3.42% | $23,547
1.98% | $17,805
2.72% | $11,321
-19.35% | $23,872
-3.52% | $16,742
-1.02% |
|---|
| 2019-20 |
$9,902
3.36% | $24,448
3.83% | $17,737
-0.38% | $11,691
3.27% | $24,486
2.57% | $17,612
5.20% |
|---|
| 2020-21 |
$9,985
0.84% | $22,910
-6.29% | $18,075
1.91% | $11,177
-4.40% | $23,859
-2.56% | $17,102
-2.90% |
|---|
| 2021-22 |
$10,097
1.12% | $22,049
-3.76% | $18,124
0.27% | $11,901
6.48% | $22,046
-7.60% | $16,810
-1.71% |
|---|
| 2022-23 |
$11,331
12.22% | $24,010
8.89% | $20,822
14.89% | $12,959
8.89% | $19,201
-12.90% | $13,933
-17.11% |
|---|
| 2023-24 |
$11,708
3.33% | $25,135
4.69% | $21,102
1.34% | $13,442
3.73% | $19,619
2.18% | $13,619
-2.25% |
|---|
| 2024-25 |
$6,032
-48.48% | $15,675
-37.64% | $18,632
-11.71% | $11,380
-15.34% | $19,274
-1.76% | $17,530
28.72% |
|---|
Books & Supplies Costs Changes
For the current year (2025), the average book & supplies costs is $1,074 for Arizona Colleges. The following table shows the changes of book & supplies costs from year 2016 to 2025.
Books & Supplies Costs Changes for Arizona Colleges
| Year | Books & Supplies |
|---|
| 2015-16 | $1,119 |
|---|
| 2016-17 | $978
-12.60% |
|---|
| 2017-18 | $982
0.41% |
|---|
| 2018-19 | $1,038
5.70% |
|---|
| 2019-20 | $1,078
3.85% |
|---|
| 2020-21 | $1,091
1.21% |
|---|
| 2021-22 | $1,041
-4.58% |
|---|
| 2022-23 | $1,109
6.53% |
|---|
| 2023-24 | $1,121
1.08% |
|---|
| 2024-25 | $1,074
-4.19% |
|---|
Living Costs Changes
For Arizona Colleges, the living have increased 24.69% when a student lives on campus facilities and 20.74% when living off campus from year 2016 to 2025. The living costs includes costs for room & board, and other living expenses.
Living Costs Changes for Arizona Colleges
| Year | Living On Campus | Living Off Campus |
|---|
| 2015-16 | $13,378 | $15,380 |
|---|
| 2016-17 | $13,560
4.26% | $14,655
-7.81% |
|---|
| 2017-18 | $13,911
3.77% | $15,165
3.53% |
|---|
| 2018-19 | $14,579
8.41% | $15,817
1.20% |
|---|
| 2019-20 | $15,040
3.44% | $16,310
1.23% |
|---|
| 2020-21 | $14,734
-4.64% | $16,133
-2.60% |
|---|
| 2021-22 | $14,840
2.52% | $16,279
4.14% |
|---|
| 2022-23 | $15,450
3.41% | $16,941
9.78% |
|---|
| 2023-24 | $16,807
7.66% | $18,001
14.40% |
|---|
| 2024-25 | $17,025
3.02% | $19,492
8.60% |
|---|