Best Small Colleges Arizona 2025
Small colleges in Arizona are a great option for students interested in a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Whether the focus is on the technical or on the liberal arts, small colleges give you the chance to pursue a well-rounded education while working closely with classmates and professors in a dynamic community atmosphere.
Key Takeaways
- The best small colleges in Arizona have a smaller student body that fosters a strong sense of community, allowing students to build meaningful relationships and engage more deeply in campus life.
- With smaller class sizes at the best small colleges in Arizona, students receive individualized support and mentorship from faculty, enhancing their academic experience.
- Many of the best small colleges in Arizona focus on niche areas of study, providing tailored programs that align closely with students’ specific academic and career interests.
Best Small Colleges in Arizona in 2025
2025 Ranking Update
Our Influence Ranking Engine™ leverages machine learning to track the real-world influence of colleges and universities over time. Below you’ll see which schools gained or lost ground for the 2025 school year.
In 2025, the top schools in our ranking of the best community colleges in Colorado saw a substantial amount of movement. Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott gained a ranking position as the university is introducing several enhancements for the 2025 academic year to enrich the student experience. The new Eagle Learning Complex will feature an 8,600-square-foot wind tunnel laboratory and a 2,400-square-foot propulsion lab, providing hands-on learning opportunities in aerodynamics and propulsion systems.
Additionally, the modernized Flight Training Center, set to debut in summer 2024, will offer advanced simulation facilities to support comprehensive flight education. These developments underscore the university’s commitment to providing state-of-the-art resources for its students.
The following list of the best small colleges and universities in Arizona is composed mainly of four-year undergraduate schools (though a handful also offer graduate programs). We’ve identified 4 small colleges in Arizona. The list below of the 30 best small colleges in Arizona. To be included schools must fully accredited, and must have student body populations below 5,000 students.
Best Small Colleges in Arizona
- #1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Arizona 2025 #1 Best Private Colleges in Arizona 2025 #4 Best Colleges in Arizona 2025 #4 Best Grad Schools in Arizona 2025
Other Rankings
- #5 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024
- #4 Best Online Colleges in Arizona 2024
- #5 Best Online Master's Programs in Arizona 2024
- #7 Best Online Bachelor's in Human Development Degree Programs for 2024
- #7 Best Online MBAs in Sustainability
- #18 Best Online Master’s in Sustainability and Green Technologies 2025
- #23 Best Online Bachelor's in Psychology Degree Programs for Students 2025
- #23 Best Online Master’s in Human Services
- #23 Best Online Bachelor’s of Education Degree Programs for 2024
Tuition + fees
$35K
Acceptance
98%
Graduation
55%
Student body
1K
Career Outlook for degree at Prescott College
Cost of Degree: $35,625Expenses: $12,876Starting Salary: $34,300Cost Recoup Time: 20 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Prescott College known for?
Prescott College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Prescott College’s Online Degrees
BA in Adventure Education
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Cultural & Regional Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Arts & Humanities
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BFA in Arts & Letters
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Education
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Environmental Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Environmental Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Interdisciplinary Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Psychology And Human Development
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Sustainability Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
Tuition + fees
$1K
Graduation
18%
Student body
2K
Career Outlook for degree at Diné College
Cost of Degree: $1,410Expenses: $11,290Starting Salary: $23,400Cost Recoup Time: 11 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Diné College known for?
Diné College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- #2 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Arizona 2025 #4 Best Private Colleges in Arizona 2025 #6 Best Colleges in Arizona 2025
Tuition + fees
$40K
Acceptance
68%
Graduation
71%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1275/27
Career Outlook for degree at Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott
Cost of Degree: $42,204Expenses: $21,064Starting Salary: $70,300Cost Recoup Time: 15 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott known for?
Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- #2 Best Christian Colleges in Arizona 2024 #3 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Arizona 2025 #5 Best Private Colleges in Arizona 2025 #7 Best Colleges in Arizona 2025
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$32K
Acceptance
70%
Graduation
45%
Student body
1K
Career Outlook for degree at Arizona Christian University
Cost of Degree: $34,697Expenses: $21,390Starting Salary: $34,900Cost Recoup Time: 21 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Arizona Christian University known for?
Arizona Christian University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Arizona Christian University’s Online Degrees
BA in Behavioral Health
Degree Concentrations
- Counseling
- Coaching
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Communication
- Required Credits: 36
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Biblical and Theological Studies
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Business Administration
Degree Concentrations
- Accounting
- Economics
- Entrepreneurship
- Finance
- Marketing
- Management
- Non-Profit Management
- Sports Management
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Family Studies
Degree Concentrations
- Marriage and Family Practicum
- Family Counseling
- Human Sexuality
- Psychology of Marriage
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Psychology
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Elementary Education
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS/BA in Interdisciplinary Studies
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
Arizona’s Best Small College in Your Area of Interest
2021 Ranking Archive
Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.
Many states have great small colleges. If you’re interested in looking into what other states have to offer, check out the best small colleges in Alabama and and Maine.
