University of Arizona
University of Arizona at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
University of Arizona Featured Rankings
- #1 Most Affordable Online Bachelor's Degrees
- #1 Online Bachelor’s in Human Services
- #1 Online Bachelor’s in Electrical and Computer Engineering
- #1 Best Research Universities in Arizona
- #1 Online Bachelor’s in Cybersecurity
- #1 Best Online MBA in Entrepreneurship
- #1 Arizona's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #1 Best Online Web Design Bachelors
- #1 Online Bachelor's Biology
- #1 Online Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education
- #1 Online Finance MBAs
- #1 Online Bachelor's in Accounting
- #1 Online Master's in Behavior Analysis
- #1 Best Colleges in Arizona
- #1 Online Bachelor’s in Digital Media
- #1 Online Bachelor's in Philosophy
- #1 Most Affordable Colleges in Arizona
- #1 Arizona's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #1 Online Master's in Agribusiness
- #1 Best Online MBA in Marketing Degree Programs
- #1 Online Bachelor’s in Business Administration
- #1 Online Bachelor’s in Psychology
- #1 Online Bachelor’s in Organizational Leadership
- #1 Best Public Colleges in Arizona 2026
- #1 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity in Arizona
- #1 Online Bachelor’s in Child Development
- #1 Online Bachelor's in Economics
- #1 Best Grad Schools in Arizona 2026
- #1 Online Bachelor’s in History
- #1 Online Bachelor’s in Law/Legal Studies
- #1 Best Online MBA in Business Analytics
- #1 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #2 Online Master's in Accounting
- #2 Most Affordable Accredited Online Schools
- #2 Best Online MBAs Arizona
- #2 Top 20 Best Online Accredited Doctorate Degree Programs (PhDs)
- #2 Online Master’s in Special Education
- #2 20 Most Affordable Online Master's of Nursing Degree Programs
- #2 Best Online Colleges
- #2 Online Master's in Economics
- #2 Online Master’s in Cybersecurity
- #2 Most Affordable Online Criminal Justice PhDs (Doctorates)
- #2 20 Most Affordable Online Bachelor's of Cybersecurity
- #2 The Most Affordable Online Criminology Doctorate Degree Program
- #2 Online Bachelor’s in Communications
- #3 20 Fastest Online Master's of Nursing Degree Programs
- #3 Online Doctorate in Education
- #3 Most Affordable Online Sociology Doctorate Degree Programs (PhDs)
- #3 Best Online Colleges for Veterans
- #3 Best Research Universities with Online Doctorate Programs (PhDs) 2026
- #3 Online Master’s in Criminal Justice
- #3 15 Most Affordable Online Economics Doctorate Degree Programs (PhDs) 2026
- #3 Online Master’s in Green Technologies
- #4 Online MBAs
- #4 Online Master’s in Engineering
- #4 Online Master’s in Engineering Management
- #4 Online Master’s in Marketing/Advertising
- #5 Criminal Justice Research Universities
- #5 Most Affordable No GRE Online PhD Degree Programs
- #5 Fastest Online Bachelor's Degrees
- #5 Online Bachelor’s in Public Health
- #6 Best Biology Colleges and Universities
- #6 Psychology Colleges and Universities
- #6 Economics Colleges and Universities
- #7 Best Online PhD of Nursing (DNP) Degree Programs
- #7 Communications Colleges and Universities
- #8 The 50 Best No GRE Online PhD Degree Programs
- #9 Most Influential Colleges in Basketball Today
- #9 Most Influential Colleges in Golf Today
- #9 Online Master’s in Management
- #9 Best Online Master's Programs
- #12 Most Influential Colleges in Sports Today
- #14 Most Influential Colleges in Swimming and Diving Today
- #18 Most Affordable Colleges in the U.S. 2026
- #19 Best Public Colleges
- #19 Best Public Grad Schools
- #33 The Best Traditional MBA Programs
- #39 Best Grad Schools 2026
- #41 Best US Universities 2026
- #93 Best Universities World 2026
About University of Arizona
In brief
The University of Arizona, in Tucson, was founded in 1885, when Arizona was still a territory; it entered the Union in 1912. By our measure of academic influence, it ranks #44 in the United States and #122 in the world. It admitted 86.1% of applicants for fall 2024; admitted students had a median SAT score of 1285 and a median ACT score of 25.
Because the territory had no high schools, the university also offered college-preparatory classes for its first 23 years. Today it has 19 schools and colleges, including the James E. Rogers College of Law and a College of Medicine with campuses in Tucson and Phoenix, and about 46,000 students.
Where Arizona’s influence is strongest
Arizona’s influence is led by anthropology, physics, and the earth sciences. Its strongest broad fields, by US rank in our data, are:
- Anthropology: #16 in the US (#36 in the world)
- Physics: #17
- Earth sciences: #20
- Communications: #27
- Psychology: #29
Within those fields, Arizona is a national leader in several specialties:
- #2 in the US: planetary science (only Caltech ranks higher)
- #6: tectonics, environmental chemistry, and hydraulic engineering
- #7: archeology
By comparison, Arizona sits further back in social work (#83), religious studies (#114), and nursing (#119).
How we measure influence: these ranks come from the citations and recognition earned by a school’s faculty and alumni in each discipline, not from surveys or admissions statistics. See our methodology.
Notable people
Arizona-connected Nobel laureates include the physicists Willis Lamb, Nicolaas Bloembergen, and Brian Schmidt and the economist Vernon Smith. Its faculty and alumni also include the astronomer Gerard Kuiper, the philosophers David Chalmers and Keith Lehrer, the psychologist Harry Harlow, the novelists Barbara Kingsolver and David Foster Wallace, the singer Linda Ronstadt, and Senator Barry Goldwater. Our full lists of Arizona’s most influential alumni and faculty appear below.
Frequently asked questions
Is Arizona hard to get into? No. It admitted 86.1% of applicants for fall 2024; the middle half of admitted students scored 580–700 on the SAT reading section and 570–720 on math.
What does Arizona cost after financial aid? Tuition is $13,906 for Arizona residents and $43,068 for out-of-state students in 2025–26. The average net price for aided students with family incomes of $48,000–$75,000 was $14,413 in 2024–25; it ranged from about $14,327 for incomes below $30,000 to $24,145 for incomes above $110,000.
How do Arizona graduates do? 70.9% of students who started in 2019 graduated within six years, and 83% of first-year students return for a second year. Ten years after starting college, former students had median earnings of $67,414.
What is Arizona best known for academically? By our influence data: anthropology, physics, and the earth sciences, plus planetary science, where only Caltech ranks higher in the US.
According to Wikipedia, The University of Arizona is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory.
University of Arizona's Online Degrees
DNP in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Required Credits: 30
BAS in Administration of Justice
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
MS, in Agricultural Education
Degree Concentrations
- Professional Agriculture
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
BS in Emergency Medical Services
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
MS in Nursing in Clinical Systems Leadership
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 15-24 months
- Format: Fully online
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
BAS in Cyber Operations
Degree Concentrations
- Engineering
- Defense & Forensics
- and Cyber Law & Policy
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
Bachelor of General Studies in Economy and Industry
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
MS, in Entrepreneurship
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 12 months
- Format: Fully online
Bachelor of General Studies, in Arts, Media and Entertainment
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
Bachelor of General Studies in Global and Intercultural Understanding
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
MS, in Healthcare Management
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 12 months
- Format: Fully online
BA in Government and Public Service
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
MS, in Human Language Technology (HLT)
- Required Credits: 36
- Format: Fully online
MEng in Innovation, Sustainability and Entrepreneurship
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Required Credits: 128
- Format: Fully online
MS, in Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
MBA in Business Administration
Degree Concentrations
- Entrepreneurship
- Finance
- Marketing
- Management
- Mis/ Privacy and Security
- Healthcare
- Required Credits: 45
- Completion Time: 14-30 months
- Format: Fully online
BS in Geographic Information Systems Technology (GIST)
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
MS, in Geographic Information Systems Technology (GIST)
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
BS in Literacy, Learning and Leadership
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
BA in Information Science and ESociety
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
MS in Nursing in Optical Sciences
- Required Credits: 32
- Format: Fully online
BAS in Organizational Leadership
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
Master in Real Estate Development
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
BAS in Intelligence and Information Operations
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
Master in Legal Studies
Degree Concentrations
- Compliance and Legal Risk Management
- International Economic Law and Policy
- Intellectual Property
- Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy
- Human Rights
- Mining Law and Policy
- Environmental Law and Policy
- Tax Law and Policy
- Criminal Law and Policy
- Family and Juvenile Law
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Biology
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
DNP in Nursing- Executive Health Systems Leadership
- Required Credits: 50
- Format: Fully online
DNP in Nursing- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Required Credits: 68
- Format: Fully online
DNP in Nursing- Nurse Anesthesia
- Required Credits: 85
- Format: Fully online
DNP in Nursing- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- Required Credits: 27
- Format: Fully online
DNP in Nursing- Psychiatric Menatl Health Nurse Practitoner
- Required Credits: 67
- Format: Fully online
MA in Library and Information Science
- Required Credits: 37
- Format: Fully online
MEng in Mining, Geological and Geophysical Engineering
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 18-24 months
- Format: Fully online
MS, in Engineering Management
- Required Credits: 30-33
- Completion Time: 1.5-2.5 years
- Format: Fully online
MS, in Industrial Engineering
- Required Credits: 30 or 33
- Completion Time: 1.5- 2 years
- Format: Fully online
MS, in Material Sciences and Engineering
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
MS in Nursing in Photonic Communications Engineering
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
MS in Nursing in Systems Engineering
- Required Credits: 30 or 33
- Completion Time: 1.5- 2 years
- Format: Fully online
MS, in Management Information Systems
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
MA in Special Education: Applied Behavior Analysis
- Required Credits: 21
- Completion Time: 16 months
- Format: Fully online
MA in Special Education: Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- Required Credits: 36
- Format: Fully online
MA in Special Education: Disabilities
- Required Credits: 36
- Format: Fully online
Bachelor of General Studies in Sports and Society
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
MPH in Public Health
Degree Concentrations
- Applied Epidemology
- Health Services Administration
- Health Behavior Health Promotion
- Required Credits: 42
- Format: Fully online
BS in Sustainable Built Environments
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
Bachelor of General Studies in Social Behavior and Human Understanding
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
Bachelor of General Studies in Science, Technology, Health and Society
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
University of Arizona Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56,466 | 86% | 83% | 71% | 1285 | 25 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does University of Arizona Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $13,906 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $14,327 |
| 30K - 48K | $14,785 |
| 48K - 75K | $14,413 |
| 75K - 110K | $18,080 |
| 110K+ | $24,145 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do University of Arizona Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former University of Arizona students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $67,414 a year, and 92% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
University of Arizona's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 61,966 | 49,114 | 12,852 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is University of Arizona?
University of Arizona is located at 1401 E University Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85721-0066.
How Safe is University of Arizona?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, University of Arizona publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. See University of Arizona’s campus safety information.
Relative to its enrollment, University of Arizona has a violent crime rate of 0.06% and a property crime rate of 0.15%. Tucson has a violent crime rate of 0.65% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 3.46%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is University of Arizona Known For?
University of Arizona is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Anthropology
- Physics
- Earth Sciences
- Communications
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Criminal Justice
- Philosophy
- Chemistry
- Business
- History
- Biology
- Engineering
- Computer Science
- Education
- Mathematics
- Political Science
- Economics
- Law
- Medical
- Literature
- Social Work
- Religious Studies
- Nursing
University of Arizona's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much University of Arizona's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
University of Arizona ranks #16 in the U.S. and #36 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesUniversity of Arizona ranks #17 in the U.S. and #63 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesUniversity of Arizona ranks #20 in the U.S. and #74 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesUniversity of Arizona ranks #27 in the U.S. and #76 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesUniversity of Arizona ranks #29 in the U.S. and #49 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesUniversity of Arizona ranks #32 in the U.S. and #84 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesUniversity of Arizona ranks #35 in the U.S. and #41 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesUniversity of Arizona ranks #48 in the U.S. and #144 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesUniversity of Arizona ranks #49 in the U.S. and #196 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesUniversity of Arizona ranks #50 in the U.S. and #117 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesUniversity of Arizona ranks #52 in the U.S. and #136 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesUniversity of Arizona ranks #53 in the U.S. and #146 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesUniversity of Arizona ranks #54 in the U.S. and #190 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesUniversity of Arizona ranks #54 in the U.S. and #153 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesUniversity of Arizona ranks #58 in the U.S. and #188 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesUniversity of Arizona ranks #61 in the U.S. and #240 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesUniversity of Arizona ranks #63 in the U.S. and #212 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesUniversity of Arizona ranks #63 in the U.S. and #235 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesUniversity of Arizona ranks #65 in the U.S. and #194 worldwide for influence in Law.
University of Arizona ranks #68 in the U.S. and #191 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesUniversity of Arizona ranks #69 in the U.S. and #179 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesUniversity of Arizona ranks #83 in the U.S. and #154 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesUniversity of Arizona ranks #114 in the U.S. and #498 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesUniversity of Arizona ranks #119 in the U.S. and #279 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesWho Are University of Arizona's Most Influential Alumni?
University of Arizona's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Anthropology, and Psychology. Here are some of University of Arizona's most famous alumni:
- Geraldo Rivera
- An American attorney, journalist and talk show host.
- Clifford Stoll
- An American astronomer.
- Temple Grandin
- An American doctor of animal science, author, and autism activist.
- Garry Shandling
- An American comedian .
- Clyde Snow
- An American anthropologist .
- Brian Schmidt
- An American-born Australian astrophysicist.
- Henry Eyring
- A Mexican-born American theoretical chemist .
- Michael McClure
- An American writer.
- Barbara Kingsolver
- An American author, poet and essayist.
- George H. Smith
- An American philosopher.
- Allen Buchanan
- An American philosopher.
- Frank Press
- An American geophysicist.
Who Are University of Arizona's Most Influential Faculty?
University of Arizona's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Criminal Justice, Anthropology, and Psychology. Here are some of University of Arizona's most famous faculty:
- Feryal Özel
- A Turkish-American astronomer.
- Elif Shafak
- A Turkish writer.
- Bharath Sriraman
- An Indian mathematician.
- Ethan Siegel
- An Astrophysicist and science communicator.
- E. Burton Swanson
- An American engineer.
- Louise Prockter
- A Plantary scientist.
- Daniel Eisenstein
- An American cosmologist.
- Suzanna Lewis
- A Bioinformatician.
- Amy Mainzer
- An American astronomer.
- Hopi Hoekstra
- An Evolutionary biologist.
- Peter Smith
- A Scottish climate change scientist.
- Richard Green
- An American astronomer.
