Arizona's network of community colleges and its three public universities are the heart of the state's system of higher education. Students from all 50 states attend Arizona's universities, known for their broad selections of degree programs and their emphasis on research. Arizona's colleges and universities also have built many partnerships with businesses, arts organizations and community groups to increase learning opportunities for students and to benefit the state and its residents.
Northern Arizona University
"Forbes Magazine" ranked Northern Arizona University 78th on its list of the 100 best U.S. public colleges. More than 18,000 undergraduates attend NAU at its main campus in Flagstaff, a small mountain community that offers many recreational and cultural activities. Business, education and liberals arts are the most popular majors among UNA's roughly 150 undergraduate degree programs. Close to the Grand Canyon and the San Francisco Peaks, NAU offers unique opportunities for students studying geology and Earth sciences. Set on the edge of the largest Ponderosa Pine forest in the country, UNA's School of Forestry is considered by those in the field as one of the best in the nation.
Arizonia State University
Arizona State University was founded in 1885 as a teacher-training college in Tempe. Today, it is one of the largest universities in the country with more than 54,000 undergraduates enrolled in 250 degree programs. In addition to the main campus in Tempe, the university now operates two branch campuses in Phoenix and its Polytechnic Campus in Mesa. Business, education and multidisciplinary programs lead the list of popular majors. During the past decade, ASU has invested in research facilities and staff and students pursue cutting-edge research in every academic discipline. ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration works with NASA to investigate the possibility of life on Mars, and the university's Biodesign Institute has identified different genes that resist treatment for breast cancer.
University of Arizona
"U.S. News & World Report" ranked the University of Arizona 120th in its 2011 list of best colleges. UA's undergraduate population of roughly 30,000 students pursues degrees in more than 300 academic programs at the schools sprawling downtown campus in Tucson. Recognized as one of the leading public research universities in the nation, UA has received more than $500 million in research grants, and both graduate students and undergrads work on various projects along side of experts in their fields. Although UA is known for its business and science programs, the university has two theaters for music, dance and drama productions and many galleries to showcase student work.
Community Colleges
Arizona has built an extensive network of community colleges based in 16 communities throughout the state. The schools differ significantly in size. More than 25,000 students attend Mesa Community College, while enrollment at Coconino Community College in Flagstaff is less than 4,000. Pima Community College has six campuses in Tucson, while Lamson Community College is located in one building in downtown Tempe. Many of Arizona's community colleges offer associate degrees meant to be applied toward a bachelor's degree at one of the state's three universities. Others focus more on career training with special programs such as aviation, interpreting and motorcycle technology.
Private Colleges
In addition to its system of public universities and community colleges, Arizona has many branches of for-profit chain colleges and technical schools, as well as a variety of faith-based institutions. The single exception is Prescott College, located in the small city of Prescott in the central part of the state. Roughly 38 percent of the 800 students at Prescott are working toward degrees in education. Land conservation is also a popular major, and Prescott offers a variety of programs for military personnel seeking to advance within the armed services.
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