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Arizona Western College

#3 Best Online Colleges in Arizona
Public Yuma, AZ · Urban · Southwest · 87% data
B+ Social Mobility B+ Affordability B Value
Graduation Rate
22% F
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$36,857 C-
Below average for college graduates
Net Price
$8,983 B+
48% less than the typical college
Enrollment
6,374
Earnings -10% vs avg
Graduation -61% vs avg
Net Price +-48% vs avg
Mobility Top 18%

Bottom line: A C overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 24.1× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $24.1 over 20 years. Ranked #3 in Best Online Colleges in Arizona.

24.1× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $24.1 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $829,431.

What The Data Says

  1. A C overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.

  2. Graduation of 22% — 61% below the national average.

  3. Social mobility rate of 2.45% — an engine of upward economic mobility.

  4. Every $1 invested returns $24.1 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Arizona Western College Matters

Arizona Western College is a public college in Yuma, AZ and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a strong record of moving students up the income ladder. The result: durable upward mobility for the students it enrolls.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public College
Carnegie Class
Associate's College
Enrollment
6,374
Setting
Urban
Designations
HSI
Primary Strengths
Humanities, Construction Trades, Criminal Justice, Health Professions

Why students choose Arizona Western College

Engine of upward mobility
A strong record of moving students up the income ladder
Outstanding value
Low net price against strong graduate earnings
Strength in Humanities
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C
Top 46% overall
C-
Earnings
$36,857 median
B
Value
4.1× net price
B+
Affordability
$8,983/yr net
F
Graduation
22% graduate
B+
Social Mobility
2.4% climb Q1→Q5
D+
Diversity
0.42 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

Arizona Western College serves about 6,374 students, with a net price of $8,983, making it an accessible choice for many. The college's focus on programs in humanities, construction trades, health professions, social sciences, and criminal justice aligns with local workforce demands, giving students practical skills that lead to employment.

According to Opportunity Insights data, while specific mobility rates are not available, the college's graduation rate stands at 22%. This figure suggests that students may face challenges in completing their degrees, which can influence long-term earning potential. Graduates earn a median of $36,857 within ten years of finishing their studies, highlighting a pathway to financial stability for those who do complete their programs.

With a median debt of $4,826, students at Arizona Western College can graduate with relatively low financial burdens. The college serves a diverse student body, with 41% of students receiving Pell Grants, indicating a strong commitment to supporting low-income individuals. Those who thrive here are likely to be self-motivated, seeking practical, career-oriented education that leads to immediate job opportunities.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Arizona Western College is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Arizona Western College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Arizona Western College, located in Yuma, Arizona, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 22%.

Retention Rate
67%
Full-Time Faculty
37%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$8,168
Student–Faculty Ratio
20:1
Diversity Index
0.42
First-Gen Students
61%

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Arizona Western College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Arizona Western College is $9,870, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $8,983. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $8,405 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $4,826 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$3,060
Out-of-State
$9,870
Avg Net Price
$8,983
Median Debt
$4,826
Pell Grant Rate
41%
Federal Loan Rate
1%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$8,405
Family Income $30K–$48K
$8,611
Family Income $48K–$75K
$11,164

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Arizona Western College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Arizona Western College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Arizona Western College report median earnings of $36,857, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$32,165
8 Years
$35,209
10 Years
$36,857
Debt-to-Earnings
0.13x
Earning > $25K
41%

Earnings Trajectory

$32,165 6yr $35,209 8yr $36,857 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (86)
11%
100% (86)
11%
100% (86)
11%
100% (86)
11%

How Arizona Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation22%Earnings 10yr$37KNet Price$9KRetention67%Median Debt$5KPell Grant Rate41%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$8K$0-30K$9K$30-48K$11K$48-75K

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%27.5%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%8.9%MOBILITY2.45%

College ROI Calculator

Is Arizona Western College Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Arizona Western College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $8,983/year ($35,932 total). Graduates earn $36,857 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $865,363 in total earnings — a net gain of $829,431 (24.1× your investment). The median debt is $4,826, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 22% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$35,932
Projected 20yr Earnings
$865,363
Net Return
$829,431
ROI Multiple
24.1×
Cost Per Year
$8,983
Median Debt
$4,826
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
22%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does Arizona Western College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Arizona Western College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 2.45%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 27.5% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 8.9% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $38,600, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
2.45%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
8.9%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
27.5%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$52,444
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Arizona Western College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs around the national average at Arizona Western College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.98, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
0.98
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
0.01
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
3.1%
Support Ratio
0.99
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Endowment
$4,127,898
Investment Income
$-124,557

Top Programs

The fields Arizona Western College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Arizona Western College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Arizona Western College, located in Yuma, Arizona, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 22%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Arizona Western College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Arizona Western College is $9,870, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $8,983. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $8,405 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $4,826 in federal student loans.

Is Arizona Western College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Arizona Western College report median earnings of $36,857, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

Does Arizona Western College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Arizona Western College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 2.45%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 27.5% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 8.9% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $38,600, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Arizona Western College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs around the national average at Arizona Western College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.98, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Arizona Western College.

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys