Cost of Attending College in Arizona: Tuition and Living Costs
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 04, 2026 • US States & Cities
Part of the guide Cost of Attending College by State: Tuition and Living Costs Compared
A year at an Arizona public university costs residents roughly $12,000 to $14,400 in tuition and fees, and nonresidents $30,000 to $44,000, before housing and food. Community college runs about $100 a credit hour for residents, a fraction of university tuition.
💵 Resident base tuition for 2026-27 runs $12,000 to $12,177 across ASU, University of Arizona and NAU.
Nonresident base tuition ranges from $30,000 at NAU to $42,600 at University of Arizona.
🏠 Add $7,000 to $11,000 a year for on-campus housing, and $4,000 to $7,000 for food, on top of tuition.
Arizona community colleges charge about $97 to $101 per credit hour for residents, versus $12,000-plus a year at the universities.
Full sticker-price cost of attendance at ASU runs about $37,700 to $39,000 a year for Arizona residents living on campus.
Tuition at Arizona's public universities
Arizona's three public universities publish separate base tuition rates for residents and nonresidents each year. For 2026-27:
| University | Resident base tuition | Nonresident base tuition |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona State University | $12,177 | $35,715 |
| University of Arizona | $12,168 | $42,600 |
| Northern Arizona University | $12,000 | $30,000 |
These figures cover base tuition only. Mandatory fees add more on top. NAU adds $1,625 in mandatory fees plus a $752 college fee, for a resident total of $14,377 a year and a nonresident total of $32,757. University of Arizona adds $1,738 in mandatory fees, bringing resident students to $13,906 a year. ASU's mandatory fees run roughly $1,300 to $2,700 a year depending on your campus and program, so plan on a resident total closer to $13,500 to $14,900.
University of Arizona held resident undergraduate tuition and fees flat for a third straight year in 2026-27, while raising nonresident tuition by about 3%.
Four-year sticker price by university
Multiplying a single year's base tuition by four gives a rough sense of the full degree cost before financial aid, though actual rates rise most years, so treat this as a floor, not a final number.
| University | 4-year resident tuition | 4-year nonresident tuition |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona State University | about $48,700 | about $142,900 |
| University of Arizona | about $48,700 | about $170,400 |
| Northern Arizona University | about $48,000 | about $120,000 |
Few students pay this full amount out of pocket. Grants, scholarships and the Arizona Promise Program bring the real cost down for most Pell-eligible residents. Run each university's net price calculator with your own numbers once you have a FAFSA on file for a personalized estimate instead of relying on the sticker price alone.
Community college costs far less per credit
If you start at an Arizona community college, tuition runs closer to $100 per credit hour for residents. Maricopa County Community College District charges about $97 per credit hour for residents in 2025-26, and Pima Community College charges about $101 per credit hour. A full-time schedule of 15 credits a semester runs roughly $1,450 to $1,500 a semester in tuition at either district, before books and fees. Nonresident community college rates run far higher: Pima charges nonresidents about $322 per credit hour , roughly three times the resident rate.
Living costs on top of tuition
Housing and food make up the largest part of your budget beyond tuition. At ASU's Tempe campus , the university's own estimate for a resident undergraduate living on campus runs $37,738 to $39,018 for the full year, made up of tuition and fees, roughly $11,473 for housing, $7,346 for food, $1,320 for books and materials, and about $4,065 for travel, personal expenses and loan fees.
University of Arizona's total cost of attendance for a resident student living on campus ran about $35,369 for the 2024-25 year, and about $61,699 for a nonresident student living on campus, according to U.S. News reporting on university-published data. Flagstaff and Tucson both run cheaper than the Phoenix metro area for rent and daily costs, which brings down off-campus living costs at NAU and University of Arizona compared to ASU's Tempe and Downtown Phoenix campuses.
On-campus housing rates vary by hall and room type at every school. At University of Arizona, standard undergraduate residence hall rates for 2025-26 span three tiers, roughly $7,270 to $10,760 for the year depending on the hall, and meal plans run about $4,208 to $5,921 depending on how many weekly swipes you pick. Expect similar tiered pricing at ASU and NAU, where a shared room in an older hall costs less than a private room in a newer one.
Other costs to budget for
Universities require you to carry health insurance and will enroll you automatically in the school's student health plan unless you file a waiver each term showing comparable coverage, such as a plan through a parent. Add a parking permit if you drive, which runs separately from tuition and fees and prices differently by lot and campus. Technology and course fees for lab-heavy or studio majors also stack on top of the base tuition and mandatory fees listed above, and show up as separate line items on your bill once you register for classes.
Ways to bring the total down
Start at a community college and transfer after your general-education credits are done, cutting your first two years to a fraction of university tuition.
Check Arizona Promise Program eligibility if you qualify for a Pell Grant. It covers full tuition and fees at any of the three universities.
Live off campus with roommates once you clear your first year, especially in Flagstaff or Tucson where rent runs below Phoenix metro rates.
Buy used or rented textbooks and use your campus library's course reserves instead of paying full price for every book.
Establish Arizona residency as soon as you are eligible if you moved from another state. The gap between resident and nonresident tuition runs $18,000 to $30,000 a year across these three schools.