Arizona community colleges offer students a two-year education that prepares them to either enter the workforce in a skilled field or transfer to a four-year institution to complete their education. Community colleges are spread throughout the state, so it's easier for some students to attend these schools as they're closer to their homes than four-year colleges. Tuition and fees are also generally cheaper at community colleges when compared to four-year schools, but this can vary since each community college sets its own tuition rates. The majority of community colleges in Arizona are part of the Maricopa Community College System, which is a group of 10 community colleges campuses located across the state.
Technical schools are similar to community colleges in that they offer short-term training in a specific career field. Some technical schools are public institutions with funding coming from the government and local tax bases while others are for-profit institutions. Students at the latter may pay higher tuition rates than students attending public technical schools.
Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona are the universities in Arizona that students you attend to earn a degree in a variety of fields. Some of these institutions have multiple campuses, such as Arizona State University, but each is overseen by the Arizona Board of Regents. Since these are public institutions, a portion of their funding comes from the government, which in turn reduces the amount of tuition and fees you must pay per credit hour.
The private colleges and universities in Arizona are supported and overseen by organizations and foundations based around specific principles or religions, such as Arizona Christian University or Western Bible College. These institutions don't have an open admissions policy, which allows them to accept only students who have specific credentials or share the same beliefs as the institution. Although some private colleges get funding from donors or national organizations that support their teachings, tuition and costs for students in Arizona are generally higher than public universities.
A number of for-profit colleges and universities exist in Arizona, including University of Phoenix and Grand Canyon University. These institutions are often modeled after a business. They seek to provide the consumer with the exact product he wants, which is a degree, without much additional fluff. For-profit colleges and universities often provide you with more flexibility than other categories of colleges and universities in Arizona as they offer evening, weekend and online degree programs.