Attention young Arizonans: are you working in a field that love, in a job that pays well and utilizes your unique skill sets? If you're not, and the primary reason for this relates somehow to a lack of official qualifications or accreditations, you should give some serious thought to enrolling in one of the great public, private, or two-year colleges in Arizona.
You probably heard throughout high school that a college degree could make your professional future measurably brighter, but did you know that cut-and-dry statistics back up this claim? According to the US Census Bureau, individuals who hold a bachelor's degree earn an annual average of $58,613, and those with advanced degrees make $83,144. Workers who had never graduated from college earned only $31,283. So, if you'd like to tap into your potential as well as some of the more enviable careers on the market, get to work on your degree at one of the many Arizona colleges.
Arizona's higher education system offers something for everyone, from a Le Cordon Bleu in Scottsdale to the oft-lauded Arizona State University in Tempe, and just about everything you can imagine in between. Arizona is known the nation over for its excellent public universities as well as its impressive network of trade schools and two year colleges.
Major institutions of higher learning in Arizona include Arizona State University, the University of Arizona (in Tuscon) and Northern Arizona (in Flagstaff). The largest of these is ASU, with an undergraduate class of 56,562. 57% of ASU's freshman class is white, 22% Hispanic/Latino, 6% Asian and 5% black. Cost of tuition for Arizona natives totals $9,720.
Arizona's economy was once summed up by "The Five C's" of copper, cotton, cattle, citrus, and climate (aka tourism). The state's financial system has naturally diversified since its early days, while still retaining a few of the old earners that have always served it well. Today's primary industries include:
Whether you want to study engineering to contribute to Arizona's mining sector, or business in order to manage one of the state's many manufacturing plants, or hospitality/tourism to gain the know-how necessary to operate your own Grand Canyon adventure outfit, Arizona is sure to have a college that meets your needs.
According to the most recent data collected by the Census Bureau and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Arizona's median household income is $48,711 and its unemployment rate 9.1%. Both figures indicate that this Southwestern state hovers very near the national average, economically speaking. College-educated individuals remain poised to take advantage of Arizona's best job opportunities in this competitive environment.