Arizona State University

About Arizona State University

Arizona State University traces its history to the Territorial Normal School established by the Arizona territorial legislature in 1885. The institution adopted its present name following a statewide vote in 1958. It remains in operation as a comprehensive public research university and has held continuous institutional accreditation since 1931. The Higher Learning Commission most recently reviewed ASU in 2022–23, with the next comprehensive review scheduled for 2032–33. ASU describes itself as one university in many places. Its principal physical network consists of Tempe, Downtown Phoenix, Polytechnic, and West Valley campuses. These are not independently accredited institutions: students receive an ASU education under one institutional accreditation. The university also offers programs at other Arizona and national locations, while ASU Online provides more than 300 fully online degree programs. Delivery location matters because available majors, campus environment, housing, and tuition category can differ. Tempe is the historic and broadest traditional campus, while the other metropolitan campuses have distinct academic concentrations and community settings. Students may use one campus as their home base and, where scheduling and program rules permit, take classes at other campuses. This model offers unusual breadth, but commuting time and program location deserve attention when comparing choices. Applicants should use the current Degree Search and campus information rather than assume every major is available everywhere or in every delivery format.

For first-year undergraduate admission, ASU requires a defined secondary-school curriculum: four years each of mathematics and English, three years of laboratory science, two years each of social science and the same second language, plus one year of fine arts or career and technical education. Applicants must also normally demonstrate one listed aptitude measure: top-quarter class rank, a 3.00 unweighted GPA in competency courses, ACT 22 for Arizona residents or 24 for nonresidents, or SAT 1120 for residents or 1180 for nonresidents. Individual review may be available, and some programs set higher requirements. ACT and SAT results are optional for admission and may instead be used as supplemental information or for course placement. Applicants can use ASU’s application or the Common Application; ASU states that it has no preference and does not require an essay or personal statement for either route. Applicants submit self-reported grades or official transcripts and pay the applicable fee. As published in August 2026, fees were $55 for Arizona residents, $85 for domestic nonresidents, $75 for ASU Online applicants, and $90 for international nonresidents. For fall 2027, the current first-year page identifies November 1 as the priority admission date and January 15 as the regular date. January 15 is also ASU’s FAFSA priority filing date. International applicants have separate English-proficiency and immigration-document requirements, while transfer and graduate applicants follow distinct processes. Every applicant should verify program-specific criteria and dates before submitting because selective majors may exceed the university baseline.

ASU offers more than 400 undergraduate and 450 graduate degree programs. Its academic fields include architecture and construction, arts, business, communication and media, computing and mathematics, education, engineering and technology, health, humanities, law and public service, sciences, social and behavioral studies, and sustainability. The institutional accreditation covers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral awards as well as associate and professional degrees. Applicants should confirm the exact award, location, format, prerequisites, and any higher admission standard in ASU’s current Degree Search. Undergraduates can customize their studies through minors, certificates, concurrent majors, and, in eligible subjects, accelerated master’s pathways that begin during the bachelor’s degree. Exploratory programs are available for students who have not selected a field. ASU also supports pre-law and pre-health preparation, an honors option through Barrett, The Honors College, and credit-bearing global education. Availability and requirements vary by program rather than applying uniformly across the university. Study formats include conventional in-person courses, online programs, and iCourses taken online by campus-based students. ASU offers traditional 15-week semesters as well as some concentrated 7.5-week classes and multiple summer sessions. A student’s home campus is usually tied to the degree program, although cross-campus enrollment can broaden course access. The breadth is valuable for interdisciplinary planning, but students should map requirements carefully: campus travel, course sequencing, professional accreditation, and accelerated-program eligibility may constrain an otherwise flexible plan.

Key Highlights

• Founded in 1885 as the Territorial Normal School
• One accredited university across four metropolitan Phoenix campuses
• Continuously institutionally accredited since 1931
• More than 300 fully online degree programs available through ASU Online

Student Life & Environment

Campus life varies substantially across ASU’s metropolitan network. Tempe offers the largest traditional university setting, while Downtown Phoenix, Polytechnic, and West Valley provide different academic mixes and community scales. This gives students a meaningful choice of environment, but the degree program normally determines the primary campus. Prospective students should compare the facilities, organizations, transportation demands, and housing available at the location that actually delivers their major. First-year campus students generally live in residential college communities associated with their academic discipline. These communities place students near peers in related programs and connect housing with advising, tutoring, events, and other support. ASU’s housing guidance says assignments are organized by the residential college of the student’s major. Continuing, transfer, and graduate housing is handled differently and is limited, so later-year accommodation should not be assumed. The Fall 2026 housing page listed May 15, 2026 as the priority deadline and warned that later applications may be administratively assigned; that date is historical for future applicants and must not be reused for another intake. Dining halls operate on each metropolitan campus, with meal-plan choices and multiple dietary options. Students can also engage through student organizations, recreation, service, campus events, and academic communities, although the mix differs by campus.

Location & Surroundings

ASU’s historic base is in Tempe, part of the Phoenix metropolitan area, but the institution is not confined to a single campus. Its four principal metropolitan locations are Tempe, Downtown Phoenix, Polytechnic, and West Valley. The network also includes additional Arizona sites, learning locations elsewhere in the United States, and online delivery. The Tempe campus provides the most conventional large-campus experience. Downtown Phoenix places students in the urban core, while Polytechnic and West Valley offer distinct settings and program portfolios elsewhere in the metropolitan region. The appropriate location is therefore an academic as well as a lifestyle decision: students should check where required courses are taught before choosing housing or estimating travel. ASU permits students to regard one campus as a home base while taking some classes at other campuses. That flexibility can expand course choice, but metropolitan Phoenix is geographically extensive, so cross-campus schedules require realistic transportation planning. Climate is another practical consideration: the region has very hot summers, making proximity to classes, reliable transport, and heat preparation relevant to everyday student life.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For 2026–27, ASU lists annual base tuition of $12,177 for Arizona-resident undergraduates attending the Tempe, Downtown Phoenix, Polytechnic, or West Valley campus. The comparable base amounts are $35,715 for domestic nonresident undergraduates and $39,062 for international undergraduates. Arizona-resident graduate base tuition at those campuses is $13,327, while nonresident and international graduate amounts are $38,939 and $42,475 respectively. Digital-immersion tuition is listed at $580 per undergraduate credit and $605 per graduate credit. These are base tuition figures, not complete attendance budgets or guaranteed net prices. Program fees, university fees, housing, meals, books, transport, insurance, and personal expenses can materially increase the total. ASU also notes that costs vary by campus, modality, residency, program, and individual circumstances. Students should use the official estimator and a current financial-aid offer rather than the database’s older tuition or room-and-board figures. FAFSA information is used for grants, loans, Federal Work-Study, and some scholarships. Career Services supports students and alumni across all four metropolitan campuses. Its CareerLink platform combines job and internship listings, employer connections, events, appointments, and career-planning tools. Advising covers career exploration, résumés, cover letters, networking, and job-search preparation. ASU also advertises campus employment, federal work-study roles, graduate assistantships, and career fairs. These services provide access rather than guaranteed placement, so students should investigate internship structures, professional licensure, and outcomes for their particular program.