Arizona
Student Access & Success
Arizona’s four-year institutions perform well on credentials produced per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates but average in completion rate, retention rate, and the percentage of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants. The state’s two-year institutions have a completion rate well below the national median and average performance in the other three categories.
Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness
Arizona’s four- and two-year costs per completion result in the state’s rank near the top 10 nationally at $59,752 and $44,911 respectively. State and local funding per completions ($40,046 and $39,805, respectively) are both right around the national medians ($41,198 for four-years and $35,476 for two-years).
Meeting Labor Market Demand
The median wage of an Arizona bachelor’s degree holder is approximately $20,300 (or 67%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate for a bachelor’s degree holder is approximately 5.5 points lower. The median wage of an associate’s degree holder is about $10,000 (or 33%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate is about 3.5 points lower.
Transparency & Accountability
Arizona’s consumer information site does not report student outcomes, though the state public accountability report discusses labor market success. Arizona does not measure student learning outcomes. However, the Arizona Board of Regents reports median wages from the three Arizona University System (AUS) four-year institutions, broken down by instructional area, as well as broad numbers of AUS graduates employed in Arizona. There is nothing similar for two-year institutions.
Policy Environment
The AUS strategic plan has numeric targets based on 2010 baselines, with specific goals concerning student outcomes and institutional efficiency. Arizona’s articulation system has a useful credit portal and common course numbering for a bank of frequently transferred courses. The state does not have an outcomes-based funding system.
Innovation
The four-year colleges in Arizona used to collaborate on an online learning clearinghouse (AZSun), but the system was closed in 2009. Regarding new providers, Arizona has a burdensome approval process but is less likely to assert regulatory jurisdiction than other states.
Report Card
Compare with
Four-Year Institutions
AZ Nat'l| Student Access & Success | C |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 30.6 | 30.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 78.4 | 77.9 |
| Completion Rate | 56.6 | 54.5 |
| Completions per 100 FTE Students | 22.3 | 19.7 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Complete College America |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | B |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $59,752 | $68,140 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $40,046 | $41,198 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $74,149 | $76,932 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined Measure (5-point scale) | 4 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | B |
|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $20,328 | $17,881 |
|---|---|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 166.7 | 156.0 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $15,537 | $12,703 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 157.5 | 149.9 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 5.5 | 4.0 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 2.3 | 2.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 7.6 | 7.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 3.0 | 2.9 |
| Transparency & Accountability | C |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 3.5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | true | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 4 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
Two-Year Institutions
AZ Nat'l| Student Access & Success | C |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 45.4 | 46.9 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 59.5 | 58.6 |
| Completion Rate | 17.0 | 20.5 |
| Completions Per 100 FTE Undergraduates | 17.3 | 16.8 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 3 |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | B |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $44,911 | $57,210 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $39,805 | $35,476 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $50,214 | $52,512 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined MeasureCombined Measure (5-point Scale) | 4 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | C |
|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $10,019 | $8,545 |
|---|---|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 132.9 | 126.1 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $7,000 | $6,595 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 125.9 | 125.0 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 3.5 | 2.7 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 4.9 | 4.9 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 1.76 | 1.84 |
| Transparency & Accountability | F |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | false | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
State
AZ Nat'l| Policy Environment | B |
|---|
| State Goals (6-point Scale) | 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Does the State Have Outcomes-Based Funding? | false | |
| Four-Year Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Two-Years Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Have a Credit Transfer Policy? | true | |
| Credit Transfer Policy (5-point Scale) | 5 |
| Innovation: Openness to Providers | B |
|---|
| Numerical Openness to New Providers Grade | 80% | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Jurisdiction | 100% | |
| Financial Burden | 80% | |
| Approval Process Burden | 60% |
| Innovation: Online Learning | D |
|---|
| Numerical Online Learning Grade | 28.6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Online Learning Score (7-point Scale) | 2 |
State Facts at a Glance
- Number of Public Four-Year Institutions 3
- Number of Public Two-Year Institutions 19
- Number of Students Served by Public Four-Year Institutions 96,176
- Number of Students Served by Public Two-Year Institutions 132,132