University Of Arizona

University of Arizona's program mix is anchored in Business, which accounts for 16% of degree output, followed by Engineering at 6% and Social Sciences at 6%. That business-heavy signature shapes the institution's earnings profile: applied fields like banking, accounting, and marketing drive much of the strongest financial performance, while large social-science and biology cohorts anchor the university's breadth.

Across 102 programs serving roughly 7,997 students annually, 71 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold — a broad portfolio consistent with a large public research university. The strongest national ranks cluster in quantitative and applied-business fields.

Azimuth ranks Computer Science #74 among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment, with 212 graduates earning $117,451. Azimuth ranks Finance #32 among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment, with graduates earning $100,938, and Azimuth ranks Nursing #115 among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment, with graduates earning $88,892.

Computer Science combines the largest cohort — 456 graduates — with median earnings of $52,038, making it the program that contributes the most aggregate economic value across the institution. Communication and Media Studies (259 graduates, $72,758) and Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences (256 graduates, $56,045) round out the largest programs by enrollment, as described in [how Azimuth evaluates programs](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/).

Several of University of Arizona's high-earning programs — particularly Digital Marketing and Business Administration — feed directly into high-mobility career pathways where graduates enter the national labor market upon completion. The [supply-demand map for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these fields align with national wage trends and employer demand.

The University of Arizona's published cost of attendance is $29,423, but need-based aid meaningfully reduces what most families pay. Low-income families see a net price of approximately $13,353, while middle-income families pay around $16,051, and higher-income families pay approximately $22,307.

Azimuth ranks University of Arizona #447 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.

The gap between sticker price and net price is real — understanding [how net price differs from published cost](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is an important first step for families evaluating affordability. The University of Arizona participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs, and families apply using the FAFSA.

Need-based aid covers a meaningful share of cost for qualifying students, and the income-band spread above reflects how aid packaging shifts the actual price across different household situations. Families in the lower-income bands typically see the largest gap between sticker and net price, while higher-income families pay closer to the published cost of attendance.

Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $19,620, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $30,126; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $67,420, median federal debt of $19,620 projects to a monthly payment of about $222 under standard ten-year repayment.

For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates of University of Arizona earn median earnings of $46,200 four years after enrollment, placing University of Arizona in the 63rd percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $47,000 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).

Graduates earn below expectations, placing the institution in the 39th percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to Arizona's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $29,000, the state median earnings of working adults aged 25-34 with only a high school credential.

While institution-level earnings track Arizona's regional labor market, specific programs deliver materially stronger outcomes. Azimuth ranks Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, and Administration 25th nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $128,500 — 2.3x the national benchmark for the field.

Registered Nursing, Nursing, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing also stands out, with Azimuth ranking it 44th nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions and graduates earning median earnings of $78,500 — 1.4x the benchmark. Health professions and related programs is the dominant program family, accounting for 22% of degree output, followed by business, management, marketing, and related support services at 14% and engineering at 10%.

Among the most popular programs, Psychology graduates 1,000 students annually with median earnings of $32,400 four years out, while The Business Administration and Management program graduates 500 students earning median earnings of $50,300. Program choice matters considerably at University of Arizona — fields like Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering show early-career median earnings of $72,400 and $68,200 respectively, illustrating the wide variation in outcomes across the university's broad academic portfolio.