Advantages & Disadvantages of Studying in Phoenix
You consider studying in Phoenix but want to get more information about student life and the city in general before making your final decision in this regard?
Great! This article is exactly for you since I will show you the pros and cons of studying in Phoenix in the following chapters.
Studying in Phoenix – Overview
Number of Universities | 17 colleges and universities in Phoenix. |
Quality of Universities | While there are a handful of really good universities, many colleges in Phoenix are just average. |
Networking Opportunities | You can meet many ambitious students and build a strong network from which you can benefit for the rest of your professional life. |
Student Life | Phoenix has many student clubs and other extracurricular activities which you can join so you will always have something to do in your leisure. |
International Students | While there are some international students, Phoenix is still not as popular as L.A. or NYC for spending a semester abroad. |
Career Prospects | Graduates from University of Phoenix have decent career prospects and can work in many different fields, even though you will most likely not have the same career prospects as people graduating from more prestigious universities. |
Nightlife | Phoenix has many great bars and clubs and you can party quite a lot with your fellow students. |
Living Costs | While living costs in Phoenix are pretty high, they are still lower than in NYC or the Bay Area. |
Housing | Housing shortage is a big problem in Phoenix and it may take you quite a long time to find an affordable place to stay as a student in Phoenix. |
Weather & Climate | Phoenix has pretty hot summers and moderately cool winters. |

Advantages of Studying in Phoenix
- Many colleges to choose from in Phoenix
- You will find all sorts of specializations
- Graduates from University of Phoenix have decent career prospects
- You can work for many big corporations in Phoenix
- Many student jobs in Phoenix
- Many opportunities to work as an intern in Phoenix
- Phoenix is not as expensive as other major cities in the US
- You can meet many students from all over the world
- Many student clubs and other organizations
- You can take part in many extracurricular activities
- Great nightlife in Phoenix
- Students are welcome from all over the world
- You can hang out with many interesting people in Phoenix
- You can build a strong network of people
- You can hang out with many ambitious students
- College sports are a big deal in Phoenix
- Many big companies hire on campus of University of Phoenix
- You will find many libraries and other places to study in a quiet manner
- Easy to get around in Phoenix
- Many hours of sun in Phoenix
- Phoenix has a great public infrastructure
- Students find most things they need within walking distance
Many colleges to choose from in Phoenix
One advantage of studying in Phoenix is that you will have many different universities and colleges to choose from and you can therefore enroll in many different programs according to your personal preferences regarding tuition, programs and other things you may want to consider before spending lots of time and money on your education while you would have far fewer opportunities in this regard in smaller towns.
You will find all sorts of specializations
Since there are so many different colleges, you will also find all sorts of majors and may also be able to enroll in rather exotic specializations that you might not find in many other cities and can therefore become a real expert in one of those specific areas.
Graduates from University of Phoenix have decent career prospects
Since University of Phoenix has a pretty decent standing, you will also have decent career prospects after graduation and will have many job opportunities waiting for you while people graduating from less prestigious colleges may have a harder time in this regard.
You can work for many big corporations in Phoenix
Since Phoenix is a pretty big city, you will also find corporations you can work for in many different industries and no matter what your specialization is, you will most likely find a decent job in the Phoenix region, at least if you are smart and also willing to study hard.
Many student jobs in Phoenix
Another upside to studying in Phoenix is that there are many student jobs you can make money from and can earn some money on the side to finance your degree and even though this might not be enough to cover your expenses, you can still reduce the amount of student loan debt you will have to use to finance your studies.
Many opportunities to work as an intern in Phoenix
Not only will you find many decent student jobs, but you can also work as an intern for many big corporations in the Phoenix region and this gives you the opportunity to make many important contacts while you are still a student and by making all those contacts, you will have a much easier time finding a decent job after graduation.
Phoenix is not as expensive as other major cities in the US
While living costs in Phoenix are above national average, you will still have far lower costs compared to people studying in New York City since living and housing costs are lower in Phoenix and this makes it easier for you to get your degree compared to people living in more expensive regions.
You can meet many students from all over the world
Since Phoenix is a pretty popular city, you can also meet many students from other parts of the US or even from foreign places of our planet and this can be really interesting since you can get to know different ways of life and can also just have a great time together.
Many student clubs and other organizations
Another benefit of studying in Phoenix is that there are many student clubs and other student organizations where you can meet and hang out with many other like-minded people of your age and some of those people will become really good friends of yours for many years or even for a lifetime.
You can take part in many extracurricular activities
There are also many student activities you can do aside from your actual studies.
For instance, you can join an art club or do various other extracurricular activities in your leisure and chance are that you will never run out of ideas in this regard as a student in Phoenix.
Great nightlife in Phoenix
Studying in Phoenix can also be great since there are many interesting bars and clubs in this city and you will therefore find more than enough opportunities to hang out with your fellow students and can also party all night long if you want to.
Students are welcome from all over the world
Since Phoenix is a pretty tolerant place, you will be welcome no matter what part of the world you come from and don’t have to worry about getting socially isolated as long as you are willing to adapt to local traditions at least a little bit and are also a friendly and tolerant person.
You can hang out with many interesting people in Phoenix
Since Phoenix is a multicultural place, you can also hang out with many interesting people from different parts of the world and this can really help you grow in character since you will learn how relative the world really is and that our way of life is just one of many and not superior to other lifestyles out there which will make you much more tolerant and open to new things in the long run.
You can build a strong network of people
Since there are many talented students in Phoenix and also many business people hanging out in this place, it is also relatively easy building a strong business network from which you can benefit for your entire professional life since the more important people you know, the easier it is to climb the corporate ladder quickly.
You can hang out with many ambitious students
You can also spend your time with many other ambitious students and this can be really helpful since they can explain and help you understand complex study materials so you have an easier time understanding all those things and your chances of getting good grades may increase.
College sports are a big deal in Phoenix
Studying in Phoenix can also make quite a lot of sense in case you are an athlete and want to play college sports at the highest level since college sports are a big deal in Phoenix and if you are really good at what you are doing, you may even get a scholarship and can reduce your overall costs related to college significantly.
Many big companies hire on campus of University of Phoenix
You should also know that many big corporations also hire directly from University of Phoenix and if you are able to get really good grades, you may be able to secure a fancy job even before you even graduate while many other students may have a harder time finding a good job after graduation.
You will find many libraries and other places to study in a quiet manner
There are also many libraries and other quiet places where you can study in Phoenix and prepare for your exams in an efficient manner so you can pass those exams with the best results possible and increase your chances of finding a fancy job later on.
Easy to get around in Phoenix
Since Phoenix has decent public transport, you will also have a rather easy time getting around in this region and may not even need a car which can be great since you can save lots of money in this regard in the long run.
Many hours of sun in Phoenix
Many people also really love studying in Phoenix since they can enjoy many hours of sun.
In fact, you will have pretty hot summers and moderately cool winters and studying in Phoenix can therefore make sense if you don’t want to study in Chicago or other cooler places but rather need the heat to stay happy.
Phoenix has a great public infrastructure
Since Phoenix has great public infrastructure, you will also have decent medical support in case you get sick and will just be able to enjoy many amenities you are used to from other big metropolitan regions while many other people studying in smaller towns will often not be able to enjoy this luxury.
Students find most things they need within walking distance
Since overall supply of material goods is pretty decent in the Phoenix region, you will also find most things you need within walking distance and can therefore really enjoy your student life and don’t have to waste your precious time in this regard.
Now that you know the reasons for studying in Phoenix, we also have to talk about the drawbacks of studying in Phoenix so you get a more realistic picture of reality and can better decide whether you still want to study in Phoenix or rather want to study in a different city instead.

Disadvantages of Studying in Phoenix
- Students in Phoenix have a hard time finding a decent place to stay
- Rents in Phoenix have skyrocketed over the past decades
- Living costs are pretty high compared to national average
- Most student jobs don’t pay enough to finance your degree
- Tuition is often pretty high in Phoenix
- You may have to deal with huge amounts of student loan debt
- Phoenix is a pretty hectic city
- Traffic may become annoying
- Crime is a big problem in Phoenix
- Hard to find world-class education in Phoenix
- Not many great guest professors in Phoenix
Students in Phoenix have a hard time finding a decent place to stay
One problem with studying in Phoenix is that housing shortage is a pretty big problem in this region and many students have a hard time finding a decent place to stay within a reasonable amount of time and this can become quite annoying in the long run since you might have to spend lots of time searching for a place to rent while your fellow students may be better able to focus on their studies.
Rents in Phoenix have skyrocketed over the past decades
You should also know that rents in Phoenix have increased substantially over the past decade and many students are simply no longer able to afford a decent place to stay and have to live with many other roommates in rather dodgy neighborhoods.
Living costs are pretty high compared to national average
Another downside to studying in Phoenix is that living costs are significantly above national average and this means that you will have to spend lots of money on drinks and other nice things of daily life while people living in Columbus and other less popular places will be able to get much more nice things for their money.
Most student jobs don’t pay enough to finance your degree
While there are many student jobs in Phoenix, many of them still don’t pay pretty well and this means that students in Phoenix often have a hard time financing their degree and may become pretty desperate regarding their financial situation in the long run.
Tuition is often pretty high in Phoenix
Also tuition in Phoenix is often pretty high and this means that you would have to spend lots of money on your education and before doing that, you should really make sure that a degree from Phoenix University is really worth it to you and that you are willing to stretch your budget quite a lot.
You may have to deal with huge amounts of student loan debt
Since tuition and living costs in Phoenix are often pretty high, many students are simply not able to finance their degree just from their student jobs and either have to rely on their parents or have to take on huge amounts of student loan debt which they have to pay back later on in their lives.
Phoenix is a pretty hectic city
Another disadvantage of studying in Phoenix is that it is also a pretty hectic city and if you don’t like big city life at all, you may be better off moving to Santa Ana or other smaller places that are more relaxed.
Traffic may become annoying
Traffic in Phoenix may also become annoying in the long run, especially if you want to get around by car since you would lose lots of time in traffic jams and may be late for your lectures.
Crime is a big problem in Phoenix
You should also know that Phoenix is not the safest city and crime rates are pretty high.
Consequently, many students just don’t feel safe and if you live in a rather dodgy neighborhood, you may also not have a good feeling leaving your home at nighttime and may rather stay in your place and may not go out as often as you might wish.
Hard to find world-class education in Phoenix
While there are many decent colleges in Phoenix, you will still have a much harder time finding world-class education in this region compared to people living in Boston or other places where there are many more really good universities.
Not many great guest professors in Phoenix
While there are some really good guest professors in Phoenix, you will still not have as many great personalities as in Harvard or other more prestigious universities.

Top 10 Studying in Phoenix Pros & Cons – Summary List
Studying in Phoenix Pros | Studying in Phoenix Cons |
---|---|
Great nightlife for students in Phoenix | Students often struggle to find a decent place to stay |
You can meet many ambitious students | Housing shortage is a big problem in Phoenix |
You can build a strong network of people | Rents have skyrocketed over the past decade |
Many student jobs in Phoenix | Living costs in Phoenix are pretty high |
Many solid colleges to choose from | Tuition is often pretty high |
Many libraries and other quiet places to study | Many students have to rely on student loans |
Decent job prospects after graduation | Not many world-class universities in Phoenix |
Phoenix can be a great place to study for athletes | Phoenix may be too hot for you |
Great weather in Phoenix | Limited number of great guest professors in Phoenix |
Decent public infrastructure in Phoenix | You may not feel safe as a student in Phoenix |
Is Phoenix A Great City For Students?
While studying in Phoenix can make a lot of sense since you can participate in many extracurricular activities and can also meet many interesting people from all over the world, you should still know that living and housing costs are pretty high and students in Phoenix often have a hard time finding a decent place to stay.
Alternative Student Cities
If you don’t want to study in Phoenix anymore, you should also have a look at the advantages and disadvantages of studying in Los Angeles.
Sources
Own research.

About the author
This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.
My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.
Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.
In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.