Private nonprofit · University

Arizona Christian University

Glendale, Arizona · Large suburb

#2 most selective in Arizona
70.6%
Admit rate
$32,839
Avg net price
40%
Graduation rate
$51,612
Median earnings

Arizona Christian University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Glendale, Arizona (large suburb setting), enrolling 1,165 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). It has a Undenominational religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,165 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 71% admitNAIA Division I · Frontier Conference

About Glendale, Arizona

Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. In the late 1800s the area that is now Glendale was all desert. Glendale was temporarily renamed as Swift City on March 17 and 18, 2023, as per the mayor and the city council's proclamation, to celebrate the opening concerts of the Eras Tour, the sixth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, at State Farm Stadium. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
14 miles to Phoenix, AZ
To the ocean
170 miles
Nearest airport
16 miles to Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) · major hub

How Arizona Christian University compares

Selectivity70.6%

More selective than 63% · #2 most selective of 13 in Arizona

Graduation rate40%

Higher than 22% · #11 of 18 in Arizona

First-year retention54%

Higher than 8%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$51,612

Higher than 43% · #8 of 19 in Arizona

Average net price$32,839

Cheaper than 11% · #12 cheapest of 17 in Arizona

Median debt at graduation$23,000

Lower than 53%

Student–faculty ratio16 : 1

Lower than 28%

Undergraduate enrollment1,165

Larger than 42%

Percentiles compare Arizona Christian University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Arizona.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

1,205students
  • Undergraduate1,16597%
  • Graduate403%

Undergraduates by gender

1,165undergrads
  • Women33729%
  • Men82871%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White48%
  • Black9.2%
  • Hispanic28%
  • Asian1.4%
  • Other or multiracial14%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,165
Graduate enrollment
40
Student–faculty ratio
16 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
34%
First-generation students
38%
Students over 25
8%
Median family income
$36,206
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$47,007
Endowment
$727,690

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
70.6%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$35,098
Room & board
$14,700
Books & supplies
$1,870
Total cost of attendance
$54,792
Average net price
$32,839

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
40%
Graduated on time (4 years)
31%
First-year retention
54%
Transferred to another college
29%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$39,524
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$51,612
Median debt at graduation
$23,000
Students with federal loans
70%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
47%

About 9% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
31%
Low-income (Pell)
28%
First-generation
29%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
650
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
56%
Housing charge (year)
$5,700
Meal plan (year)
$6,826
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NAIA Division I
Football conference
Frontier Conference
Varsity athletes
610 (378 men · 232 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (13)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)160
Football85
Soccer77
Basketball43
Wrestling40
Volleyball38
Baseball34
Golf32
Softball26
Swimming26
Tennis25
Other Sports13
Beach Volleyball11

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.7 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
0
Property offenses (2022–2024)
3

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,421 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

1.0reported offenses a year
0 violent a year1.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
0.7
Motor vehicle theft
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$30,522
$30–48k
$29,991
$48–75k
$32,259
$75–110k
$34,557
$110k+
$34,323

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$140,141

$32,259/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

96%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$16,927
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 96% — get grant money from Arizona Christian University itself, averaging $16,927, which softens the sticker price.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 295 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$51,612
Typical debt at graduation
$23,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
45%
Out-earn a HS grad
61%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.5 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$33,031
Men
$60,769

Men out-earn women by $27,738 (84%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
105°F
Winter low
40°F
Annual rain
8.3″

Average temperature

HighLow
30°70°110°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.00.61.2JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Youngtown, AZ US station (7.1 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Arizona Christian University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Arizona Christian University side by side →

Colleges near Arizona Christian University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.