ASU professor talks about writing Day of the Dead book
ASU professor Mathew Sandoval talks about why he wrote “Día de los Muertos: A Chicano Arts Legacy” at the Mesa Arts Center on Oct. 25, 2025.
- A new WalletHub report ranked Tempe, Arizona as the 6th best college city in the U.S.
- The report compared over 400 cities based on cost of living, social environment, and academic opportunities.
A new report named the best college towns across the U.S., and Tempe, Arizona is among the top 10, according to WalletHub.
WalletHub compared more than 400 cities across the U.S. using key components such as cost of living, quality of higher education and student life to decide where each city falls. Tempe ranked No. 6 overall while Phoenix fell shortly below at No. 12.
Why is Tempe the 6th best college city in the U.S.?
Tempe ranked No. 189 in wallet friendliness, No. 34 in social environment and No. 55 in academic and economic opportunities.
Tempe might not be one of the best cities for student pocketbooks, but the city has loads of social, educational and academic opportunities to offer, giving Tempe an overall score of 59.4, putting it at No. 6 overall.
Downtown Tempe constantly has events going on from restaurants, to festivals, to a thriving bar scene, so it comes at no surprise that Tempe ranked so highly in social environments.
What makes Phoenix a good college city?
Although Phoenix did not rank as highly as Tempe, out of 415 cities, No. 12 overall is pretty good.
Phoenix ranked No. 203 in wallet friendliness, No. 66 in social environment and No. 57 in academic and economic opportunities. This puts Phoenix at 57.38 overall points.
Considering Phoenix and Tempe are only about a 20 minute drive from one another it is not surprising the two cities sit similarly in rank. Although it seems Tempe’s social scene thrive a little more than Phoenix’s.
What colleges are in Arizona?
Arizona State University is the only college in Tempe making Arizona State University the best college for students according to WalletHub’s report.
ASU also has a downtown branch in Phoenix, contributing to Phoenix’s No. 12 ranking as well.
Tucson was ranked much farther down than Phoenix or Tempe, at No. 42, furthering the rivalry between Arizona State and University of Arizona.
Other Colleges in AZ
- Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.
- Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.
- Arizona Christian University in Phoenix.
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott.
- Prescott College in Prescott.