ArizonaArizona

State Summary Report Card (PDF)
Complete State Report Card (PDF)

Performance Categories

Preparation

D

Improved

Arizona’s underperformance in educating its young population could limit the state’s access to a competitive workforce and weaken the state’s economy.

  • Eighth graders perform very poorly in math, science, reading, and writing.

  • Arizona is among the poorest-performing states in high school completion. Only 69% of Hispanics have a high school credential, compared with 93% of whites.

Participation

A

Improved

While Arizona does well in providing educational opportunities for working-age adults, too few young adults enroll in college.

  • The state continues to fall behind other states in enrolling students in college by age 19.
  • Eighteen percent of Hispanic young adults are enrolled in college, compared with 40% of whites.

Affordability

F

Not Improved

Higher education has become less affordable for students and their families.

  • Poor and working-class families must devote 31% of their income, even after aid, to pay for costs at two-year colleges.
  • Financial aid to low-income students is low. For every dollar in Pell Grant aid to students, the state spends only three cents.

Completion

B

Improved

Arizona performs well in awarding certificates and degrees relative to the number of students enrolled, but few students attain a bachelor’s degree in a timely manner.

  • Forty-three percent of college students complete a bachelor’s degree within six years.

  • Forty-seven percent of Hispanics graduate within six years, compared with 52% of whites.

Benefits

B-

Improved

A fairly small proportion of residents have a bachelor’s degree, which brings limited economic benefits to the state.

  • Ten percent of Hispanics have a bachelor’s degree, compared with 34% of whites.

  • If all racial/ethnic groups had the same educational attainment and earnings as whites, total annual personal income in the state would be about $15 billion higher.

Learning

I

Like all states, Arizona receives an “Incomplete” in Learning because there is not sufficient data to allow meaningful state-by-state comparisons.

 

Change Over Time: Key Indicators

The following reflects Arizona’s performance and progress since the early 1990s on several key indicators.

Preparation

The percentage of young adults in Arizona who earn a high school diploma has increased slightly since the early 1990s. High school completion is well below the U.S. average and the top-performing states.

Participation

College enrollment of young adults in Arizona has improved since the early 1990s. The state is above the national average but below the top states in the percentage of young adults enrolled.

The enrollment of working-age adults, relative to the number of residents without a bachelor’s degree, has increased in Arizona. In contrast, the percentage of working-age adults attending college has declined nationally.

Affordability

The share of family income, even after financial aid, needed to pay for college has risen substantially. To attend public two- and four-year colleges in Arizona, students and families pay less than the U.S. average but more than those in the best-performing states.

Completion

The number of undergraduate credentials and degrees awarded in Arizona, relative to the number of students enrolled, has increased substantially since the early 1990s. Arizona performs at the U.S. average but is below the top states on this measure.

Benefits

The percentage of residents who have a bachelor’s degree has increased in Arizona, but is below the U.S. average and well below the top states.