Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Tempe, Arizona · Private For-Profit · 100.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 36/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe earns an ROI score of 36 in the Below Benchmark tier. The 999-year payback period flag means earnings never recoup costs at the institution-wide level, where median 10-year earnings are just $34,657 and net price is $31,681 per year ($126,724 over four years). Yet the 88.9% completion rate is excellent (subscore 95) and the institution-level 0.397 debt-to-earnings ratio is also strong (subscore 87). The contradiction resolves when you look at the program data: the school's nursing graduates earn $85,169 first-year and $87,378 by year four, far above the institutional medians, the lower aggregate numbers likely reflect students who started programs but worked in non-nursing roles (CNAs, medical assistants) before completion or after non-RN exits. The 36.7% repayment rate (subscore 3) is the worst metric on the card and the strongest signal that many students are not progressing on loans despite credential completion.
How Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score36/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $26,091/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $26,091/yr |
| Average net price | $31,681/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $126,724 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $34,657 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $23,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $9,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $101 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 88.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,202 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $26,091/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $31,681/year, or roughly $126,724 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $27,061/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $38,153/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $9,500, which works out to about $101 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($23,900) and comes to 0.40, which in our view is comfortably manageable.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $27,061 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $32,566 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $36,830 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $35,163 |
| $110,001+ | $38,153 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $27,061 per year, $108,200 over four years. Institution-wide, median 10-year earnings are $34,657 and the payback period is flagged at 999 years. Nursing program completers fare much better ($85,169 first-year), but the institution's overall record on price-to-outcomes for low-income students is poor.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Net price by income shows mild inversions: $30,001-$48,000 pays $32,566, $48,001-$75,000 pays $36,830 (highest), and $75,001-$110,000 pays slightly less at $35,163. Middle-income families face $130,300-$147,300 over four years, well above the published institutional total of $126,724.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households over $110,000 pay $38,153 per year, $152,600 over four years. The math here only works for students who actually complete the BSN, pass NCLEX, and enter nursing roles, the institutional 999-year payback flag exists because not all enrollees achieve that path.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $87,378 | C |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing is the institution's only program and earns a C ROI grade with 276 graduates. First-year earnings of $85,169 and four-year earnings of $87,378 reflect strong nursing wages in the Phoenix labor market. But $51,854 in median debt is substantial, and the 0.609 debt-to-earnings ratio drags the program grade to a C despite the strong earnings.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 33.7% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 36.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 29.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 30.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 100.0% |
| Enrollment | 1,202 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 46.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,785 |
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe admits 100% of applicants. SAT and ACT mid-50% bands are not reported in current Scorecard data.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe (this school) | 36 | $31,681 | $34,657 |
| Galen College of Nursing-Louisville | 64 | $18,540 | $61,480 |
| AdventHealth University | 63 | $30,135 | $72,282 |
| Cleveland University-Kansas City | 50 | $35,764 | $52,304 |
| Arizona College of Nursing-Las Vegas | 35 | $30,921 | $34,657 |
| Nightingale College | 18 | $30,852 | $27,126 |
Who Thrives Here
With 1,202 students and a 47% Pell rate, Arizona College of Nursing serves working-class and first-generation students pursuing accelerated nursing credentials. The school fits students committed to BSN completion and licensure who can navigate the accelerated curriculum. The 88.9% completion rate is encouraging, but the 36.7% repayment rate raises concerns about post-graduation financial outcomes.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe scores 36/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $31,681 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $34,657 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What it has going for it: its 88.9% graduation rate, manageable debt relative to earnings. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a three-year loan repayment rate of 36.7% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $9,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $23,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.40, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe: Common Questions
Is Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe scores 36/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $31,681 a year after aid against $34,657 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $31,681 a year, or roughly $126,724 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $34,657 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at more than 50 years for Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $9,500, against average earnings of $23,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.40. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe?
The six-year graduation rate is 88.9%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.