University of Advancing Technology
Tempe, Arizona · Private For-Profit · 98.1% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 28/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
The University of Advancing Technology (UAT) is a for-profit school in Tempe, AZ that scores 28 (Below Benchmark). The completion rate is 35.1%. Net price averages $28,522 - higher than tuition, suggesting fees and living costs dominate - against average 6-year earnings of $40,500 and a 16.2-year payback period. Median debt is $28,812 with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.711. The repayment rate of 67.9% indicates debt distress. Only the intelligence and cybersecurity program shows a defensible outcome; other programs produce D and F ROI grades. UAT serves a niche of gaming, cybersecurity, and digital technology students, but the data does not justify the price at the institutional level.
How University of Advancing Technology 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 Score28/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate35.1% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period16.2 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
University of Advancing Technology
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $19,365/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $19,365/yr |
| Average net price | $28,522/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $114,088 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $50,719 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $40,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $28,812 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $305 |
| Estimated payback period | 16.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 35.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 855 |
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: $19,365/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 $28,522/year, or roughly $114,088 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 $25,687/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $32,685/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $28,812, which works out to about $305 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($40,500) and comes to 0.71, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
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 | $25,687 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $25,896 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $28,841 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $31,691 |
| $110,001+ | $32,685 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $25,687 net price per year at UAT. Against $40,500 average 6-year earnings and a 35.1% completion rate, low-income students face compounded risks: high cost, low probability of finishing, and weak earnings if they do.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $28,841 per year. The price barely varies by income band, which is characteristic of for-profit aid structures. Families in the $75,001-$110,000 bracket pay $31,691.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000+ pay $32,685 per year. The narrow spread across income bands means aid does very little to differentiate price by ability to pay. Full-pay families should expect the same weak outcomes as other groups.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at University of Advancing Technology with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations | $78,068 | C+ |
| Computer Programming | $72,462 | D |
| Visual and Performing Arts | $48,112 | F |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $84,302 | - |
| Design and Applied Arts | $38,996 | D |
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.
Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations
The intelligence and cybersecurity operations program (22 graduates) earns $64,915 year-one and $78,068 at year four with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.478 (ROI grade C+). This is UAT's strongest program by a significant margin. Graduates enter cybersecurity, defense contractor, and federal agency roles.
Computer Programming
Computer Programming (16 graduates) earns $38,576 year-one and $72,462 at year four with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.792 (ROI grade D). The year-four figure of $72k shows substantial growth potential, but graduates carry high debt relative to their year-one earnings. Median debt of $30,562 against a $38,576 starting salary is a stressful debt burden.
Visual and Performing Arts
Visual and Performing Arts (16 graduates) earns $27,824 year-one and $48,112 at year four with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.069 (ROI grade F). Graduates owe more than a full year's salary. Net price is $28,522.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 60.4% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 67.9% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 61.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 68.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How University of Advancing Technology’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 | 98.1% |
| Enrollment | 855 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 57.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,981 |
UAT's 98.1% admission rate means the school takes essentially all applicants. There is no academic filter. The completion rate is 35.1%. Students should weigh this completion rate as a baseline probability of getting a credential from this institution.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
UAT's ROI score is 28.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Advancing Technology (this school) | 28 | $28,522 | $50,719 |
| Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe | 36 | $31,681 | $34,657 |
| Arizona College of Nursing-Las Vegas | 35 | $30,921 | $34,657 |
| Grand Canyon University | 25 | $22,472 | $42,186 |
| Brookline College-Albuquerque | 24 | $37,459 | $29,576 |
| Strayer University-Florida | 24 | $16,064 | $40,092 |
Who Thrives Here
UAT admits 98.1% of applicants - effectively open enrollment - with a 57.0% Pell rate. At 855 students it is a small for-profit school. The school targets students interested in gaming, cybersecurity, and digital media, but 65% of enrollees do not graduate. Students drawn by the gaming or creative technology programs should compare outcomes carefully; Visual and Performing Arts earns an F-grade ROI with a debt-to-earnings ratio over 1.0.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, University of Advancing Technology scores 28/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $28,522 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $50,719 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 16.2 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 to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 35.1% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 67.9% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $28,812 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $40,500 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
University of Advancing Technology: Common Questions
Is University of Advancing Technology worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. University of Advancing Technology scores 28/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $28,522 a year after aid against $50,719 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 16.2 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does University of Advancing Technology 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 $28,522 a year, or roughly $114,088 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 University of Advancing Technology graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $50,719 ten years after enrolling, roughly $8,919 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off University of Advancing Technology?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 16.2 years for University of Advancing Technology. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do University of Advancing Technology graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $28,812, against average earnings of $40,500 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at University of Advancing Technology?
The six-year graduation rate is 35.1%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (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.