All 4 ASU campuses, ranked from best to worst

Wondering which of the four ASU campuses is best for you? Here is a ranking that considers personal growth and professional opportunity.

Arizona State University—or ASU—is a celebrated Arizona university with nationwide locations, online options, and four major in-state campuses.

Ranking campuses is extremely subjective and can vary from person to person based on needs, interests, and intent. Our ranking looks at several factors that matter when it comes to creating a well-rounded education for a college student aged 18-30.

We not only considered the high-quality education one can expect from ASU but also the proximity to both professional opportunities and chances for personal growth. Close proximity to professional opportunities helps students build an impressive resume early on while becoming masters in the field. On the other hand, having access to a variety of different pastimes and activities to dive into aids personal growth, especially at a young age. Both of these aspects are nearly as important as education when considering the college experience, so these rankings take all three aspects into careful consideration.

Here are the four in-state ASU campuses, ranked by each one’s holistic view of a college student. 

1. Downtown Phoenix campus

Founded: 2006

Where: 411 N Central Ave, Phoenix

Student-Faculty Ratio 10:1

Phoenix has a stunning skyline, and the streets maintain a logical layout, making traveling and exploring an easy, worthwhile adventure. ASU’s downtown Phoenix campus means that students get to live in the convenience of the city—walking and public transport access, inexpensive living options, big city events, and many work and internship opportunities—while earning a degree. In fact, this campus caters to health care, law, science, and journalism degrees as there is ample opportunity to connect to the professional setting. Gaining the right professional experience while earning a degree can be the difference between success straight out of college and scrambling to find work.

Not only beneficial for those on a strong career path, this campus is also fantastic for the students who wish to “find themselves” since there are so many different workout studios, parks, events (like First Friday), art museums, concert halls, sports venues, restaurants, and more, all within a brief walk or bus ride. There is no such thing as being bored in Phoenix. In fact, much like the bird it is named after, Phoenix is home to many rebirths of self. Perfect for a young person embarking on the journey of adulthood!

Phoenix has access to ample public transit, a decent walkability score—it’s the third most walkable city in Arizona—the least expensive rentals in Maricopa County, and plenty of professional opportunities. Due to all of these reasons, the downtown Phoenix campus is the No. 1 ASU campus on this list.

Personal Growth: 4.5/5

Professional Opportunity: 5/5

Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication building on the ASU Downtown Phoenix Campus. (Cygnusloop99/CC BY-SA 3.0)

2. Tempe campus

Founded: 1885

Where: 1151 S Forest Ave, Tempe

Student-Faculty Ratio: 18:1

ASU’s flagship campus is the Tempe campus. It offers hundreds of majors in the heart of a true college town, bustling with music, people, and energy. Entrenched with history that dates back to 1885, the Tempe campus also is a leader in innovation in sustainability. In fact, the Tempe campus is the most solar-powered of any in the US, and it offers easy access to all of metropolitan Phoenix through public transit, including light rail. In Tempe, you will find the Sun Devil Stadium and ASU’s other Pac-12 athletic venues, as well as plenty of shopping and restaurants that are geared towards the average age of college students.

Going to college in a college town means having plenty of access to work opportunities, fun experiences, and guidance on educational endeavors. It is also the best chance for social connections as there is so much to do. Choosing this campus is finding the balance between education, opportunity, and the college experience.

The only reason this fabulous campus doesn’t take the cake at ranking No. 1 is that living in a college town can equate to living in a bubble. Being surrounded by people of generally the same age means high competition for professional opportunities and limited chance to develop multiple perspectives, which happens most holistically when surrounded by a myriad of ages, professions, lifestyles, and backgrounds. A light rail into the city offers this access, but at the cost of time, which we all know is not a college student’s friend.

Going to this school will surely foster lifelong friendships, lasting memories, and unparalleled experience. As for internships and professional development a light rail ride away, distraction runs rampant, making this aspect of college only for the most focused. 

Personal Growth: 5/5

Professional Opportunity: 4/5

ASU’s Tempe campus. (Ameer Basheer/Unsplash)

3. West Valley campus

Founded: 1984

Where: 13591 N. 47th Avenue, Phoenix

Student-faculty ratio: 14:1 

This campus is reminiscent of classic academic tradition with architecture that mimics Oxford via a courtyard, lush greenery, and fountains.

The smallest of the ASU campuses, West Valley campus also serves the surrounding communities as a learning hub, even acting as the local ASU prep school for grades K-12. This campus offers ample educational opportunities, and since it is located on the edge of north Phoenix near Glendale, it’s fairly central to a slough of professional opportunities, although it’s a decent distance from the hubbub that is attractive to college-aged students. This campus works well for the introverted academic, the humanitarian, and the student interested in the romanticized vision of learning rather than the convenient and wild college experience found elsewhere. After all, this campus is geared for the honors program students. 

Personal Growth: 3.5/5

Professional Opportunity: 4/5

A sign marking ASU’s West Valley Campus. (Avi Waxman/Unsplash)

4. Polytechnic campus

Founded: 1996

Where: 7001 E Williams Field Rd, Mesa

Student-Faculty Ratio: 21:1

ASU’s Polytechnic campus is home to science and flight, with an airport, arboretum, printing center, and advanced laboratory spaces. With its facilities, this campus is conducive to science-minded students, to whom it promises a quality education. The education here is centered around project-based learning, an important learning style that produces bright, inquisitive minds ready to lead industries even pre-graduation.

Due to the nature of studies at this campus, it’s set in the outskirts of Mesa, providing ample space for learning. While this makes for beautiful views and slightly more moderate weather—less blacktop than Phoenix—it’s less convenient for personal interest growth and professional opportunity without a car.

The campus is self-contained with family housing, a freshman residence hall, dining facilities, and a student recreation center. Mesa has many wonderful things to do and explore including art, family recreation, farmland, and plenty of eats. Without a car, though, students are fairly campus-bound, encouraging studying. This makes for bright, intelligent minds but also makes finding opportunities for work and internships a little more challenging.

Personal Growth: 3.5/5

Professional Opportunity: 3.5/5

Picacho Hall (left) and Peralta Hall (right) on the ASU Polytechnic Campus in Mesa. (Cygnusloop99/CC BY-SA 3.0)

Closing thoughts

Bookworms, extroverts, athletes, scientists, nerds, jocks, late bloomers, introverts, and whoever else walks around ASU is bound to find their place at one of these four amazing campuses. That’s what’s beautiful about opinions: While they may help you find perspective you otherwise wouldn’t have, you are entitled to your own! If science is important to you, the Polytechnic campus might be your top ranking; if sociability is a priority, you may prefer Tempe; if graduating with honors and studying in a green courtyard sends your heart a flutter, West Valley may be your dream; and if the convenience of living in the best city in the United States excites you, you might find yourself in full agreement with this list.

From professional opportunity to personal growth to academics, the college experience is what you make of it and is ultimately yours to mold and watch unfold. May you enjoy your journey.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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