Best Education Schools Near Surprise, AZ (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Surprise, Arizona has 5 accredited schools offering education programs, with tuition ranging from $2,358 to $54,792 per year for indexed programs. Surprise has a population of about 149,519. Median household income is $93,371 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, Postsecondary at a median $103,280 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Education Schools to Surprise

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer education programs near Surprise, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Surprise city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Surprise. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Ottawa University-Surprise

Surprise, AZ 6.0 miles from Surprise
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
27.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,552
Avg net price $33,393/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 47%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Arizona schools on the Arizona education page.

Education Wages Near Surprise

Surprise is part of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area (BLS area code 38060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Arizona statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Secondary School Teacher $59,570 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $57,667
Elementary School Teacher $59,180 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $57,289
Middle School Teacher $61,330 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $59,371
Education Teacher, Postsecondary $78,520 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $76,012
Education Administrator, K-12 $99,290 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $96,118
Education Administrator, Postsecondary $103,280 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $99,981
Tutor $43,880 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $42,478
Educational and Career Counselor $60,520 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $58,587

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Surprise at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 149,519 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $93,371 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 31.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Education-related employment in Maricopa County 57,657 workers, 2,367 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Surprise-Area Cities With Education Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Surprise, AZ?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering education programs near Surprise. The closest is Ottawa University-Surprise in Surprise, AZ (6.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Glendale Community College (16.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying education roles near Surprise?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Surprise are: Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($103,280), Education Administrator, K-12 ($99,290), Education Teacher, Postsecondary ($78,520). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Arizona statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in El Mirage instead of Surprise?

El Mirage, AZ is 9.5 miles from Surprise and has its own set of local education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Surprise an affordable place to study education?

Surprise’s median household income of $93,371 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Surprise while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Arizona public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Surprise

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Surprise:

Data verified: September 6, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Education Schools in Arizona: Online Programs (2026)