Best Liberal Arts Schools Near Maricopa, AZ (2026)

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

Maricopa, Arizona has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $2,358 to $18,898 per year for indexed programs. Maricopa has a population of about 62,986. Median household income is $94,208 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $94,900 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Maricopa

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Maricopa, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Maricopa 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 Maricopa. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

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#1

University of Advancing Technology

Tempe, AZ 23.1 miles from Maricopa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,719
Avg net price $28,522/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

South Mountain Community College

Phoenix, AZ 23.4 miles from Maricopa
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
38.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 16%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,825
Avg net price $12,780/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,358
Out‑of‑state$8,958
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Mesa Community College

Mesa, AZ 25.3 miles from Maricopa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,034
Avg net price $12,132/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 132

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Phoenix-Arizona

Phoenix, AZ 25.3 miles from Maricopa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
30.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,752
Avg net price $13,520/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 41%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Rio Salado College

Tempe, AZ 25.6 miles from Maricopa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,015
Avg net price $8,341/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Arizona State University Campus Immersion

Tempe, AZ 26.2 miles from Maricopa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,668
Avg net price $14,967/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 305

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

GateWay Community College

Phoenix, AZ 28.0 miles from Maricopa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,147
Avg net price $13,339/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Arizona State University Digital Immersion

Scottsdale, AZ 29.4 miles from Maricopa
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
61.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,668
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 140

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Liberal Arts Wages Near Maricopa

Maricopa 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)
Public Relations Specialist $70,490 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $68,238
Management Analyst $94,900 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $91,868
Technical Writer $83,480 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $80,813
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist $41,870 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $40,532
Editor $64,970 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $62,894
Training and Development Specialist $66,710 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $64,579
Human Resources Specialist $74,640 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $72,256

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.

Maricopa at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 62,986 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $94,208 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Maricopa-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Maricopa, AZ?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Maricopa. The closest is Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Chandler, AZ (21.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Mesa Community College (25.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Maricopa?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Maricopa are: Management Analyst ($94,900), Technical Writer ($83,480), Human Resources Specialist ($74,640). 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 Casa Grande instead of Maricopa?

Casa Grande, AZ is 17.5 miles from Maricopa and has its own set of local liberal arts programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Maricopa an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Maricopa’s median household income of $94,208 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Maricopa 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 Liberal Arts Programs

Other Programs Available in Maricopa

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

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 Liberal Arts Schools in Arizona: Online Programs (2026)