Welcome to the valley of the sun
Welcome to the Valley of the Sun, or the Grand Canyon State! We have so much to offer. Arizona State University #1 for Innovation with campuses and locations spanning 8 cities, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Prescott Campus is the #1 ranked Regional College in the West, University of Arizona is repeatedly a top ten school nationally for students with disabilities and has an Information Management program ranked #3 in the US, Grand Canyon is the largest Christian college in the country.
As of 2024, we have community colleges now offering bachelor’s degrees. Some of these schools even offer on campus room and board, such as Eastern Arizona College, Western Arizona College and Yavapai College, making the cost of a Bachelors degree with room and board as low as 10k before aid for in state students and as low as 15k before aid for out of state students in WUE states. That means we have multiple schools offering some of the most afforable degrees in the country!
You may be surprised to learn that out of the top ten ranked STEM schools in the country, Arizona has six. You could argue based on that data, Newsweek’s rating makes Arizona the number 1 state in the country for STEM high schools. Phoenix Bioscience High School has made the ranking for one of the best campuses in the WORLD. We also have the number 5 ranked school for athletes in the US by Niche. There are ten ways for high schoolers to earn free college credit including Associate’s Degrees while still in high school. Free vocational training builds student resume’s, earns professional certifications/licensures, and dual college credit.
Arizona may be most well known for its Grand Canyon views, sprawling desert with saguaro cactus, and stunning sunsets behind the red rocks of Sedona, but we have so much more! For the sport enthusiasts enjoy golf year round in the central and southern portions of the state. Baseball teams from around the country pour into AZ for Spring Training. Northern Arizona offers a full season of snow sports including popular skiing destinations in Flagstaff and Greer. Not to mention, the water sports like paddle boarding at Tempe Town Lake, endless rivers and lakes for kayaking, canoing, and rafting, and the major lakes that offer wake boarding and boating. Camping, hiking and mountain biking are popular among the outdoor enthuiasts that call AZ home. Mesa, AZ rose to third on the list of best states for runners.
If arts and culture are what you seek you will not be disappointed! Touring broadway shows, multiple professional theater companies, opera, symphony, and ballet performances can easily fill your calender. Large and small art galleries with traditional as well as modern interactive exhibits operate year round. Save the date for Scottsdale’s Canal Convergence, combine Mesa’s mural photo tour with their amazing Dia De Los Muertos Celebration, not to mention a multitude live music festivals, art walks and an endless calender of cultural events.
For the social media influencer seeking content, there are too many picture perfect spots to visit in a year! Scnepf Farms Airstream overnight stays during the Pumpkin Chili Festival or Peach Festival, tubing down the Salt River, the Desert Botanical Gardens, Hole in the Rock at Papago Park, Antelope Canyon, Tohono Chul, Sonoran Desert Museum, Rooster Cogburn’s Ostrich Farm, The Phoenix Zoo, World Wildlife Zoo, Out of Africa, Liberty Wildlife, Grand Canyon Deer Farm, Queen Creek Olive Mill, Rawhide Western Town, Goldfield’s Ghost Town, Travertine Bridge, Kartchner Caverns to name a few of the fun outdoor adventures.
Indoors more your vibe? There’s no shortage of culinary events and restaurants, but for activities and photos try Odysea Aquraium, Butterfly Wonderland, Wonderspaces, ASU Art Museum, Phoenix Art Museum, AZ Mills Mall, Asian District in Mesa, Talieson West, The Heard Museum, Arizona Science Center, Bam Kazaam, Biosphere 2, Wrigley Mansion, Cosanti, Well and Being Spa, Tierra Luna Spa, and selfie museums like Surprise Your Eyes, Scottsdale Selfie Museum, Petal Pix Studios and Pixy Pros.
Welcome to Arizona where there is always something new to explore!
