University of Arizona – Tucson

After the Morrill Land-Grant Act, the University of Arizona was officially chartered as a preparatory school in 1885 by the Arizona Territory in Tucson, because the Salt River had flooded Prescott. Today, UA awards bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in over 330 fields as a premier public flagship research institution. The University of Arizona educates more than 31,600 undergraduate and 8,900 post-graduates each year. Sprawling over 380 urban acres, UA is located in Pima County just 60 miles from the Mexican border. As an elite AAU member, the University of Arizona has nearly $590 million in funding to operate research centers, including the BIO5 Institute.

According to the U.S. News, the University of Arizona - Tucson is the 121st best national university, 58th top public school, and 100th best college for veterans. In particular, UA is acclaimed for hosting America's 38th best biological science and 7th top earth science programs. Forbes has ranked UA as the 89th best research university nationally. Arizona has landed in Princeton Review's "Guide to 353 Green Colleges" and "Colleges That Pay You Back." Washington Monthly named UA the 66th best university in the United States for social mobility, research, and service. The University of Arizona was also crowned the world's 163rd best institution by Times Higher Education.

University of Arizona - Tucson Accreditation Details

Continuously since 1917, the University of Arizona - Tucson has been institutionally reviewed by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC-NCA). This is one of six regional accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for Title IV funding. Engineering degrees are approved via the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Landscape architecture programs meet the standards of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). UA aligns with the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA). Management programs are also accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

University of Arizona - Tucson Application Requirements

With an acceptance rate of 74 percent, the University of Arizona - Tucson has created selective admissions criteria to fulfill. First-year freshmen must be graduates of a licensed secondary school. Students under age 22 must complete the Arizona Board of Regents' curriculum. This requires four years of English, four years of math, three years of lab science, three years of social science, two units of second language, and one year of fine arts. Having a minimum unweighted GPA of 2.0 in each subject is mandatory. On average, students have a cumulative GPA of 3.4. Admitted freshmen also achieve a mean ACT score of 24 and SAT score of 1625.

Transfer students with at least 12 college credits from another regionally accredited institution can be accepted. If less, the above freshmen criteria are implemented. Incoming transfers to UA must hold a minimum 2.0 recalculated collegiate GPA. Students with an associate's degree can transfer up to 65 credits. For international students, scoring at least 70 on the TOEFL iBT, 6 on the IELTS, or 80 in the CSEL program is required. Graduate applicants must have earned a bachelor's degree from a four-year accredited university. Most programs require a 3.0 GPA, but accelerated master's programs mandate a 3.3. Only 12 units can transfer into graduate programs.

Before the November 1st and May 1st deadlines, students interested in the University of Arizona - Tucson should submit the following:

• Online or printable application form
• Official high school and college transcripts
• SAT, ACT, or GRE entrance exam scores
• List of volunteer and work experience
• Brief 500-word personal statement (optional)
• $50 application processing fee or waiver

Tuition and Financial Aid

Arizona residents enrolling full-time will pay $11,400 per undergraduate year. Non-resident undergraduates must afford $32,600 each full-time year. Room and board is estimated to cost $9,840 annually. Books, supplies, and travel expenses will add around $2,700. Total cost of attendance for undergraduates is $25,940 (in-state) and $47,140 (out-of-state). At the graduate level, Arizona residents enrolled full-time are charged $12,000. Non-resident graduates must budget for $30,400 in full-time tuition yearly. Graduate housing costs an average $11,500. Total cost of attendance for graduates is $33,150 (in-state) and $51,550 (out-of-state) every year.

Around 86 percent of beginning full-time UA students receive financial assistance. Students can borrow money through the Federal Direct Subsidized, Federal Direct Unsubsidized, Federal Perkins, or Grad PLUS loans. Federal Work-Study (FWS) gives part-time campus employment for minimum wage. Some financially needy students could qualify for the Federal Pell Grant or FSEOG Grant. In-state residents should apply for the Arizona Post-Secondary Education Grant (PEG) or Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership Program (LEAP). There's also the Arizona Assurance Scholars Program. Scholarships are abundant, including the Wildcat Excellence Tuition Award, Regents High Honors Award, and Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship.

About the BIO5 Institute

Housed in the Thomas W. Keating Bioresearch Building, the BIO5 Institute at the University of Arizona pioneers cutting-edge research to solve global biological problems. Financing from the Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF) has helped the BIO5 Institute launch major studies on challenges facing humanity. BIO5 has drawn hundreds of researchers from UA's College of Pharmacy, College of Science, College of Agriculture, College of Engineering, and College of Medicine. The BIO5 Institute has started several companies, including Luceome, Cylene, Genvault, and Sonora Transplants.

Affiliated students can access state-of-the-art resources in the BIO5 Institute. Since its inception in 2007, the BIO5 Institute has grown to include more than 140 labs. With faculty supervision, University of Arizona students could work in the BioComputing Facility, Genetics Core (UAGC), Genetically Engineering Mouse Models Core (GEEM), Ligand Discovery Lab, Proteomics Consortium, and more. Each year, BIO5 orchestrates the Tucson Plant Breeding Institute for studying plant science improvement. The iPlant Collaborative also allows scholars to connect to public datasets in the life sciences.

The BIO5 Institute partners with Sanofi's Oro Valley Research Center to deliver several summer internships in biomedical technology. The 12-week internship allows undergraduate or graduate students to work 40 hours per week in clinical research. Topics range from cell penetration and heterocyclic synthesis to stem cell biology and embryonic development. Stipends are granted for $2,500 to $7,600 depending on degree program. There are also the six-week KEYS summer research internships for high school students. Currently enrolled students could even become BIO5 Institute Ambassadors to promote science education at the University of Arizona - Tucson.