Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to El Mirage

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
El Mirage-2Photo: Marine 69-71 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near El Mirage

Ottawa University-Surprise is 3.6 miles from El Mirage

No college sits inside El Mirage’s boundary, but Ottawa University-Surprise’s campus in Surprise, with 749 students on campus, is 3.6 miles from the center of town, and Estrella Mountain Community College is 7.6 miles away in Avondale. About 5% of El Mirage’s residents are enrolled in college, below Arizona (6%).

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of El Mirage. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
15
54,459 students on campus
Nearest college
3.6 mi
Ottawa University-Surprise
Residents in college
5%
Below AZ (6%)
Nearest community college
7.6 mi
Estrella Mountain · $2,358 tuition
Nearest public university
8 mi
Glendale · $2,358 in-state
Median household income
$78K
prices below start here

What stands out about college from El Mirage

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A university 3.6 miles awayOttawa University-Surprise has 749 students on campus in Surprise, 18% of whom graduate within six years.A community college 7.6 miles awayEstrella Mountain Community College in Avondale: tuition and fees $2,358 a year for Arizona residents.In-state price at GlendaleLiving in Arizona, Glendale Community College charges $2,358 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $8,958. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.Students are 5% of residentsBelow Arizona (6%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of El Mirage

13 private colleges within 14.2 miles, and two community colleges.

5 mi10 mi15 miGrand Canyon UniversityGlendaleEstrella MountainEl Mirage
University or collegeCommunity college
Ottawa University-SurpriseUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 749 on campus · 3.6 mi · Surprise78%admitted$33knet price18%graduate$56kearningsEarnings are reported for all 5 campuses that file with it.Estrella Mountain Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 7,047 on campus · 7.6 mi · Avondale$12knet price32%graduate$44kearningsTuition and fees: $2,358 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Glendale Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 10,488 on campus · 8 mi · Glendale$12knet price16%graduate$43kearningsTuition and fees: $2,358 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Arizona Christian UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,062 on campus · 8.7 mi · Glendale71%admitted$33knet price40%graduate$52kearningsMidwestern University-GlendaleUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 3,780 on campus · 9.7 mi · GlendaleGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Universal Technical Institute of Arizona IncUniversity or college · For-profit · 1,791 on campus · 9.7 mi · Avondale$30knet price70%graduate$53kearningsEarnings are reported for all 6 campuses that file with it.Universal Technical Institute-PhoenixUniversity or college · For-profit · 567 on campus · 9.7 mi · Avondale$25knet price69%graduate$48kearningsEarnings are reported for all 3 campuses that file with it.Arizona College-GlendaleUniversity or college · For-profit · 273 on campus · 10.1 mi · Glendale$28knet price85%graduate$35kearningsEarnings are reported for all 20 campuses that file with it.Miller-Motte College-Arizona Automotive InstituteUniversity or college · For-profit · 513 on campus · 10.4 mi · Glendale$21knet price61%graduate$31kearningsEarnings are reported for all 22 campuses that file with it.Pima Medical Institute-PhoenixUniversity or college · For-profit · 706 on campus · 12.1 mi · Phoenix$23knet price65%graduateGrand Canyon UniversityUniversity or college · For-profit · 24,302 on campus · 12.5 mi · Phoenix · mostly online79%admitted$22knet price43%graduate$42kearnings77% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.Arizona College of Nursing-PhoenixUniversity or college · For-profit · 1,062 on campus · 12.5 mi · Phoenix100%admitted$37knet price$35kearningsEarnings are reported for all 20 campuses that file with it.Brookline College-PhoenixUniversity or college · For-profit · 503 on campus · 12.5 mi · Phoenix$30knet price53%graduate$30kearningsEarnings are reported for all 4 campuses that file with it.Carrington College-Phoenix NorthUniversity or college · For-profit · 899 on campus · 12.9 mi · Phoenix62%graduate$37kearningsEarnings are reported for all 5 campuses that file with it.Chamberlain University-ArizonaUniversity or college · For-profit · 717 on campus · 14.2 mi · Phoenix91%admitted$40knet price50%graduate$92kearningsEarnings are reported for all 15 campuses that file with it.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $75–110k, where El Mirage’s median household income ($78,050) falls.

Glendale Community College8 mi · Glendale · sticker $18,037 · tuition $2,358$14,880a year
Estrella Mountain Community College7.6 mi · Avondale · sticker $18,040 · tuition $2,358$15,695a year
Grand Canyon University12.5 mi · Phoenix · mostly online · sticker $32,702$24,471a year
Miller-Motte College-Arizona Automotive Institute10.4 mi · Glendale · sticker $26,362$24,713a year
Universal Technical Institute-Phoenix9.7 mi · Avondale · sticker $29,831$27,469a year
Universal Technical Institute of Arizona Inc9.7 mi · Avondale · sticker $34,808$32,143a year
Arizona College-Glendale10.1 mi · Glendale · sticker $34,393$33,632a year
Arizona Christian University8.7 mi · Glendale · sticker $54,792$34,557a year
Ottawa University-Surprise3.6 mi · Surprise · sticker $52,170$35,696a year
Arizona College of Nursing-Phoenix12.5 mi · Phoenix · sticker $42,097$39,266a year
Pima Medical Institute-Phoenix12.1 mi · Phoenix · sticker $27,348—a year
Brookline College-Phoenix12.5 mi · Phoenix · sticker $33,570—a year
Chamberlain University-Arizona14.2 mi · Phoenix · sticker $45,594—a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of El Mirage: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k$100k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Estrella MountainGlendaleUniversal Technical Institute of Arizona IncGrand Canyon UniversityCarrington College-Phoenix North
Grand Canyon University43% graduate$42k earnings$22k typical debt
Glendale Community College16% graduate$43k earnings$7k typical debt
Estrella Mountain Community College32% graduate$44k earnings$8k typical debt
Universal Technical Institute of Arizona Inc70% graduate$53k earnings*$13k typical debt
Arizona Christian University40% graduate$52k earnings$23k typical debt
Carrington College-Phoenix North62% graduate$37k earnings*$10k typical debt
Ottawa University-Surprise18% graduate$56k earnings*$22k typical debt
Chamberlain University-Arizona50% graduate$92k earnings*$21k typical debt
Universal Technical Institute-Phoenix69% graduate$48k earnings*$13k typical debt
Miller-Motte College-Arizona Automotive Institute61% graduate$31k earnings*$16k typical debt
Brookline College-Phoenix53% graduate$30k earnings*$10k typical debt
Arizona College-Glendale85% graduate$35k earnings*$10k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Ottawa University-Surprise (5); Universal Technical Institute of Arizona Inc (6); Universal Technical Institute-Phoenix (3); Arizona College-Glendale (20); Miller-Motte College-Arizona Automotive Institute (22); Brookline College-Phoenix (4); Carrington College-Phoenix North (5); Chamberlain University-Arizona (15).

Questions about college near El Mirage

Is El Mirage a college town?

No. About 5 of every 100 El Mirage residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), below Arizona (6). The nearest campus, Ottawa University-Surprise, is 3.6 miles away in Surprise.

What colleges are near El Mirage?

15 colleges are within 15 miles. The largest: Grand Canyon University (12.5 miles, 24,302 students on campus), Glendale Community College (8 miles, 10,488) and Estrella Mountain Community College (7.6 miles, 7,047).

What is the closest community college to El Mirage, and what does it cost?

Estrella Mountain Community College in Avondale, 7.6 miles away. Tuition and fees are $2,358 a year for Arizona residents; the federal net price, $12,254, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does Glendale Community College cost if we live in Arizona?

Tuition and fees are $2,358 a year in-state and $8,958 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $10,512 (under $30,000 income) to $17,378 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of El Mirage. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →