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Sun City West entrance sign 20061227Photo: Mark Wagner · CC BY 2.5
Colleges in and near Sun City West

Ottawa University-Surprise is 3 miles from Sun City West

No college sits inside Sun City West’s boundary, but Ottawa University-Surprise’s campus in Surprise, with 749 students on campus, is 3 miles from the center of town, and Glendale Community College is 11.9 miles away in Glendale. About 1% of Sun City West’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 Sun City West. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
10
26,397 students on campus
Nearest college
3 mi
Ottawa University-Surprise
Residents in college
1%
Below AZ (6%)
Nearest community college
11.9 mi
Glendale · $2,358 tuition
Nearest public university
11.9 mi
Glendale · $2,358 in-state
Median household income
$64K
prices below start here

What stands out about college from Sun City West

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

A university 3 miles awayOttawa University-Surprise has 749 students on campus in Surprise, 18% of whom graduate within six years.A community college 11.9 miles awayGlendale Community College in Glendale: 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 1% of residentsBelow Arizona (6%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Sun City West

Eight private colleges within 14.8 miles, and two community colleges.

5 mi10 mi15 miGlendaleEstrella MountainSun City West
University or collegeCommunity college
Ottawa University-SurpriseUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 749 on campus · 3 mi · Surprise78%admitted$33knet price18%graduate$56kearningsEarnings are reported for all 5 campuses that file with it.Midwestern University-GlendaleUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 3,780 on campus · 10 mi · GlendaleGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Arizona Christian UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,062 on campus · 10.6 mi · Glendale71%admitted$33knet price40%graduate$52kearningsGlendale Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 10,488 on campus · 11.9 mi · Glendale$12knet price16%graduate$43kearningsTuition and fees: $2,358 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Estrella Mountain Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 7,047 on campus · 13.2 mi · Avondale$12knet price32%graduate$44kearningsTuition and fees: $2,358 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Arizona College-GlendaleUniversity or college · For-profit · 273 on campus · 13.8 mi · Glendale$28knet price85%graduate$35kearningsEarnings are reported for all 20 campuses that file with it.Arizona College of Nursing-PhoenixUniversity or college · For-profit · 1,062 on campus · 14 mi · Phoenix100%admitted$37knet price$35kearningsEarnings are reported for all 20 campuses that file with it.Pima Medical Institute-PhoenixUniversity or college · For-profit · 706 on campus · 14.4 mi · Phoenix$23knet price65%graduateChamberlain University-ArizonaUniversity or college · For-profit · 717 on campus · 14.8 mi · Phoenix91%admitted$40knet price50%graduate$92kearningsEarnings are reported for all 15 campuses that file with it.Miller-Motte College-Arizona Automotive InstituteUniversity or college · For-profit · 513 on campus · 14.8 mi · Glendale$21knet price61%graduate$31kearningsEarnings are reported for all 22 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 $48–75k, where Sun City West’s median household income ($63,685) falls.

Glendale Community College11.9 mi · Glendale · sticker $18,037 · tuition $2,358$12,957a year
Estrella Mountain Community College13.2 mi · Avondale · sticker $18,040 · tuition $2,358$13,247a year
Miller-Motte College-Arizona Automotive Institute14.8 mi · Glendale · sticker $26,362$22,142a year
Ottawa University-Surprise3 mi · Surprise · sticker $52,170$31,252a year
Arizona College-Glendale13.8 mi · Glendale · sticker $34,393$31,640a year
Arizona Christian University10.6 mi · Glendale · sticker $54,792$32,259a year
Arizona College of Nursing-Phoenix14 mi · Phoenix · sticker $42,097$33,881a year
Pima Medical Institute-Phoenix14.4 mi · Phoenix · sticker $27,348—a year
Chamberlain University-Arizona14.8 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 Sun City West: 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 →Ottawa University-SurpriseArizona Christian UniversityGlendaleEstrella MountainChamberlain University-ArizonaMiller-Motte College-Arizona Automotive Institute
Glendale Community College16% graduate$43k earnings$7k typical debt
Estrella Mountain Community College32% graduate$44k earnings$8k typical debt
Arizona Christian University40% graduate$52k earnings$23k typical debt
Ottawa University-Surprise18% graduate$56k earnings*$22k typical debt
Chamberlain University-Arizona50% graduate$92k earnings*$21k typical debt
Miller-Motte College-Arizona Automotive Institute61% graduate$31k earnings*$16k 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); Arizona College-Glendale (20); Chamberlain University-Arizona (15); Miller-Motte College-Arizona Automotive Institute (22).

Questions about college near Sun City West

Is Sun City West a college town?

No. About 1 of every 100 Sun City West residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), below Arizona (6). The nearest campus, Ottawa University-Surprise, is 3 miles away in Surprise.

What colleges are near Sun City West?

10 colleges are within 15 miles. The largest: Glendale Community College (11.9 miles, 10,488 students on campus), Estrella Mountain Community College (13.2 miles, 7,047) and Midwestern University-Glendale (10 miles, 3,780).

What is the closest community college to Sun City West, and what does it cost?

Glendale Community College in Glendale, 11.9 miles away. Tuition and fees are $2,358 a year for Arizona residents; the federal net price, $11,650, 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.

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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 Sun City West. 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 →