About ASU and Tempe

Arizona State University is a new model for American higher education, an unprecedented combination of academic excellence, broad access, and impact. This New American University is a single, unified institution comprising four differentiated campuses that positively impact the economic, social, cultural and environmental health of the communities it serves. Its research is inspired by real world application, blurring the boundaries that traditionally separate academic disciplines. ASU serves more than 63,000 students in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, the nation’s fifth largest city. ASU champions intellectual and cultural diversity, and welcomes students from all fifty states and more than one hundred nations.

"A" Mountain on the ASU Campus

A unique aspect of ASU is that we are “one university in many places,” not a system with separate campuses, and not one main campus with branch campuses. Each campus has a unique identity. The Tempe campus focuses on research and graduate education along with an undergraduate education that is analytic and preparatory for graduate or professional school or employment. The Polytechnic campus focuses on learning by doing offering an applied approach to professional and technological programs that meet business and societal needs and an emphasis on technical education that is a direct preparation for the workforce. The West campus focuses on interdisciplinary liberal arts education with professional programs that connect to the community. The Downtown campus is focused on programs with a direct urban and public connection.

Palm Walk, ASU's main pedestrian thoroughfare

The City of Tempe is Arizona's seventh largest city, with a population of 160,000. Tempe is located in the center of the Valley of the Sun, bordered by Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa and Chandler. Tempe offers more than 300 days a year of sunshine to its residents and visitors and annual rainfall amounts to approximately 7.36 inches per year.