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Arizona State University

The student guide to Tempe, Arizona: where to eat, live and get help, what a year really costs, and the free stuff most students miss.

ASU at a glance

64,674
undergrads
90%
of applicants admitted
87%
come back for year 2
68%
graduate
18 : 1
students per teacher
$69,111
typical pay 10 years in

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard.

What a year really costs

After grants and scholarships, by family income. Average: $14,694.

Under $30k $9,413
$30k–$48k $10,689
$48k–$75k $15,698
$75k–$110k $18,479
Over $110k $24,047
Tuition, in state
$12,975
Tuition, out of state
$35,167
Typical debt at graduation
$19,151
33% of students get a Pell Grant

Free stuff most students miss

Academics & admin

Tutoring & Academic Support

Free drop-in and appointment tutoring in math, science, writing, and more through University Academic Success Programs

Career

Free GRE, GMAT, MCAT and LSAT Prep

Career Services has partnered with the Associated Students of ASU and The Princeton Review to offer FREE online test prep courses, plus discounted…

Getting around

Tempe FLASH Shuttle

Free on-campus shuttle running every 12-15 minutes between campus buildings and parking lots

Places

Sun Devil Fitness Complex

Main recreation center with 10+ basketball courts, weight rooms, cardio, pool, and climbing wall. Free for students.

Eat

Dining halls, quick bites and coffee on campus.

27 places
Pitchforks Dining Hall
Pitchforks Dining Hall
Dining hall

Main all-you-care-to-eat dining hall in the Memorial Union with Mediterranean, Latin, Asian, and salad stations

Memorial Union, 301 E Orange St
Hassayampa Dining Hall
Hassayampa Dining Hall
Dining hall

Residential dining hall serving Hassayampa Academic Village with all-you-care-to-eat meal plans

Hassayampa Academic Village
Manzanita Dining Hall
Manzanita Dining Hall
Dining hall

Residential dining at Manzanita Hall with diverse food options and meal plan acceptance

Manzanita Hall
Tooker House Dining Hall
Tooker House Dining Hall
Dining hall

Modern residential dining hall in the engineering-focused Tooker House community with pizza, salads, and Kosher station.

500 E University Dr
Tooker Dining Hall
Tooker Dining Hall
Dining hall

Engineering residential community dining with meal plan options

Tooker House
Barrett Dining Center
Barrett Dining Center
Dining hall

Honors college dining in the Barrett Residential Complex with premium meal options

Barrett, The Honors College

Where to live

Residence halls, apartments and help finding a place.

7 places

Get around

Shuttles, parking and accessible rides.

7 ways

Majors that pay most at ASU

Typical pay 4 years after graduating. Top 6 of 92 bachelor's majors with published pay.

Construction Engineering $116,219
Computer Science $114,868
Computer Engineering $112,543
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician $107,880
Electrical Engineering $104,757
Industrial Engineering $102,439

Source: College Scorecard, field-of-study data.

Your ASU checklist

5 things worth doing early

When you need help

5 things ASU freshmen figure out too late

Watch the video
  1. 1 Session A and B are 7.5 weeks, not 15

    ASU runs three session types inside one semester. Session A is the first 7.5-week session, Session B the second, and Session C is the full 15 weeks plus finals. An A or B class is not a lighter class — it is the same material at double the weekly pace, which is what catches people out. Check the session letter on every class before you register, and check the drop and withdrawal dates too: they are keyed to the session, not to the semester.

  2. 2 Adobe's 20+ apps are free. You just have to ask.

    Creative Cloud is free to ASU students, but it is not switched on for you — you complete the Student ASU Adobe Request Form to verify eligibility, and access lands within 24 hours. Faculty and staff get billed for the same thing through a departmental chargeback, so this is genuinely a student perk. Careful with older advice: the general Adobe page only promises Adobe Express to everyone. The Creative Cloud page below is the one that actually grants the 20+ apps.

  3. 3 Safety Escort is free. But not on Saturdays.

    Free, on demand, anywhere on the Tempe campus — you book it in the LiveSafe app or call 480-965-1515. The hours are the part people get wrong: Sunday through Thursday it runs 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., Friday it stops at 11 p.m., and Saturday it does not run at all. It is Tempe campus only. For Downtown, Polytechnic or West Valley, or outside those hours, ASU Police run escorts on 480-965-3456.

  4. 4 A U-Pass is $150 for the whole year

    $150 covers Aug. 16 to May 15, and it is $75 if you buy after January 1. That buys unlimited rides on Valley Metro light rail and every Valley Metro local, express and RAPID bus route. ASU subsidises $310 of it, which is why the sticker looks the way it does. It goes on sale August 1 through your ASU Transportation Account. Worth saying plainly: transit at ASU is not free, whatever an old post tells you.

  5. 5 Upload every syllabus to Gus on day one

    Five syllabi, five deadline formats, and half of them on a 7.5-week session clock that runs out before you have noticed. Upload them to Gus and every due date lands in one calendar.

One more thing

The one we cut: the shuttle between all four campuses is free

Your SunCard gets you on the intercampus shuttle between Tempe, Downtown Phoenix, West Valley and Polytechnic for nothing, and there is Wi-Fi on board. Unlike the U-Pass, this one really is free.

ASU — intercampus shuttlesASU — shuttle routes and schedules

Gus is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Arizona State University. Tips checked against ASU's own pages in September 2026. Campus info last updated October 2026. Stats from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Something out of date? hello@meetgus.app · All campus guides