Our communities
Community Directors who find their fit at the Tempe campus are hungry for a fast-paced Pac-12 college experience. As the campus home to most of the Sun Devil athletics teams and a classic college town with a main street (in our case, it’s Mill Avenue), Tempe is the heart of Sun Devil nation.
How students learn
Students from any academic interest find their niches and take the next steps toward wherever they want to go in life at the Tempe campus. Herberger students hone their crafts in world-class studios and perform at ASU Gammage, a concert hall designed by the visionary architect Frank Lloyd Wright. State-of-the-art and solar-powered buildings are home to students in exciting majors like sustainability, engineering, business, and interdisciplinary arts and sciences.
Social life
When students aren’t in class getting schooled by the #1 university in the nation for innovation, chances are they’re hanging out with friends at campus hotspots including Palm Walk, the Memorial Union, the fitness complex (which has EVERYTHING) or hiking up “A” Mountain, a rite of passage for every Sun Devil.
For the social butterfly, Mill Avenue offers a wealth of opportunity to unwind on the weekends. The Sun Devil Stadium student sections are packed for football games, and everyone is welcome to join in the craziness of the Curtain of Distraction at home basketball games for a chance to make it on ESPN. Like every good college town, there are plenty of delicious restaurants and cafes like Cartel Coffee Lab and Oreganos.
Campus vibe
As the largest of ASU’s campuses, Tempe is a people-watcher’s paradise. It’s easy to kill an hour between classes sitting in the shade outside the Memorial Union at Starbucks watching student clubs recruit new members while live musicians serenade the crowd. But don’t worry, the active scene doesn’t mean students blend into the background. Sun Devils are known for being friendly. And with students from more than 135 countries and all 50 states, many are new to Arizona and looking to find their crews.
Community Directors who find their fit at the Downtown Phoenix campus enjoy the feeling of city life while working in a highly collaborative environment.
Student experience
The mid-sized campus attracts students who consider themselves ambitious professionals, impact-making idealists, and who are determined to live the life they’ve always dreamed of. Journalism students learn their beats by actually running and reporting TV broadcasts at ASU-operated Arizona PBS. Public policy and law majors find themselves at the doorsteps of the State Capitol building and the law offices of major corporations and firms. Health majors land internships at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and the world-renowned Mayo Clinic. Most of these opportunities are a quick train or bikeshare ride away from the Downtown Phoenix campus classrooms.
Social scene
Weekends in downtown Phoenix are for urban explorers who want to enjoy coffee at Phoenix Public Market or Coffee Cartel with friends. The truly ambitious can rise early for a quick workout in the state-of-the-art gym (complete with rooftop swimming pool), while late sleepers can still make it for breakfast (OK, maybe lunch) at CityScape. Evenings are spent with your crew discovering local bands at Crescent Ballroom or catching the latest movie at AMC Theaters.
Dare we say it? Downtown Phoenix is home to a growing crowd that’s bringing new creative energy to Phoenix. That’s okay with Phoenicians because the local food scene is exploding and getting more delicious by the month. Foodies can rejoice because the Downtown Phoenix campus is just a short walk to the top-rated pizza restaurant in the U.S. — Pizzeria Bianco. You read that right, the country’s best pizza is not in Chicago or New York, but in our very own Phoenix.
Campus vibe
The Downtown Phoenix campus is always exciting and accessible. Even though Phoenix is the sixth-largest city in the U.S., its downtown core is relaxed, safe and pedestrian-friendly, making it the perfect introduction to big city life.
Fun fact
Stumbling upon (and then snapchatting) Phoenix’s art murals is a new favorite pastime. You’ll find more than 100 of them.
Community Directors who find their fit at the smaller Polytechnic campus don’t need flashy city lights and a ton of nightlife to keep them entertained. This campus offers a family feel and tons of Poly Pride.
Student experience
Students with interests in business and entrepreneurship are often spotted in collaborative spaces filling up whiteboard walls with big ideas. There’s even a cul-de-sac of on-campus student houses called Startup Village, set aside for student-led startups comprised of friends-turned-founders to live and work together. Polytechnic campus students know that taking advantage of opportunities like this will set them on the course to live the life they’ve always imagined.
The campus attracts engineering students who like to take apart electronics and find out how they work. They build robots, hack software (for good, of course), and have access to labs filled with free equipment like 3-D printers, laser cutters, CNC routers, photo and video studios, and plenty of couches and Ping Pong tables to help them unwind.
Social scene
Weekends at the Polytechnic campus include relaxing at the new (and massive) campus pool, working out at the state-of-the-art gym, hiking and mountain biking in the jaw-dropping Superstition Mountains, and hitting a late night movie at the nearby San Tan movie theaters.
Campus vibe
Polytechnic is quiet and serene, just how Polytechnic students like it. Plus, it offers a chill, easygoing atmosphere for students with always-active minds.
Fun fact
The Polytechnic campus is an official arboretum and those bird sounds you hear are recordings of hawks to keep the pigeons away.
Community Directors who find their fit at the smaller West campus tend to value a small tight-knit community. West has the feel of a small liberal arts college with the resources of a large state school.
Student experience
Those who call the West campus home can be intellectual trailblazers who explore new ways of learning en route to creating the life they’ve always pictured for themselves. For example, the annual CSI scavenger hunt engages criminology students by having them solve a fictitious crime. Students say it feels like a real-life "Law and Order: SVU" episode without the annoying commercials. West campus creates a learning community blending liberal arts education with 21st-century workforce preparation.
Social scene
West campus students do most of their socializing on campus. With beautiful courtyards, classic architecture and a state-of-the-art student center, it’s easy to understand why. Students are often seen working out at the gym (which has EVERYTHING), hanging out in small groups, lounging on the lush green lawns or tossing around a Frisbee. A favorite mode of transportation around this laid-back campus is the long board.
But when they do want to leave, all West campus students have to do is hop on the free intercampus shuttle and they’re on their way to events or to meet friends at any of the other three main campuses.
Campus vibe
Students who love the West campus culture describe it as going to college with a new extended family. You’ll not only know your classmates’ first names, but chances are you’ll also be calling your professors by name and they’ll be saying hello to you when they see you in the dining hall. This small, welcoming environment makes it easy for students to get comfortable quickly and allows for deep, meaningful discussions.
Fun fact
It’s a tradition for every graduate to touch the Paley Gates as they walk onto campus for convocation.