Student City Guide: Tempe 2025

Thousands of students travel to Tempe, Arizona every year for their education. For some, the city is miles away from their home and can feel unfamiliar at first. A new city can be scary, but not if you know what to expect. We want to cover everything we can in our Tempe city guide for students so that you have an idea of what you can expect when you live in the city. 

Top Universities in Tempe

Arizona State University

Founded in 1885 Arizona State University is one of the largest public universities in the United States. ASU has 17 different colleges and more than 170 cross-discipline centres with more than 350-degree options for students to choose from. 

Top Courses Offered:

• Accounting
• Aerospace Engineering
• Economics

University of Phoenix

The University of Phoenix, founded in 1976 offers students degrees at the certificate, associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree levels. The university has a range of different campuses nationally and internationally.

Top Courses Offered

• Business
• Psychology
• Nursing

Best Localities in Tempe

Alta Mira

Alta Mira is a great neighbourhood in Tempe that is home to many families. The area is safe and is close to a range of grocery stores and mall outlets for the convenience of its residents. The area has a range of good Asian restaurants for students to try if they live here or if they happen to be in the area. 

Broadmor

Broadmor is a bustling lively neighbourhood home to a mix of families and working professionals, perfect for students who are looking for a lively environment to live in. The area has a range of parks and outdoor areas where students can enjoy their days off. 

Sandahl

Sandahl is a charming neighbourhood, perfect for students with a young overall population. The area is full of new cafes, and restaurants and there are plenty of places where students can hang out. There are also plenty of grocery stores nearby fo making it a convenient location for students to live. 

Accommodation in Tempe

Accommodation costs will likely take up the bulk of your expenses while you study in the city so students must make sure to choose accommodation according to their preferences.

On-campus: On-campus accommodation will give students the chance to live with their classmates and fully immerse themselves in their college experience

Off-campus: Students can also choose to live off-campus if they want to experience life in the city and live like the locals

Private Accommodation: Students can also choose to find their own private rentals in the city. Rentals can be found by the student themselves, or they can enlist the help of a broker.

Purpose Built Student Accommodation: Different from regular rentals, PBSAs can be found either on or off-campus and are specifically designed for student needs. While most rentals come unfurnished PBSAs will be fully furnished and have a range of amenities for students to choose from. All PBSA properties will also include wifi, electricity and hot water costs in the rent itself, so you won't have to worry about paying different bills each month. All properties even include laundry services and most even have gyms, parking, and building security and all PBSAs are CCTV secured.

There are also different room options for a student to choose from.

Studios: A studio will include a multi-purpose living space - that can be either single or dual occupancy, a bathroom and a kitchenette.

En-suites: An en-suite is equipped with a private bedroom space with an attached private bathroom, and the kitchen and living space will be shared among residents.

‍Non-en suites: A non-en suite is equipped with a bedroom - that can be either single or dual occupancy and the bathroom, kitchen and living spaces will be shared among residents.

Tempe Living Costs

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Food & Groceries

If you're shopping for groceries regularly and cook at home often, food shopping should cost you around $300-350 a month. The cost of groceries will vary according to your dietary needs and preferences but we’ve tried to provide you with a rough estimate. 

Utilities 

Unless you choose to live in a PBSA, you will likely have to pay for all your utilities separately and set them up yourself. These will likely include, electricity, hot water, heating and cooling and wifi. These costs will vary depending on the area you live in and whether or not you have roommates to split the bill with, but on average these can cost you around  $150-200 per month. Check with your university to see whether they recommend any phone or wifi plans as some colleges partner with different service providers to get their students discounts or offers. 

Best Restaurants in Tempe

Tempe has a range of good food from different restaurants that students must try if they get the chance

Italian

•  Vincitorio's Restaurant
•  RigaTony's Authentic Italian
•  Oregano's

Asian

• Yupha's Thai Kitchen
• Thai Basil
• Flo's - New Asian Cuisine
• Kabuki Japanese Restaurant

Fast Food

• Fryd Bird
• Man vs Fries
• Raising Cane’s

Local Attractions in Tempe

Tempe has a range of things to do and places to see that students studying here must make time for. 

Tempe Marketplace: With 1.3 million square feet of retail space to explore and over 100 shops and restaurants to choose from, Tempe Marketplace is the ultimate destination for Valley natives and out-of-town visitors. 

Tempe Town Lake: Tempe Town Lake is a beautiful place where students can go to take a stroll along the water or soak in the sun after a long week of classes

SEA LIFE Arizona Aquarium: The aquarium is the perfect place for students who love sea life and sea creatures. 

Part-time Jobs in Tempe

If you’re an international student make sure to check how many work hours you’re allowed based on your visa status.  

On-Campus Jobs

Students will be allowed to work within their university’s campus. Most universities will have on-campus jobs like:

• Teaching assistant
• Research Assistant
• Administrations Assistant 

Off-Campus Jobs 

Students can also find different off-campus jobs at authorized workplaces. Some different jobs they can find include: 

• Retail: Working at shops, stores or malls
• Hospitality: You can find work at cinemas, hotels and even restaurants 
• Different Industry Jobs: Part-time jobs are great for your resume, so if you can find a job in a field you’re interested in like finance, media or law, it may even help you in your job search

If you wish to read more about cities, check out our student city guide on Boston and guide on Chicago. Happy learning!