2026 Best Value Sports Management Schools in Arizona

[Sports Management](/majors/parks-recreation-fitness/health-and-physical-education/sports-management/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for sports management students.
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2026 Best Value Sports Management Schools in Arizona
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in sports management, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Sports Management Schools
For return on investment in sports management, no school beat Arizona State University this year. Set in the city of Tempe, Arizona State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,223, with out-of-state students paying around $33,139. Students borrow a median of $21,170 to complete the sports management program here. Early-career sports management graduates make about $41,428. That is a strong return on a $21,170 median debt. Arizona State University admits about 90% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in sports management will find it at University Of Arizona, which ranked #2. University Of Arizona is a very large public school located in the city of Tucson. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,573, compared with $39,903 for out-of-state students. Sports Management graduates carry a median of $21,861 in student loans. Sports Management graduates of University Of Arizona earn a median of $50,834 early in their careers. Set against $21,861 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in sports management will find it at Bryan University Los Angeles, which ranked #3. Bryan University Los Angeles is a mid-sized private for-profit school located in the city of Tempe. In-state tuition and fees average $12,219. Students borrow a median of $16,223 to complete the sports management program here. Early-career sports management graduates make about $32,969. That is a strong return on a $16,223 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in sports management will find it at Grand Canyon University, which ranked #4. Grand Canyon University is a very large private for-profit school located in the city of Phoenix. In-state tuition and fees average $18,508. Typical student debt for sports management graduates is $27,000. Sports Management graduates of Grand Canyon University earn a median of $34,723 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 79%.
Ottawa University Surprise came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value sports management schools. Located in the suburb of Surprise, Ottawa University Surprise is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $35,880. Typical student debt for sports management graduates is $27,000. Early-career sports management graduates make about $30,426. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
More Sports Management Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.