The Area: Flagstaff sits at an elevation of 7000 feet in the foothills of a national park. A 30-minute drive to Sedona, students can be skiing within half an hour or hiking in the southern part of the Grand Canyon in 2 hours. The tall pine trees give the air a scent of vanilla at certain times of the year, and the area experiences all four seasons with an average snowfall of 82 inches per year. And unlike some other Arizona points, it's never hit 100 degrees.

The Town: Walk from campus into Flagstaff, a town with 75K permanent residents. It's an adorable spot--with tons of local shops, eateries, and microbreweries. On a random Wednesday night (with school out for summer), the town was bustling with people (with dance lessons going on for anyone to join in the town center). It's a vacation spot for a reason!

The Campus: A pretty, long, narrow campus, students can easily reach any point on foot within 10-15 minutes. Buildings are a blend of old and decidedly new and modern (the Health and Science building is architecturally stunning). A "pedway" that connects the north and south campus stays mostly clear even in winter, as hot water pipes run directly underneath. There are bus loops and bikes all over campus, as well. 90% of first-year students live on campus in dorms, which include gender-inclusive and mixed-gender housing options. "Welcoming to all" was a message relayed clearly.

Academics: The vibe is overall academically engaged but not competitive. Some notable programs include:

• Engineering: All ABET-accredited and direct-entry. Students must be calc-ready. In addition to Civil, Computer, Mechanical, Software, and Multidisciplinary Engineering, they have new Infomatics and Cyber Security Degrees.
• Environment, Forestry and Natural Sciences: USDA Rocky Mountain Research Station is an on-campus partner; NAU is consistently ranked as a top school for Forestry. Major is hands-on from day one, with Centennial Forest 5 minutes from campus (47K acres are managed by students and faculty.
• College of Health and Human Services: Offers pre-nursing and pre-dental hygiene. Nursing is not direct entry; school is getting new facilities in the next couple of years.
• Franke College of Business: Hotel and Restaurant Management is a notably strong program, with students completely running a campus coffee shop and a variety of special events.
• Unique Offering: Interdisciplinary Global Programs: Earn two degrees in five years. STEM, Business, or Hospitality majors can spend one year abroad in an internship and add a foreign language bachelor's degree to their diploma. It's even OK not to have studied the language in advance.

Cost: Arizona resident estimated COA is $29, 680; non-resident COA is $45,928, but NAU offers some generous merit aid to WUE and non-WUE students. (2023 rates).

Visit Northern Arizona University's website to learn more and see if this school is a good fit for you.