A Grand Canyon of Opportunities

As the Arizona Office of Tourism says, there's no place on earth quite like the Grand Canyon State. It's not just the landscapes, which take in tall mountain ranges, swift rivers, grasslands, sand dunes, and cactus forests. It's not just a storied past, stretching back thousands of years. It's not just the people, a vibrant blend of cultures and traditions. It's all these things.

Many Schools to Choose From

Arizona...

A Grand Canyon of Opportunities

As the Arizona Office of Tourism says, there's no place on earth quite like the Grand Canyon State. It's not just the landscapes, which take in tall mountain ranges, swift rivers, grasslands, sand dunes, and cactus forests. It's not just a storied past, stretching back thousands of years. It's not just the people, a vibrant blend of cultures and traditions. It's all these things.

Many Schools to Choose From

Arizona has nearly 250 post-secondary institutions, including

' three state universities

' 19 community colleges

' roughly 20 accredited degree-granting private colleges and universities,

' and approximately 180 trade and technical schools offering programs such as business, cosmetology, health, flying and technology training.

Many Ways to Escape School

Arizona also gives you hundreds of things to do when it's time to put down your books. They include:

' 22 national parks, monuments and wildlife preserves, in addition to the Grand Canyon National Park

' 67 natural and man-made lakes

' Cross-country and downhill skiing

' 25 state historical and recreational parks

' Preserved ruins of ancient Indian civilizations

' Rodeos, Pioneer Day observances, Indian ceremonies and festivities, lost mines, ghost towns and guest ranches

' Artist colonies in Bisbee, Jerome, Sedona, Lakeside and Tubac

' Year-round golf, tennis, horseback riding, bicycle riding and

hiking facilities

' Professional sports include: National Basketball Association Phoenix Suns; National Football League Arizona Cardinals; National Hockey League Phoenix Coyotes and Major League Baseball Arizona Diamondbacks

' Major League Spring Training or Cactus League games are played throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area and Tucson. Teams include Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants, Anaheim Angels, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, and Oakland A's, with the Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, Arizona Diamondbacks training in Tucson

' In addition there are golf tournaments sanctioned by Professional Golf Association, Ladies Professional Golf Association, Senior Professional Golf Association; Indy and NASCAR racing, arena football, indoor soccer, roller hockey, and thoroughbred and greyhound racing. College fans can enjoy intercollegiate athletics at three major state universities

' A full range of cultural opportunities including theater, ballet opera, symphony, art exhibits and museums

These are some of the reasons why Arizona colleges, like its population, are growing fast.