Average SAT Scores and GPA Dip at Arizona

The average SAT score and grade-point average of University of Arizona's freshman class are lower than past classes', with the overall SAT score average dropping 20 points and the out-of-state average down 40 points in the past four years, the Daily Wildcat reports.

The reason for this drop, according to the dean of admissions? "Arizona has the lower GPA because we are a state with abysmal funding of higher education. . . . If you were to compare us with California or some other state where the state actually makes investments in financial aid as well as higher (education) overall . . . you'll find that those schools can be more selective."

Perhaps supporting his claim, the downward academic trend has been accompanied by a 40 percent increase in out-of-state students—enrollees who tend to pay more in tuition and contribute more to the university's bottom line.