Arkansas’s Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship
What are the best colleges and universities in Arkansas if you reward schools for making the best use of their limited resources? Academic Stewardship asks how effectively schools manage their financial and human resources to gain the influence that makes them academically excellent. Schools that are exemplary in Academic Stewardship are doing everything in their power to help students and faculty achieve their full potential.
Colleges and universities in Arkansas deserve to be recognized when they do more with less. It’s impressive when a large wealthy school can spend money lavishly on expensive buildings and programs. But it’s even more impressive when a small school with limited means is able to train and inspire students that the larger wealthier schools tend to ignore.
The American Association of Colleges and Universities reported in late 2021 that almost 75 percent of higher-education professionals at US colleges and universities felt financial constraints prevented their schools from effectively attracting students. Distracted by the size and amenities of larger schools, prospective students tended especially to be overawed by the big research universities.
Arkansas’s smaller colleges, especially its liberal arts colleges, need effective ways of communicating their value to a world that celebrates “bigger is better” and “you need the best.” Unfortunately, most college ranking companies, such as U.S. News & World Report, define “best” in a way that devalues schools with smaller budgets and fewer students even when these schools do remarkable work in advancing their students’ education. By and large, college rankings penalize schools that serve underserved populations.
Inspired by Malcolm Gladwell, who for years now has criticized conventional college rankings for misrepresenting what’s good and valuable in education, we decided to construct a new ranking metric that highlights those schools that do more with less. That metric—called the Academic Stewardship metric—takes away both the size and the wealth advantage of schools, and focuses instead on how well schools use the resources available to them to advance the education of their students.
How We Measure the Academic Stewardship of Arkansas’s Colleges and Universities
As a metric, Academic Stewardship is defined by a precise mathematical formula, which can be found in our Academic Stewardship white paper. Measuring the Academic Stewardship of Arkansas’s colleges requires measuring two forms of stewardship: 1) Stewardship of financial resources (using the money they have responsibility without waste) and 2) Stewardship of human resources (doing their best to help students, faculty, and administration to flourish). Together, these two types of stewardship form what we call Academic Stewardship. If you want to learn more about the factors involved in Academic Stewardship, click the more button below.
- Stewardship of financial resources: To determine a school’s stewardship of financial resources, we factored in its undergraduate size, budget, endowments and reserves, as well as tuition and fees. All these data are available from the National Center for Educational Statistics Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. In addition, we factored in a school’s financial responsibility as gauged by the Federal Student Aid Office at the US Department of Education through its financial responsibility composite scores.
- Stewardship of human resources: To determine a school’s stewardship of human resources, we used our InfluenceRanking engine to track the influence of the school’s faculty and alumni but also to control for size of the undergraduate student body. We’ve found that measuring a school’s influence based on the contributions of faculty and alumni make in their fields of study but then also controlling for size of the undergraduate population is the single best indicator of academic excellence. We call this Concentrated Influence. Schools that rank highly in Concentrated Influence are schools that, given their available human resources, invest heavily in their students and faculty, and the results are demonstrable.
- We measure the influence of colleges and universities based on the publications and citations of the schools’ faculty and alumni who are teaching in and working in areas related to their degrees. To do this, we take publicly available databases, such as Semantic Scholar, Crossref, and Wikipedia and use these to measure the influence of academics in their disciplines. Having measured the influence of persons, we then identify the schools that they’re affiliated with, adding up the influence scores of the faculty and alumni to measure the influence of the schools and their disciplinary programs. Finally, we control these influence scores by size of undergraduate student body so that schools do not score high in influence simply because of a size advantage. We lay out these methodological considerations on our methodology page.
- Academic Stewardship: Having measured a school’s stewardship of financial and human resources in the two previous points, we now divide the second measure by the first to define the Academic Stewardship metric. This metric spotlights smaller schools, with fewer financial resources and people, that invest wisely and do proportionately better in building influence than large wealthy schools. Many of these smaller, less wealthy schools are incentivized to make better use of their resources but would never get recognized in conventional school rankings, which directly or indirectly put a premium on the wealth of schools.
Academic Stewardship as so defined is connected to keeping tuition and other costs down, but it should not be confused with affordability or frugality. The schools that this metric ranks as exemplary academic stewards tend to be all over the map when it comes to tuition and other costs. At issue is the influence of schools given the financial and human resources they have on hand. If a school is going to charge more for tuition, then that needs to be reflected in the school having proportionately greater influence.
Why Academic Stewardship Matters to Students and Their Families
The benefits of attending a school with strong academic stewardship include:
- A clear reason for why students are at the school in the first place. Without the distraction of amenities and luxuries, these schools are at once unpretentious but also passionately committed to their educational mission. The schools in this ranking are financially efficient and academically rigorous. By avoiding frills, these schools take the most direct path to accomplishing their mission of educating students.
- Valuing character over prestige and self-indulgence. A school that’s a good steward of its resources doesn’t instill shame in its students over what they are missing (such as elite cuisine) but rather pride in what they have and making the most of it. These schools exhibit a culture of good stewardship, which tends to build good character in the students that attend these schools.
- Avoiding the spoiled-student syndrome. It’s easy to think that offering students endless options and opportunities will enrich their time at school in every way. But spoiling people—whether in business, sports, or academics—has the opposite effect, causing people to take their advantages for granted and in the end achieving less than they might otherwise, a point well-documented in Daniel Coyle’s The Talent Code. Schools exhibiting academic stewardship avoid this pitfall.
- The best schools vs. the schools that help students to be their best. Students at schools demonstrating outstanding academic stewardship aren’t so much concerned about being at the “best” school, whatever that may mean, as about being at a school that helps them to be their best. These schools pay attention to their students, hoping that any glory goes to them rather than to the school. Small schools, and especially liberal arts colleges, help themselves by communicating this advantage to prospective students.
- Emphasizing development over talent and achievement. Schools like Harvard and Stanford have their pick of academic talent, and their students have a long record of achievement even before they apply to such elite schools. But if a school doesn’t have the resources of a Harvard or Stanford, how does it build a great team of students? In that case, it must focus on student development. Colleges exemplifying academic stewardship emphasize student growth and development, ensuring that the schools are doing everything in their power to help students reach their full potential and thereby become their best selves.
Arkansas’s Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship
- #21 Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship #1 Best Small Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #1 Best Private Colleges in Arkansas 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$35K
Acceptance
60%
Graduation
69%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1230/26
Career Outlook for degree at Hendrix College
Cost of Degree: $35,100Expenses: $17,600Starting Salary: $44,500Cost Recoup Time: 18 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Hendrix College known for?
Hendrix College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Literature
- Chemistry
- Anthropology
- Physics
- Religious Studies
- Biology
- Sociology
- Economics
- Psychology
- Computer Science
Most Influential Alumni
- #5 Best Small Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #5 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #7 Most Affordable Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #7 Best Public Colleges in Arkansas 2024
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
69%
Graduation
41%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
925/16
Career Outlook for degree at University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Cost of Degree: $8,574Expenses: $13,776Starting Salary: $30,600Cost Recoup Time: 13 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff known for?
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
- #4 Best Small Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #4 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #6 Most Affordable Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #6 Best Public Colleges in Arkansas 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
71%
Graduation
39%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
988/18
Career Outlook for degree at Henderson State University
Cost of Degree: $7,560Expenses: $19,534Starting Salary: $40,400Cost Recoup Time: 12 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Henderson State University known for?
Henderson State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
- #2 Most Affordable Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #2 Best Public Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #2 Best Grad Schools in Arkansas 2024 #2 Best Colleges in Arkansas 2024
Other Rankings
- #2 Best Research Universities in Arkansas 2024
- #3 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024
- #2 Top 10 Best Online Business Management Bachelor's Programs
- #2 Top 10 Best Online Bachelor's of Nursing (BSN) Programs
- #9 Best Online MBA Programs in Arkansas
- #12 Fastest Accelerated Online Computer Science Doctorates (PhDs)
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
61%
Graduation
42%
Student body
10K
Median SAT/ACT
1095/21
Career Outlook for degree at University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Cost of Degree: $9,512Expenses: $16,471Starting Salary: $39,500Cost Recoup Time: 12 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is University of Arkansas at Little Rock known for?
University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Earth Sciences
- Chemistry
- Medical
- Law
- Political Science
- Criminal Justice
- Communications
- Biology
- History
- Engineering
Most Influential Alumni
- #21 Best CCCU Colleges and Universities 2024 #2 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #2 Best Small Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #2 Best Private Colleges in Arkansas 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$23K
Acceptance
45%
Graduation
69%
Student body
6K
Median SAT/ACT
1170/24
Career Outlook for degree at Harding University
Cost of Degree: $23,148Expenses: $12,716Starting Salary: $47,000Cost Recoup Time: 14 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Harding University known for?
Harding University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Religious Studies
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- Business
- History
- Nursing
- Education
- Criminal Justice
- Political Science
- Sociology
Most Influential Alumni
Harding University’s Online Degrees
BA in Bible And Ministry
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: None Reported
- #3 Most Affordable Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #3 Best Public Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #3 Best Grad Schools in Arkansas 2024 #3 Best Colleges in Arkansas 2024
Other Rankings
- #3 Best Research Universities in Arkansas 2024
- #1 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity in Arkansas
- #2 Best Online Colleges in Arkansas 2024
- #2 Best Online MBA Programs in Arkansas
- #2 Best Online Master's Programs in Arkansas 2024
- #2 Best Online Associate Degrees in Arkansas 2024
- #3 Best Online Associate in General Studies
- #6 Best Online Associate in Emergency Management
- #7 Best Online MBA in Supply Chain Management Ranked for Students in 2024
- #7 Most Affordable Online PhD Programs Ranked for Students in 2024
- #9 Best Online Bachelor’s of Digital Media for 2024
- #12 Best Online Bachelor's in Construction Management Degree Programs
- #17 Best Online Master's in Sports Management
- #18 Top 20 Most Affordable Online MBA Degree Programs Ranked 2024
- #20 Best Online MBAs in Finance
- #22 Best Online Master’s in Emergency Management
- #23 Best Online Bachelor's in Organizational Leadership Degree Programs
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
70%
Graduation
53%
Student body
18K
Median SAT/ACT
1090/22
Career Outlook for degree at Arkansas State University
Cost of Degree: $7,456Expenses: $17,097Starting Salary: $36,600Cost Recoup Time: 13 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Arkansas State University known for?
Arkansas State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Arkansas State University’s Online Degrees
BS in Business Administration
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BAS in Organizational Supervision
- Required Credits: 125
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Digital Innovation
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Criminology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Disaster Preparedness/Emergency Management
- Required Credits: None Reported
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Communication Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Creative Media Production
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BGS in General Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Political Science
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Sociology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Strategic Communication
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
Nursing: RN to BSN in Nursing
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Psychology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #4 Most Affordable Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #4 Best Public Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #4 Best Grad Schools in Arkansas 2024 #4 Best Colleges in Arkansas 2024
Other Rankings
- #4 Best Research Universities in Arkansas 2024
- #5 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024
- #3 Best Online MBA Programs in Arkansas
- #3 Best Online Master's Programs in Arkansas 2024
- #4 Best Online Colleges in Arkansas 2024
- #4 Best Online MBA in Healthcare Management Ranked for Students in 2024
- #19 Top 20 Most Affordable Online MBA Degree Programs Ranked 2024
- #22 Best Online MBAs in Finance
- #25 Best Online Master’s in Information Technology
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
91%
Graduation
50%
Student body
12K
Median SAT/ACT
1035/22
Career Outlook for degree at University of Central Arkansas
Cost of Degree: $9,778Expenses: $14,870Starting Salary: $42,500Cost Recoup Time: 11 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is University of Central Arkansas known for?
University of Central Arkansas’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Chemistry
- Economics
- Mathematics
- Literature
- History
- Education
- Political Science
- Communications
- Sociology
- Business
Most Influential Alumni
University of Central Arkansas’s Online Degrees
BBA in General Business
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BBA in Insurance And Risk Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BBA in Management Information Systems
Degree Concentrations
- Business Analytics
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BGS in General Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BSN in Nursing Rn To Bsn
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #1 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #1 Most Affordable Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #1 Best Public Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #1 Best Grad Schools in Arkansas 2024
Other Rankings
- #1 Best Colleges in Arkansas 2024
- #1 Best Research Universities in Arkansas 2024
- #1 Best Online Colleges in Arkansas 2024
- #1 Best Online MBA Programs in Arkansas
- #1 Best Online Master's Programs in Arkansas 2024
- #1 Best Online Associate Degrees in Arkansas 2024
- #1 Best Online Six Sigma Certification
- #2 Best Online Bachelor's in Accounting
- #2 Best Online Master’s in Human Resources
- #2 Fastest Accelerated Online Doctorate of Information Technology
- #3 Best Online Master's in Agriculture and Agribusiness Degree Programs
- #4 Best Online Bachelor's in Human Development Degree Programs for 2024
- #4 Best Online Bachelor's in Interdisciplinary Studies Degree Programs for 2024
- #5 Best Online Bachelor’s in Business Administration Degree Programs
- #5 Best Online Bachelor’s of Education Degree Programs for 2024
- #8 Best Online Master’s in Engineering Management
- #9 The Best Online Colleges Ranked for Students in 2024
- #9 Top 20 Most Affordable Online Doctorate of Education (PhDs)
- #10 Best Online Master's in Nursing MSN
- #10 Best RN to BSN Online
- #10 Best Online Master's in Special Education
- #11 Best Online Doctorate in Education Degree Programs Ranked for Students
- #11 Best Research Universities with Online Doctorates (PhDs) 2024
- #11 Best Online Master’s in Education
- #13 Top 20 Best Online Accredited Doctorate Degree Programs (PhDs) 2024
- #19 Top 50 Best No GRE Online PhD Degree Programs (Doctorates)
- #22 Best Online Master's in Management
- #22 Best Online Master’s in Engineering
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
79%
Graduation
69%
Student body
32K
Median SAT/ACT
1125/24
Career Outlook for degree at University of Arkansas
Cost of Degree: $9,656Expenses: $18,644Starting Salary: $52,700Cost Recoup Time: 11 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is University of Arkansas known for?
University of Arkansas’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Business
- Law
- History
- Criminal Justice
- Earth Sciences
- Education
- Chemistry
- Political Science
- Nursing
- Mathematics
Most Influential Alumni
University of Arkansas’s Online Degrees
BS in Business Administration
Degree Concentrations
- Accounting
- General Business
- Supply Chain Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Education
Degree Concentrations
- Human Resources And Workforce Development Education
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Human Development And Family Sciences
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Interdisciplinary Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #7 Best Small Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #7 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #8 Most Affordable Colleges in Arkansas 2024 #8 Best Public Colleges in Arkansas 2024
Other Rankings
- #5 Best Online MBA Programs in Arkansas
- #6 Best Online Colleges in Arkansas 2024
- #6 Best Online Master's Programs in Arkansas 2024
- #11 Best Online Master's in Agriculture and Agribusiness Degree Programs
- #12 Best Online Master's in Kinesiology Degree Programs
- #13 Most Affordable Online PhD Programs Ranked for Students in 2024
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
64%
Graduation
45%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
1047/20
Career Outlook for degree at Southern Arkansas University
Cost of Degree: $9,580Expenses: $15,765Starting Salary: $39,000Cost Recoup Time: 12 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Southern Arkansas University known for?
Southern Arkansas University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Social Work
- Biology
- Business
- Computer Science
- Political Science
- Education
- Engineering
- History
- Psychology
- Physics
Most Influential Alumni
Southern Arkansas University’s Online Degrees
BBA/MBA in Business Administration
- Required Credits: 150
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
Tuition + fees
$6K
Graduation
42%
Student body
6K
Career Outlook for degree at University of Arkansas–Fort Smith
Cost of Degree: $6,418Expenses: $15,576Starting Salary: $35,000Cost Recoup Time: 12 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is University of Arkansas–Fort Smith known for?
University of Arkansas–Fort Smith’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
University of Arkansas–Fort Smith’s Online Degrees
BA in Communication
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #3 Most Affordable Online Colleges Ranked for Students 2024 #3 Most Affordable Online Master's Degree Programs Ranked for Students #3 Most Affordable Online Associate Degree Programs Ranked for 2024 #4 Best Online Bachelor's in Strategic Communications Degree Programs
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$8K
Graduation
25%
Student body
9K
What is University of Arkansas Grantham known for?
University of Arkansas Grantham’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
University of Arkansas Grantham’s Online Degrees
BS in Accounting
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Business Administration
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BBA in Financial Planning
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Computer Engineering Technology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Computer Science
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Electronics Engineering Technology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Information Systems
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Criminal Justice
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Cybersecurity
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Multidisciplinary Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Multidisciplinary Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Strategic Communications
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Health Information Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BSN in Nursing- Rn To Bsn
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
Arkansas’s Best Colleges in Your Area of Interest
Colleges and Universities in Arkansas
Colleges and universities in Arkansas are uniquely affordable, with just under half providing tuition rates of $9,000 or less. We’ve also found 7 high quality colleges offering online degree programs in Arkansas.
Indeed, online students can earn their degree at one of the state’s two largest universities, the University of Arkansas or Arkansas State University.
Though students can find some overlapping degree programs at the two schools, each has its specialties. For example, students hoping to pursue degrees in architecture, agriculture, or business may want to consider the University of Arkansas, while those interested in biology, nursing, or political science may want to attend Arkansas State University. It is possible to study these subjects both through traditional and online degree programs in the state of Arkansas.
Find college admissions consultants in your state.
Roughly one third of the schools in Arkansas have a religious affiliation. Student populations at these schools range from just under 200 students up to 5,000. Both traditional and online students can pursue degrees that merge religious studies with fields like chemistry and history.
Tuition rates at each of the state’s 12 private schools vary greatly. Arkansas’s private colleges and schools cost anywhere between $9,000 and $46,000. Many of these private colleges boast high graduation rates and small class sizes.
Arkansas is perhaps best-known and loved for its countless lakes, Hot Springs National Park, and the United States’ only active diamond mine. However, the Natural State houses many higher education institutes where both traditional and online students can earn associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in a full range of disciplines.
With so many affordable schools and competitive on-campus and online degree programs, students attending school in Arkansas have the luxury of combining their individual budget needs with their desired degree paths. For more information on attending school in Arkansas, check out some of the state’s top schools.
What are Arkansas’s Colleges & Universities?
- 5 Research Universities
- 17 Liberal Arts Colleges & Universities
- 7 Graduate Schools
- 10 Public Colleges & Universities
- 12 Private Colleges & Universities
- 10 Christian Colleges & Universities
- 16 Small Colleges & Universities (fewer than 5,000 students)
- 16 Affordable Colleges (below $20,000/year)
- 22 Community Colleges
- 7 Online Colleges
- 6 Online Master’s Programs