Arkansas’s Best Christian Colleges & Universities of 2021

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. Included in this list are the state’s two largest universities, the University of Arkansas and 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.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

Additionally, about 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, and allow students to pursue degrees merging religious studies with fields like chemistry and history. While tuition at each of the state’s 12 private schools varies greatly, costing anywhere between $9,000 and $46,000, many of these colleges boast high graduation rates and small class sizes.

While Arkansas is perhaps best-known and loved for countless lakes, Hot Springs National Park, and the United States’ only active diamond mine. The Natural State houses many higher education institutes where students can earn associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in a full range of disciplines.

With so many affordable schools and competitive 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.

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The following list of the best Christian schools consists entirely of colleges and universities that offer four-year undergraduate degrees. We’ve identified a total of 11 Christian colleges in Arkansas. In order to be included in this ranking list of best Christian colleges and universities, a school needs to satisfy the following three conditions:

1. It must self-identify as Christian.
2. It must be fully accredited.
3. Its graduate rate must be over 30%
4. It must offer a broad range of bachelor degree programs.

How do we determine Arkansas's best Christian colleges and universities?

The best colleges pound for pound!

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why, at the undergraduate level, we rank the best colleges and universities based on what we call Concentrated Influence. Concentrated Influence takes the combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers (including faculty and alums) and divides it by the school’s total number of undergraduates.

Using concentrated influence gives small and mid-sized schools an opportunity to shine by taking away the size advantage of larger universities. A small school with proportionately more influential faculty than a large school, whose influence in absolute terms may be bigger, will nonetheless score higher in a concentrated influence ranking. Our approach highlights undergraduate schools that truly rank for excellence, regardless of size.

If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

Find out more about our ranking methodology here.

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Arkansas’s Best Christian Colleges & Universities

1. 

   #1

   Hendrix College

   #1323 institution's overall influence

   #995 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $48K

   Acceptance

   71%

   Graduation

   75%

   Student body

   1K

   Median SAT/ACT

   1255/29

   Conway, AR

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   What is Hendrix College known for?

   Hendrix College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:

   • Psychology
   • History
   • Religious Studies
   • Literature
   • Computer Science
   • Physics
   • Chemistry
   • Medical
   • Biology
   • Political Science

   Most Influential Alumni

   • Philip Cone Fletcher
2. 

   #2

   Lyon College

   #6754 institution's overall influence

   #696 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $29K

   Acceptance

   50%

   Graduation

   52%

   Student body

   <1K

   Median SAT/ACT

   1120/23

   Batesville, AR

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   What is Lyon College known for?

   Lyon College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:

   • Education
   • Mathematics
   • History
   • Economics
   • Political Science
   • Literature
   • Chemistry
   • Biology
   • Computer Science
   • Psychology

   Most Influential Alumni

   • Judd Deere
3. 

   #3

   Ouachita Baptist University

   #3353 institution's overall influence

   #1342 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $28K

   Acceptance

   62%

   Graduation

   64%

   Student body

   2K

   Median SAT/ACT

   1155/24

   Arkadelphia, AR

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   What is Ouachita Baptist University known for?

   Ouachita Baptist University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:

   • Education
   • Political Science
   • Business
   • Medical
   • History
   • Religious Studies
   • Communications
   • Philosophy
   • Engineering
   • Literature

   Most Influential Alumni

   • Irma H. Collins
   • Sierra Laddusaw
4. 

   #4

   Philander Smith College

   #2436 institution's overall influence

   Tuition + fees

   $13K

   Graduation

   30%

   Student body

   1K

   Little Rock, AR

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   What is Philander Smith College known for?

   Philander Smith College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:

   • Education
   • Psychology
   • Political Science
   • Literature
   • Mathematics
   • Biology
   • Philosophy
   • Social Work
   • Criminal Justice
   • Chemistry

   Most Influential Alumni

   • Petrella Ann Bonner
   • Hank Wilkins
   • Thomas S. Boyland
   • Solly Drake
   • Stephanie Flowers
   • Ozell Sutton
   • Sammy Drake
   • Lottie Shackelford
   • Elijah Pitts
   • Ida B. Kinney
   • Hubert Ausbie
   • Calvin King
5. 

   #5

   Harding University

   #2089 institution's overall influence

   #177 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $21K

   Acceptance

   55%

   Graduation

   67%

   Student body

   5K

   Median SAT/ACT

   1165/25

   Searcy, AR

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   What is Harding University known for?

   Harding University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:

   • Religious Studies
   • Business
   • Education
   • History
   • Political Science
   • Mathematics
   • Medical
   • Nursing
   • Literature
   • Computer Science

   Most Influential Alumni

   • Mary Bentley
6. 

   #6

   University of the Ozarks

   #5577 institution's overall influence

   #927 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $26K

   Acceptance

   56%

   Graduation

   51%

   Student body

   <1K

   Median SAT/ACT

   960/20

   Clarksville, AR

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   What is University of the Ozarks known for?

   University of the Ozarks's faculty and alumni have been influential in:

   • Education
   • Political Science
   • History
   • Medical
   • Communications
   • Mathematics
   • Biology
   • Philosophy
   • Economics
   • Chemistry

   Most Influential Alumni

   • Penni Peppas
   • Chuck Daniel
   • Nell Bevel Causey
   • James McLean
   • Leslee Milam Post
   • William F. Norrell
   • Heartsill Ragon
   • Charlie Spoonhour
   • Marshall Chrisman
   • Bettis Garside
7. 

   #7

   Crowley's Ridge College

   #8072 institution's overall influence

   Tuition + fees

   $15K

   Graduation

   9%

   Student body

   <1K

   Paragould, AR

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   What is Crowley's Ridge College known for?

   Crowley's Ridge College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:

   • Religious Studies
   • Education
8. 

   #8

   Williams Baptist University

   #15965 institution's overall influence

   #1347 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $18K

   Acceptance

   69%

   Graduation

   42%

   Student body

   <1K

   Median SAT/ACT

   970/20

   Walnut Ridge, AR

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   What is Williams Baptist University known for?

   Williams Baptist University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:

   • Education
   • History

   Most Influential Alumni

   • Mike Holcomb
   • Jack Ladyman
9. 

   #9

   Central Baptist College

   #9468 institution's overall influence

   #182 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $17K

   Acceptance

   50%

   Graduation

   23%

   Student body

   <1K

   Median SAT/ACT

   960/19

   Conway, AR

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   What is Central Baptist College known for?

   Central Baptist College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:

   • Education
   • Business
   • History
   • Religious Studies
   • Communications
   • Medical

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