Arkansas’s Best 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.

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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Related: Differences between research universities and teaching colleges

How do we determine Arkansas's best 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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15 Best Colleges & Universities in Arkansas

1. 

   #1

   Hendrix College

   #1514 institution's overall influence

   #995 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $46K

   Acceptance

   72%

   Graduation

   69%

   Student body

   1K

   Median SAT/ACT

   1275/29

   Conway, AR

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   What is Hendrix College known for?

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

   • Political Science
   • Psychology
   • Religious Studies
   • Chemistry
   • Literature
   • Economics
   • Philosophy
   • History
   • Physics
   • Biology

   Most Influential Alumni

   • Steven Ozment
   • Douglas A. Blackmon
   • Mary Steenburgen
   • Miller Williams
   • Robert L. Moore
   • Derek Lowe
   • Trenton Lee Stewart
   • P. Allen Smith
   • John N. Whitaker
   • Roby Brock
   • Winston P. Wilson
   • Timothy Davis Fox
2. 

   #2

   University of Arkansas

   #458 institution's overall influence

   #1356 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $9K

   Acceptance

   77%

   Graduation

   64%

   Student body

   24K

   Median SAT/ACT

   1195/26

   Fayetteville, AR

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   What is University of Arkansas known for?

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

   • Economics
   • Philosophy
   • Law
   • History
   • Engineering
   • Business
   • Social Work
   • Chemistry
   • Political Science
   • Criminal Justice

   Most Influential Alumni

   • Edward Durell Stone
   • Kevin Carson
   • Scotty Robertson
   • Bud Cummins
   • Michalis Dertouzos
   • James O. McKinsey
   • S. Robson Walton
   • Eric Hinske
   • Charles King
   • John Shirley Wood
   • William Ray Forrester
   • John A. White
3. 

   #3

   Lyon College

   #5048 institution's overall influence

   #696 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $29K

   Acceptance

   50%

   Graduation

   39%

   Student body

   <1K

   Median SAT/ACT

   1114/24

   Batesville, AR

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   What is Lyon College known for?

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

   • Economics
   • Chemistry
   • Political Science
   • Biology
   • Education
   • Computer Science

   Most Influential Alumni

   • Paul K. Calaway
   • Debbie Willhite
   • María Monterroso
   • John Hornor Jacobs
   • Brent D. Williams
   • Lori A. Coburn
   • Miracle Davis
   • Robert Cashner
   • Allie Beth Martin
4. 

   #4

   Ouachita Baptist University

   #3962 institution's overall influence

   #1342 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $27K

   Acceptance

   64%

   Graduation

   70%

   Student body

   1K

   Median SAT/ACT

   1145/24

   Arkadelphia, AR

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   What is Ouachita Baptist University known for?

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

   • Political Science
   • Communications
   • Education
   • Chemistry
   • Business
   • History
   • Computer Science

   Most Influential Alumni

   • Andrew Westmoreland
   • Doak S. Campbell
   • Steven Bryant
   • Mike Huckabee
   • Nell I. Mondy
   • H. Dale Jackson
   • Bobby Shepherd
   • Mel Wright
   • Kevin Chambliss
   • Thomas Lee Ballenger
   • John H. Yancey
   • J. Virgil Waggoner
5. 

   #5

   Arkansas State University

   #1449 institution's overall influence

   #1472 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $9K

   Acceptance

   77%

   Graduation

   44%

   Student body

   13K

   Median SAT/ACT

   1113/24

   Jonesboro, AR

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   What is Arkansas State University known for?

   Arkansas State University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:

   • Biology
   • Political Science
   • Nursing
   • Medical
   • Education
   • History
   • Philosophy
   • Engineering
   • Business
   • Chemistry

   Most Influential Alumni

   • Malcolm L. McCallum
   • Edward J. Steimel
   • Miller Williams
   • Tess Harper
   • Beth Holloway
   • Karen Stupples
   • James Leon Holmes
   • D. Price Marshall Jr.
   • Rodger Bumpass
   • Ron Bass
   • Lonnie D. Bentley
   • John Wood
6. 

   #6

   John Brown University

   #4063 institution's overall influence

   #1471 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $27K

   Acceptance

   77%

   Graduation

   65%

   Student body

   2K

   Median SAT/ACT

   1237/26

   Siloam Springs, AR

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   What is John Brown University known for?

   John Brown University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:

   • Business
   • Engineering
   • Biology
   • Education
   • History
   • Nursing
   • Social Work
   • Communications

   Most Influential Alumni

   • Anson Rainey
   • Mal Couch
   • Dave Armstrong
   • Mike King
   • Patty Parker
   • Robert G. Voight
   • Jay R. Unruh
   • Kieran Kentish
   • Joshua Bentley
   • Caleb Fuller
7. 

   #7

   Henderson State University

   #2398 institution's overall influence

   #841 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $8K

   Acceptance

   91%

   Graduation

   33%

   Student body

   3K

   Median SAT/ACT

   1054/22

   Arkadelphia, AR

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   What is Henderson State University known for?

   Henderson State University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:

   • History
   • Psychology
   • Criminal Justice
   • Political Science
   • Sociology
   • Business
   • Literature
   • Nursing
   • Education
   • Medical

   Most Influential Alumni

   • C. Vann Woodward
   • Billy Bob Thornton
   • Richard B. Hoover
   • Gus Malzahn
   • Alfred Bryan Bonds
   • Jimmie O. Keenan
   • Phil L. Johnson
   • Jimmy D. Ross
   • Bobby Bones
   • K. D. Williams
   • John L. Kent
   • Aaron Owens
8. 

   #8

   Philander Smith College

   #3457 institution's overall influence

   Tuition + fees

   $13K

   Graduation

   40%

   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:

   • Psychology
   • Mathematics
   • Philosophy
   • Sociology
   • Education
   • Social Work
   • Criminal Justice
   • Biology

   Most Influential Alumni

   • James Hal Cone
   • L. Clifford Davis
   • Robert Williams
   • Deon Cole
   • Al Bell
   • Henry Clay Yerger
   • Petrella Ann Bonner
   • Ida B. Kinney
   • Marjorie Jenkins Gibson
   • Calvin King
9. 

   #9

   Harding University

   #2523 institution's overall influence

   #177 overall school desirability

   Tuition + fees

   $20K

   Acceptance

   75%

   Graduation

   65%

   Student body

   5K

   Median SAT/ACT

   1180/25

   Searcy, AR

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   What is Harding University known for?

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

   • Social Work
   • Business
   • Religious Studies
   • History
   • Nursing
   • Mathematics
   • Communications
   • Education
   • Political Science
   • Biology

   Most Influential Alumni

   • Farrell Till
   • Rubel Shelly
   • Chad Marshall
   • Larry M. James
   • George S. Benson
   • Jeremy D. Kernodle
   • Willie Robertson
   • James D. Bales
   • Tamera Alexander
   • Korie Howard Robertson
   • Janet Cherobon-Bawcom
   • V. E. Howard
10. 

    #10

    University of Central Arkansas

    #2557 institution's overall influence

    #1029 overall school desirability

    Tuition + fees

    $9K

    Acceptance

    91%

    Graduation

    42%

    Student body

    10K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1070/24

    Conway, AR

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    What is University of Central Arkansas known for?

    University of Central Arkansas's faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    • Chemistry
    • Economics
    • Computer Science
    • Philosophy
    • Mathematics
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Medical
    • Education
    • Communications

    Most Influential Alumni

    • Cody Wilson
    • Arthur Hunnicutt
    • Hiroyuki Nishimura
    • Gil Gerard
    • Jimmy Driftwood
    • Brian Stacy Miller
    • Raymond Simon
    • Tab Townsell
    • Allen Meadors
    • James R. Barker
    • Natalie White
    • Bessie Boehm Moore
11. 

    #11

    Southern Arkansas University

    #3251 institution's overall influence

    #1310 overall school desirability

    Tuition + fees

    $9K

    Acceptance

    69%

    Graduation

    34%

    Student body

    4K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1110/21

    Magnolia, AR

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    What is Southern Arkansas University known for?

    Southern Arkansas University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    • Chemistry
    • Criminal Justice
    • Political Science
    • Biology
    • Business
    • Engineering
    • Social Work
    • History
    • Education
    • Psychology

    Most Influential Alumni

    • Maxie McFarland
    • Donika Kelly
    • Horace M. Wade
12. 

    #12

    University of the Ozarks

    #7948 institution's overall influence

    #927 overall school desirability

    Tuition + fees

    $24K

    Acceptance

    52%

    Graduation

    42%

    Student body

    <1K

    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:

    • Sociology
    • Mathematics
    • Political Science
    • Education
    • Chemistry
    • Communications
    • Medical
    • History

    Most Influential Alumni

    • Zilphia Horton
    • Leslee Milam Post
    • Charlie Spoonhour
    • James McLean
    • Bettis Garside
    • Richard Horner Thompson
    • Nell Bevel Causey
    • Eric McGehearty
    • Alicia S Chua
    • Little Viejo
13. 

    #13

    Crowley's Ridge College

    #10216 institution's overall influence

    Tuition + fees

    $14K

    Graduation

    44%

    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
14. 

    #14

    Williams Baptist College

    #13271 institution's overall influence

    #1347 overall school desirability

    Tuition + fees

    $17K

    Acceptance

    56%

    Graduation

    35%

    Student body

    <1K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1020/19

    Walnut Ridge, AR

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    What is Williams Baptist College known for?

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

    • Biology
    • Education

    Most Influential Alumni

    • Mike Holcomb
15. 

    #15

    Arkansas Tech University

    #9029 institution's overall influence

    #1227 overall school desirability

    Tuition + fees

    $7K

    Acceptance

    90%

    Graduation

    37%

    Student body

    9K

    Russellville, AR

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    What is Arkansas Tech University known for?

    Arkansas Tech University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    • Chemistry
    • Earth Sciences
    • History
    • Nursing
    • Political Science
    • Education
    • Psychology
    • Business
    • Social Work
    • Medical

    Most Influential Alumni

    • Karen R. Baker
    • Eliah Drinkwitz
    • Raner Collins
    • John Catlett
    • Ed Meador
    • Rose Clarke Nanyonga
    • Margaret Ensign Lewis
    • Bill Hardgrave
    • Gary F. Peters
    • Virginia Hudson
    • Wilson Matthews
    • Justin Frazier

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