Arkansas’s Best Community Colleges of 2021
The best community colleges provide an effective springboard into higher education, offering students high-quality two-year degree programs in a wide range of disciplines. The top-rated community colleges in Arkansas offer a broad selection of associate’s degrees, affordable tuition rates, and strong partnerships with public four-year schools so that students can easily transfer their credits into accredited bachelor’s degree programs.
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.
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What are Arkansas’s Colleges & Universities?
- 5 Research Universities
- 16 Liberal Arts Colleges & Universities
- 8 Graduate Schools
- 10 Public Colleges & Universities
- 11 Private Colleges & Universities
- 11 Christian Colleges & Universities
- 17 Small Colleges & Universities (fewer than 5,000 students)
- 16 Affordable Colleges (below national average of $16,000/year)
- 19 Community Colleges
Arkansas’s Best Overall
We’ve identified 19 community colleges in Arkansas. In order to be included in this list of the best community colleges, a school needs to satisfy the following three conditions:
How do we determine Arkansas's best community colleges?
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.
Best Community Colleges in Arkansas
- #1University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College#14129 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$6K
Student body
4K
North Little Rock, ARView profile
What is University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College known for?
University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Education
- Medical
- Engineering
- Communications
- Business
- Computer Science
- #2Southeast Arkansas College#9016 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$4K
Student body
<1K
Pine Bluff, ARView profile
What is Southeast Arkansas College known for?
Southeast Arkansas College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Criminal Justice
- Nursing
- Business
- Medical
- #3South Arkansas Community College#11956 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$3K
Student body
1K
El Dorado, ARView profile
What is South Arkansas Community College known for?
South Arkansas Community College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Education
- Computer Science
- Business
- Medical
- Criminal Justice
- #4Black River Technical College#8090 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$3K
Student body
1K
Pocahontas, ARView profile
What is Black River Technical College known for?
Black River Technical College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Education
- Nursing
- Criminal Justice
- Medical
- Business
- Computer Science
- #5Northwest Arkansas Community College#7579 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$4K
Student body
5K
Bentonville, ARView profile
What is Northwest Arkansas Community College known for?
Northwest Arkansas Community College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Education
- Business
- Nursing
- Criminal Justice
- Medical
- Computer Science
Most Influential Alumni
- #6University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton#8702 institution's overall influence#1208 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$3K
Acceptance
100%
Student body
1K
Morrilton, ARView profile
What is University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton known for?
University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Education
- Business
- Criminal Justice
- Medical
- #7Cossatot Community College#10708 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$4K
Student body
<1K
De Queen, ARView profile
What is Cossatot Community College known for?
Cossatot Community College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Education
- Business
- Nursing
- Biology
- Medical
- Engineering
- Computer Science
- Criminal Justice
- Communications
- #8University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville#8266 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$3K
Student body
<1K
Batesville, ARView profile
What is University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville known for?
University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Business
- Education
- Nursing
- Engineering
- Biology
- Criminal Justice
- Medical
- #9Southern Arkansas University#3294 institution's overall influence#1310 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
69%
Graduation
35%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1067/21
Magnolia, ARView profile
What is Southern Arkansas University known for?
Southern Arkansas University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Education
- Business
- Political Science
- Biology
- History
- Computer Science
- Medical
- Engineering
- Criminal Justice
- Social Work
Most Influential Alumni
- #10Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas#11074 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$3K
Student body
<1K
Helena, ARView profile
What is Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas known for?
Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Business
- Education
- Medical
- Criminal Justice
- Psychology
- #11National Park College#12285 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$5K
Student body
2K
Hot Springs, ARView profile
What is National Park College known for?
National Park College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Business
- Nursing
- Education
- Criminal Justice
- Medical
- Law
- Engineering
- #12Arkansas State University Mid-South#11994 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$3K
Student body
<1K
West Memphis, ARView profile
What is Arkansas State University Mid-South known for?
Arkansas State University Mid-South's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Education
- Communications
- Business
- Medical
- Engineering
- Nursing
- #13Arkansas State University-Newport#13261 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$3K
Student body
2K
Newport, ARView profile
What is Arkansas State University-Newport known for?
Arkansas State University-Newport's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Education
- Business
- Medical
- Criminal Justice
- #14North Arkansas College#10733 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$3K
Student body
1K
Harrison, ARView profile
What is North Arkansas College known for?
North Arkansas College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Education
- Business
- Medical
- Computer Science
- Engineering
- Criminal Justice
- #15East Arkansas Community College#13757 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$3K
Student body
<1K
Forrest City, ARView profile
What is East Arkansas Community College known for?
East Arkansas Community College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Education
- Business
- Criminal Justice
- Medical
- #16Arkansas State University–Mountain Home#15401 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$3K
Student body
<1K
Mountain Home, ARView profile
What is Arkansas State University–Mountain Home known for?
Arkansas State University–Mountain Home's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Education
- Medical
- Nursing
- Business
- #17Ozarka College#12118 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$3K
Student body
<1K
Melbourne, ARView profile
What is Ozarka College known for?
Ozarka College's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Education
- Medical
- Business
- Nursing
- Criminal Justice
- #18Arkansas State University-Beebe#12191 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$3K
Student body
3K
Beebe, ARView profile
What is Arkansas State University-Beebe known for?
Arkansas State University-Beebe's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Education
- Business
- Medical
- Criminal Justice
- #19University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana#19337 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$3K
Student body
<1K
Hope, ARView profile
What is University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana known for?
University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Business
- Education
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