Best Public Colleges in Arkansas 2024

Badge for BEST IN ARKANSAS PUBLIC COLLEGES

Updated: Oct 26, 2023

Public colleges and universities account for almost 75 percent of all undergraduate students in the U.S. The best public colleges in Arkansas provide broad access to reputable degree programs, affordable tuition, and sprawling educational communities.

University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Arkansas State University
University of Central Arkansas
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Henderson State University
University of Arkansas at Monticello
Arkansas Tech University
Southern Arkansas University
University of Arkansas–Fort Smith

Arkansas Tech University 94%
University of Central Arkansas 91%
University of Arkansas 79%
Henderson State University 71%
Arkansas State University 70%
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff 69%
Southern Arkansas University 64%
University of Arkansas at Little Rock 61%

University of Arkansas 20 to 1
University of Arkansas–Fort Smith 19 to 1
Arkansas Tech University 18 to 1
Henderson State University 16 to 1
Arkansas State University 15 to 1
Southern Arkansas University 15 to 1
University of Central Arkansas 14 to 1
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff 13 to 1
University of Arkansas at Monticello 12 to 1
University of Arkansas at Little Rock 11 to 1

University of Arkansas $7,666
Southern Arkansas University $7,020
University of Central Arkansas $6,950
Arkansas State University $6,888
University of Arkansas at Little Rock $6,495
Henderson State University $5,880
Arkansas Tech University $5,820
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff $5,640
University of Arkansas at Monticello $5,091
University of Arkansas–Fort Smith $4,200

University of Arkansas $7,875
University of Arkansas–Fort Smith $7,092
University of Arkansas at Monticello $6,744
Arkansas State University $6,282
University of Arkansas at Little Rock $5,760
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff $5,712
Henderson State University $5,670
Arkansas Tech University $5,481
Southern Arkansas University $5,472
University of Central Arkansas $5,133

University of Arkansas–Fort Smith
University of Arkansas at Monticello
Southern Arkansas University
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Henderson State University
Arkansas Tech University
University of Central Arkansas
Arkansas State University
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
University of Arkansas

University of Arkansas–Fort Smith
Southern Arkansas University
Arkansas Tech University
University of Arkansas at Monticello
Henderson State University
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
University of Central Arkansas
Arkansas State University
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
University of Arkansas

University of Arkansas at Little Rock 61%
Southern Arkansas University 64%
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff 69%
Arkansas State University 70%
Henderson State University 71%
University of Arkansas 79%
University of Central Arkansas 91%
Arkansas Tech University 94%

University of Arkansas at Little Rock 11 to 1
University of Arkansas at Monticello 12 to 1
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff 13 to 1
University of Central Arkansas 14 to 1
Arkansas State University 15 to 1
Southern Arkansas University 15 to 1
Henderson State University 16 to 1
Arkansas Tech University 18 to 1
University of Arkansas–Fort Smith 19 to 1
University of Arkansas 20 to 1

University of Arkansas–Fort Smith $4,200
University of Arkansas at Monticello $5,091
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff $5,640
Arkansas Tech University $5,820
Henderson State University $5,880
University of Arkansas at Little Rock $6,495
Arkansas State University $6,888
University of Central Arkansas $6,950
Southern Arkansas University $7,020
University of Arkansas $7,666

University of Central Arkansas $5,133
Southern Arkansas University $5,472
Arkansas Tech University $5,481
Henderson State University $5,670
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff $5,712
University of Arkansas at Little Rock $5,760
Arkansas State University $6,282
University of Arkansas at Monticello $6,744
University of Arkansas–Fort Smith $7,092
University of Arkansas $7,875

Table of Contents

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?

Arkansas’s Best Overall

What is the difference between public and private colleges?

Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models. Public colleges and universities are owned by the state and receive both state and federal funding to operate. Private colleges and universities are private companies with private funding. If you’re looking at the pros and cons of private vs. public colleges, consider that many public colleges provide diverse course offerings, influential professors, and an excellent return on your investment.

Public colleges are schools that receive most of their funding from tax revenues. As a result, the cost of a bachelor’s degree at a public university is often lower than the equivalent cost at a private college — especially for students attending a public school in their home state. Attending a college in-state is usually the cheapest option. Private universities and colleges can be very competitive with their funding opportunities, so do not simply believe that private colleges are always going to be more expensive. According to National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually. But in the end, the cost of college comes down to each student’s academic and financial situation.

This list is composed entirely of public colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 10 public universities in Arkansas. To be included in our list of the best public colleges in Arkansas, shcools must receive direct funding from the state, be fully accredited, and offer a broad range of bachelor’s degress.

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

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! 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 in their fields of study.

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

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

Best Public Colleges in Arkansas 2023

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Arkansas’s Best Public College in Your Area of Interest

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

Check out our directory of public colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top public colleges in every state.

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Best Public Colleges in Arkansas 2024

10 Best Public Colleges in Arkansas

Colleges and Universities in Arkansas

What are Arkansas’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Public Colleges in Arkansas 2023

Career Outlook for degree at University of Arkansas

Most Influential Alumni

University of Arkansas’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Arkansas State University

Most Influential Alumni

Arkansas State University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at University of Central Arkansas

Most Influential Alumni

University of Central Arkansas’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Arkansas Tech University

Most Influential Alumni

Arkansas Tech University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Henderson State University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Southern Arkansas University

Most Influential Alumni

Southern Arkansas University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at University of Arkansas at Monticello

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of Arkansas–Fort Smith

Most Influential Alumni

University of Arkansas–Fort Smith’s Online Degrees

Arkansas’s Best Public College in Your Area of Interest