Here are the most affordable colleges and universities in Arkansas. Our list will help you find the right kind of school for you, at a price you can afford.
Students in Arkansas will appreciate the spectacular views of the Ozarks and the Old Main, a two-towered brick building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For the sports-minded student, the Razorbacks compete in the NCAA’s Southeastern Conference in Division 1. There is no school in the Southeastern Conference that has won more total national championships than the University of Arkansas.
If you interested in pursuing a business degree, the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas is a good choice. This school is one of the top 25 undergraduate business schools in the country. UA also happens to be at the top of our ranking for one of the most affordable schools in the state.
Students looking for smaller schools with lower teach-to-student ratios will find Arkansas the perfect choice. The Arkansas Department of Higher Education reported that “only eight campuses have a student headcount of more than 6,000. 51% have student headcounts below 3,000”. This is an important consideration if you are interested in a school that is both affordable and small.
Arkansas’ higher education landscape has numerous options, including 33 public and 12 private colleges, and a lot of online college programs.
Arkansas is a very affordable state to attend college, especially for in-state residents. The average tuition for residents is $4,423, and $11,216 for out-of-state student.
Of course, to make college as affordable as possible, financial aid and scholarships are still essential to help reduce your college expenses. Here are 5 of the best scholarships Arkansas offers to eligible students.
Swayze Woodruff Memorial Mid-South Scholarship: This is one of the 28 scholarships under the American Quarter Horse Foundation in Amarillo. To date, the foundation has distributed more than $6.7 million since 1976.
This regionally-funded scholarship is designed to support Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee residents who have a passion for horseback riding. In a span of four years, eligible students will receive $9,000 for a bachelor’s degree in any program.
Eligibility:
Arkansas Chamber Singers Vocal/Choral Music Scholarship: The Arkansas Chamber Singers (ACS) based in Little Rock, gives back through a Vocal/Choral Music Scholarship. This award is for high schoolers who are active in choral music programs statewide with $1,000 or $500 for college.
Eligibility:
Arkansas High Tech Scholarship: The High Tech Scholarship is an initiative by the Arkansas Department of Career Education to support 20 Arkansas full-time students in post-secondary technical programs. Every semester, recipients receive $250, or $500 annually for four years maximum.
Programs accepted in the scholarship include avionics, graphic design, radiologic technology, biotechnology, nuclear engineering, computer systems technology, and many more.
Eligibility:
Cornerstone Charitable Scholarship Trust: This is a need-based scholarship open for incoming college students who are US citizens, nationals, or permanent residents under 25 years old. The trust sends funding every semester to help lower the cost of bachelor’s and associate’s degrees.
Eligibility:
NIADA Foundation Region III Scholarship: NIADA (National Independent Automobile Dealers Association) Foundation was established in 2006 and offers four regional scholarships for $3,500 apiece. Region III is composed of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.
Eligibility:
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.
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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.
There are 16 colleges and universities in Arkansas with stated tuitions and fees under $20,000/year. The following list of the most affordable colleges and universities in Arkansas is composed entirely of schools offering bachelor’s degree programs, have stated tuition and fees near or under the national average of $16,000/year, and are fully accredited colleges.
These schools are ranked by academic excellence, and all under $20,000/year.
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
83%
Graduation
70%
Student body
25K
Median SAT/ACT
1185/26
University of Arkansas’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
58%
Graduation
40%
Student body
6K
Median SAT/ACT
1080/21
University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
63%
Graduation
54%
Student body
12K
Median SAT/ACT
1110/23
Arkansas State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
92%
Graduation
49%
Student body
9K
Median SAT/ACT
1050/23
University of Central Arkansas’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
94%
Graduation
46%
Student body
8K
Arkansas Tech University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
75%
Graduation
37%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1007/21
Henderson State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
68%
Graduation
41%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
900/16
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
63%
Graduation
40%
Student body
4K
Southern Arkansas University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$8K
Graduation
33%
Student body
2K
University of Arkansas at Monticello’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$13K
Graduation
28%
Student body
<1K
Philander Smith University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$15K
Graduation
23%
Student body
<1K
Crowley's Ridge College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Graduation
9%
Student body
<1K
Arkansas Baptist College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$6K
Graduation
26%
Student body
5K
University of Arkansas–Fort Smith’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$17K
Acceptance
62%
Graduation
39%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
990/20
Central Baptist College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$19K
Acceptance
64%
Graduation
32%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1145/21
Williams Baptist University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$8K
Graduation
28%
Student body
5K
University of Arkansas Grantham’s faculty and alumni have been influential in: