Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in Arkansas

Colleges that compete in NCAA Division I athletics, ranked by Compass Score.

Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in Arkansas5 schools

5 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score.

How this list is made

Schools in Arkansas.
Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
Competes in NCAA Division I (the school's athletics association, from federal and association data).
Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.

Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.

School	Net price a year	Median debt	Earnings 10 years out	Graduation rate
University of Arkansas	About $18,000	$21,500	$58,191	71%
Arkansas State University	About $12,000	$20,500	$42,617	55%
University of Central Arkansas	About $17,000	$20,346	$45,938	54%
University of Arkansas at Little Rock	About $17,000	$22,000	$45,265	42%
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff	About $13,000	$24,202	$35,550	40%

Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.