Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in Arkansas

Colleges ranked by how many years of extra earnings, above a high school graduate’s, cover four years of net price.

Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in Arkansas5 schools

5 schools qualify, ranked by payback years.

How this list is made

Schools in Arkansas.
Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
Academic Excellence grade B+ or better (the top 35% of rated colleges).
Has median earnings ten years after enrolling and a net price from federal data (College Scorecard), and those earnings are above a high school graduate’s ($48,360 a year: median weekly earnings of $930 for full-time workers with a high school diploma, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024).
Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
Payback years = four years of net price ÷ (earnings − a high school graduate’s earnings). Ordered by payback years, fewest first. A simple estimate: it leaves out interest, taxes and earnings growth.

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	$18,209	$21,500	$58,191	71%
Hendrix College	$24,149	$26,688	$60,376	72%
John Brown University	$20,397	$21,250	$53,907	72%
Harding University	$22,130	$26,500	$52,876	69%
Ouachita Baptist University	$22,409	$21,050	$51,673	61%

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