Liberal arts college
#5 Best colleges in ArkansasOuachita Baptist University
Arkadelphia, AR · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $22,409 a year
Median debt at graduation: $21,050 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for NCAA Division II athletes in America#38 of 292
- Best colleges for criminal justice in America#181 of 1,046
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in America#218 of 950
- Best small colleges in America#208 of 906
- Best colleges for nursing in America#260 of 1,068
- Best colleges for accounting in America#280 of 1,132
In Arkansas
- Best colleges in Arkansas#5 of 23
- Best colleges for business in Arkansas#5 of 23
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Arkansas#5 of 23
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Arkansas#4 of 18
- Best small colleges in Arkansas#3 of 13
- Best colleges for criminal justice in Arkansas#4 of 17
Show 13 more
- Best colleges for education in Arkansas#5 of 21
- Best colleges for psychology in Arkansas#5 of 20
- Best colleges for accounting in Arkansas#5 of 19
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Arkansas#5 of 19
- Best colleges for English in Arkansas#5 of 19
- Best colleges for music in Arkansas#5 of 19
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Arkansas#5 of 18
- Best colleges for nursing in Arkansas#4 of 14
- Best colleges for art and design in Arkansas#5 of 17
- Best colleges for chemistry in Arkansas#5 of 17
- Best colleges for history in Arkansas#5 of 17
- Best colleges for mathematics in Arkansas#5 of 17
- Best colleges for marketing in Arkansas#4 of 13
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.61%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.83%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,211 · ACT 25
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.14 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$10,607
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $47,321 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 1,734 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 45% · Women 55% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 24% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 38% |
| Total students | 1,815 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $22,409 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $47,321 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $21,050 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 61% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 47% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 49% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 69% |
| First-year retention | 83% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $51,673 |
| Admission rate | 68% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | No application fee |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $731 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 23% |
| Average SAT | 1211 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 540–650 |
| SAT math | 530–630 |
| ACT composite | 22–28 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Finance | |
| Accounting | |
| Biology | |
| Marketing | |
| Business administration | |
| Speech-language pathology | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Management science | |
| Communication studies | |
| Psychology | |
| Teacher education | |
| Theatre |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Allied health, Applied mathematics, Arts management, Bible/Biblical Studies, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Computer science, Criminal justice, Design, Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services, Education (general), Engineering (general), Engineering Physics, English, Entrepreneurship, Family and human development, Fine arts, General studies, History, Liberal arts, Mathematics, Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology, Music, Natural resources and conservation, Nursing, Other parks, recreation, leisure, fitness, and kinesiology, Other philosophy and religious studies, Other social sciences, Other theology and religious vocations, Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies, Pastoral counseling, Philosophy, Physics, Political science, Pre-health, Religious Music and Worship, Religious studies, Romance languages, Secondary education, Sociology, Theology, Writing and rhetoric.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Health professions | |
| Biology | |
| Visual and performing arts | |
| Education |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Town |
| Part-time undergraduates | 1% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 2% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $9,720 |
| Sports | NCAA Division II · Great American Conference |
| ROTC | Army |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 14 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 10%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 95%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $75,877IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 96% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Bill & Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field (LIT)About 63 miles away · about 1 hour 20 minutes by car |
| Town population | 10,099Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | MemphisAbout 188 miles away · about 3 hours 45 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 43°F in January · 82°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Arkadelphia 2 N, AR |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.00 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Ouachita Baptist University’s Compass Score?
- Very good (grade B+). It ranks in the top 30% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Ouachita Baptist University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $22,409 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Ouachita Baptist University?
- Ouachita Baptist University admitted 68% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Ouachita Baptist University’s graduates do?
- 61% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $51,673; the median federal debt at graduation is $21,050.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 107512
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (arts & sciences)
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Religious affiliation (IPEDS): Southern Baptist
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