National university
#3 Best colleges in ArkansasUniversity of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $18,209 a year
Median debt at graduation: $21,500 (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 criminal justice in America#136 of 1,046
- Best colleges for social work in America#107 of 605
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in America#172 of 950
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in America#135 of 690
- Best colleges for accounting in America#224 of 1,132
- Best colleges for nursing in America#212 of 1,068
Show 8 more
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#387 of 1,829
- Best colleges for business in America#337 of 1,563
- Best colleges for marketing in America#182 of 834
- Best colleges for education in America#289 of 1,318
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#154 of 681
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#284 of 1,238
- Best colleges for finance in America#184 of 744
- Best colleges for psychology in America#352 of 1,418
In Arkansas
- Best colleges for social work in Arkansas#1 of 10
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Arkansas#2 of 18
- Best colleges for criminal justice in Arkansas#2 of 17
- Best colleges in Arkansas#3 of 23
- Best colleges for business in Arkansas#3 of 23
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Arkansas#3 of 23
Show 19 more
- Best colleges for nursing in Arkansas#2 of 14
- Best colleges for education in Arkansas#3 of 21
- Best colleges for psychology in Arkansas#3 of 20
- Best colleges for marketing in Arkansas#2 of 13
- Best colleges for accounting in Arkansas#3 of 19
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Arkansas#3 of 19
- Best colleges for English in Arkansas#3 of 19
- Best colleges for music in Arkansas#3 of 19
- Best colleges for finance in Arkansas#2 of 12
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Arkansas#3 of 18
- Best colleges for art and design in Arkansas#3 of 17
- Best colleges for chemistry in Arkansas#3 of 17
- Best colleges for history in Arkansas#3 of 17
- Best colleges for mathematics in Arkansas#3 of 17
- Best colleges for engineering in Arkansas#2 of 11
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in Arkansas#3 of 16
- Best colleges for economics in Arkansas#2 of 8
- Best test-optional colleges in Arkansas#3 of 10
- Best colleges for computer science in Arkansas#3 of 9
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.71%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.86%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,169 · ACT 24.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.20 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$10,926
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: $27,767 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) | 27,472 |
|---|---|
| Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) | Men 44% · Women 56% |
| First-generation students Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition | 26% |
| First-year students from another state Of first-time students whose home is a U.S. state, fall 2023 (IPEDS) | 53% |
| Total students | 32,140 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $18,209 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $27,767 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $21,500 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 71% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 53% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 52% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard) | 67% |
| First-year retention | 86% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $58,191 |
| Admission rate | 74% |
| Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS) | $40 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 18% |
| Average SAT | 1169 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 520–620 |
| SAT math | 510–600 |
| ACT composite | 21–28 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Very good · Top 31% (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 |
|---|---|
| Computing and information science | |
| Computer engineering | |
| Industrial Engineering | |
| Managerial economics | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Computer science | |
| Chemical Engineering | |
| Management science | |
| Finance | |
| Nursing | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Accounting | |
| Civil engineering | |
| Business administration | |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | |
| Biological/Biosystems Engineering | |
| Marketing | |
| Business (general) | |
| International business | |
| Architecture | |
| Public health | |
| Journalism | |
| Design | |
| Agricultural business | |
| Mathematics | |
| Apparel and Textiles | |
| Speech-language pathology | |
| Political science | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Communication studies | |
| Animal Sciences | |
| Chemistry | |
| Foods, Nutrition, | |
| Biology | |
| Agricultural Public Services | |
| Special education | |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| Teacher education | |
| History | |
| Geology and earth science | |
| Criminal justice | |
| Romance languages | |
| Social work | |
| International relations | |
| Education (general) | |
| Psychology | |
| English | |
| General studies | |
| Music | |
| Family and human development | |
| Anthropology | |
| Sociology | |
| Fine arts |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services, Architectural Sciences and Technology, Area studies, Classics, Computational Science, Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, Food Science and Technology, Geography, German, Human resources, Landscape Architecture, Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Philosophy, Physics, Plant Sciences, Pre-health, Public relations, Secondary education, Theatre.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Health professions | |
| Engineering | |
| Communication | |
| Biology |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 8% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 7% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $14,244 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Southeastern Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 20 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 82%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) |
| Endowment per student | $53,043Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS) |
| Dorm space | For about 25% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS) |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA)About 16 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports) |
| Town population | 99,3192020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | TulsaAbout 96 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Average temperature in January | 37°F1991–2020 normal, from FAYETTEVILLE EXP STN, AR US, about 2 miles away (NOAA) |
| Average temperature in July | 79°F1991–2020 normal, from FAYETTEVILLE EXP STN, AR US, about 2 miles away (NOAA) |
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 | 0.15 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.03 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.06 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.15 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.18 | 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 University of Arkansas’s Compass Score?
- Very good (grade B+). It ranks in the top 25% 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 University of Arkansas cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $18,209 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 University of Arkansas?
- University of Arkansas admitted 74% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do University of Arkansas’s graduates do?
- 71% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $58,191; the median federal debt at graduation is $21,500.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 106397
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Report an error or a newer source
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Colleges like this one
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