More selective than 18% of Arkansas colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $25,082. College Scorecard.
Higher than 78% of Arkansas colleges we cover and 53% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 43% of Arkansas colleges we cover and 19% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Arkansas State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 8,019 applicants, Arkansas State University admitted 5,587 and 1,660 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 970–1190 on the SAT or 18–24 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Arkansas State University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Arkansas residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Arkansas State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Arkansas State University took 4.3 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Arkansas. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $10,098 | $43,219 | 4.2 years |
| $30–48k | $9,255 | $39,611 | 3.9 years |
| $48–75k | $12,205 | $52,237 | 5.1 years |
| $75–110k | $15,839 | $67,791 | 6.6 years |
| $110k+ | $16,444 | $70,380 | 6.9 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (41% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($42,617) minus $32,399 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AR (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $10,218 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Arkansas State University majors, earnings & careers
Arkansas State University offers 62 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 11
- Engineering · 9
- Health & Medicine · 8
- Science & Math · 8
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Arts & Design · 4
- Communications & Media · 4
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
Highest-earning majors at Arkansas State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical Engineering | $98,691 | — |
| Mechanical Engineering | $91,665 | — |
| Nursing | $88,611 | $26,355 |
| Civil Engineering | $83,270 | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $79,309 | $23,204 |
| Finance | $68,408 | $20,915 |
| Accounting | $67,944 | $21,351 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | $63,340 | $20,000 |
Quick list of all 62 majors
- Accounting$67,944
- Agricultural Business$58,128
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$63,340
- Animal Sciences—
- Biology$54,441
- Broadcasting / Digital Media$40,961
- Business Administration$47,023
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$83,270
- Communications$44,327
- Computational Science—
- Computer and Information Sciences$79,309
- Construction Engineering Technology / Technician—
- Criminology$46,293
- Data Processing—
- Dietetics—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$41,947
- Education (Subject Teaching)$44,780
- Electrical Engineering$98,691
- Engineering / Engineering-Related Technologies / Technicians, Other—
- Engineering-Related Fields—
- Engineering-Related Technologies / Technicians—
- English$38,366
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Finance$68,408
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$39,897
- Health Sciences$46,015
- History—
- Homeland Security$58,242
- Hospitality Management—
- Industrial Engineering—
- International Business—
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$55,833
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$43,733
- Linguistics—
- Management Information Systems—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing$56,685
- Mathematics$41,340
- Mechanical Engineering$91,665
- Medical Laboratory Science$57,419
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Nursing$88,611
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Plant Sciences$61,397
- Political Science$49,078
- Psychology$44,872
- Public Health—
- Public Relations and Advertising$54,196
- Social Work$47,449
- Sociology$45,889
- Special Education—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$60,039
- Studio Art$43,758
- Systems Engineering—
- Theatre—
- Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Jonesboro
Overall prices in the Jonesboro, AR area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,079. Housing costs 46% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 52 inches of rain a year, 4 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Craighead County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Craighead County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Arkansas State University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Arkansas by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas State University | 82% | $12,366 | 55% | $42,617 | This school |
| University of Central Arkansas | 89% | $16,511 | 54% | $45,938 | |
| Arkansas Tech University | 96% | $12,970 | 49% | $41,766 | |
| University of Arkansas-Fort Smith | 80% | $10,574 | 38% | $41,102 | |
| Southern Arkansas University Main Campus | 75% | $14,027 | 49% | $42,386 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Arkansas State University would cost you $4,145 less per year than University of Central Arkansas, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Arkansas State University, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$2,438).
- Arkansas State University gives aided families $4,198 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Arkansas resident | Arkansas State University | University of Central Arkansas | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,090 | $10,523 | −$2,433 |
| Books & supplies | $1,250 | $1,230 | +$20 |
| Housing & meals | $11,100 | $8,662 | +$2,438 |
| Personal & travel | $6,122 | $5,447 | +$675 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,480 | −$833 | −$647 |
| Sticker price | $25,082 | $25,029 | +$53 |
| Average grants | −$12,716 | −$8,518 | −$4,198 |
| You pay | $12,366 | $16,511 | −$4,145 |
“+” means Arkansas State University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Arkansas State University
What is the Arkansas State University acceptance rate?
Arkansas State University accepts 82% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 5,587 of 8,019 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 970–1190 on the SAT or 18–24 on the ACT.
How much does Arkansas State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $25,082 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $12,366 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $10,098 and families earning $110k+ pay $16,444.
How much do Arkansas State University graduates earn?
Former Arkansas State University students earn a median $42,617 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Arkansas State University graduation rate?
55% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 78% return for their second year.
How long does a Arkansas State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Arkansas State University costs about $52,237 after grants ($12,205 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $42,617 ten years after starting, $10,218 more than high school graduates in Arkansas ($32,399), so the cost is repaid in 5.1 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Arkansas State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/arkansas-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).