More selective than 0% 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 $22,808. College Scorecard.
Higher than 61% of Arkansas colleges we cover and 39% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 35% of Arkansas colleges we cover and 17% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
ATU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 4,904 applicants, Arkansas Tech University admitted 4,722 and 1,467 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 880–1100 on the SAT or 17–23 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
ATU 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 ATU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Arkansas Tech 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 | $12,426 | $53,556 | 5.7 years |
| $30–48k | $11,165 | $48,121 | 5.1 years |
| $48–75k | $13,130 | $56,590 | 6.0 years |
| $75–110k | $14,675 | $63,249 | 6.8 years |
| $110k+ | $15,543 | $66,990 | 7.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (32% 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 ($41,766) minus $32,399 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AR (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $9,367 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.
ATU majors, earnings & careers
Arkansas Tech University offers 50 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 9
- Business & Finance · 8
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Engineering · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
- Education · 2
Highest-earning majors at ATU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical Engineering | $89,951 | $17,100 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $85,509 | $22,970 |
| Nursing | $84,719 | $23,424 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $70,588 | $19,975 |
| Accounting | $60,759 | — |
| Business Economics | $60,515 | — |
| Agricultural Business | $58,493 | $15,620 |
| Business Administration | $56,643 | $21,780 |
Quick list of all 50 majors
- Accounting$60,759
- Agricultural Business$58,493
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Biology$49,840
- Business Administration$56,643
- Business Economics$60,515
- Chemistry—
- Communications$45,385
- Computer and Information Sciences$70,588
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Systems Analysis—
- Criminal Justice—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$43,978
- Education (Subject Teaching)$46,907
- Electrical Engineering$89,951
- Engineering Physics—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Finance—
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$32,960
- Health Administration$42,985
- History$41,065
- Homeland Security$53,142
- Hospitality Management$43,436
- Information Technology—
- International / Global Studies—
- Journalism$39,173
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Linguistics—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering$85,509
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$46,018
- Music—
- Nursing$84,719
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management$49,034
- Physical Sciences—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$38,611
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences$41,946
- Sociology$42,344
- Statistics—
- Studio Art—
- Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management$44,868
- Writing—
— 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
Education (Subject Teaching) → High school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Russellville
2 bedrooms $948.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 46 inches of rain a year, 3 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Pope County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Pope County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare ATU 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 Tech University | 96% | $12,970 | 49% | $41,766 | This school |
| University of Central Arkansas | 89% | $16,511 | 54% | $45,938 | |
| University of Arkansas-Fort Smith | 80% | $10,574 | 38% | $41,102 | |
| Southern Arkansas University Main Campus | 75% | $14,027 | 49% | $42,386 | |
| Arkansas State University | 82% | $12,366 | 55% | $42,617 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Arkansas Tech University would cost you $3,541 less per year than University of Central Arkansas, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Arkansas Tech University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$1,849).
- Arkansas Tech University gives aided families $1,320 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Arkansas resident | ATU | University of Central Arkansas | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,674 | $10,523 | −$1,849 |
| Books & supplies | $1,240 | $1,230 | +$10 |
| Housing & meals | $9,852 | $8,662 | +$1,190 |
| Personal & travel | $4,094 | $5,447 | −$1,353 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,052 | −$833 | −$219 |
| Sticker price | $22,808 | $25,029 | −$2,221 |
| Average grants | −$9,838 | −$8,518 | −$1,320 |
| You pay | $12,970 | $16,511 | −$3,541 |
“+” means ATU 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 ATU
What is the ATU acceptance rate?
Arkansas Tech University accepts 96% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 4,722 of 4,904 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 880–1100 on the SAT or 17–23 on the ACT.
How much does Arkansas Tech University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $22,808 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $12,970 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $12,426 and families earning $110k+ pay $15,543.
How much do ATU graduates earn?
Former Arkansas Tech University students earn a median $41,766 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the ATU graduation rate?
49% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 74% return for their second year.
How long does a ATU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Arkansas Tech University costs about $56,590 after grants ($13,130 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $41,766 ten years after starting, $9,367 more than high school graduates in Arkansas ($32,399), so the cost is repaid in 6.0 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 Tech University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/arkansas-tech-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).