More selective than 59% 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 $39,534. College Scorecard.
Higher than 87% of Arkansas colleges we cover and 77% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 78% of Arkansas colleges we cover and 49% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Harding University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,202 applicants, Harding University admitted 2,202 and 864 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1050–1290 on the SAT or 20–29 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Harding University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Harding University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Harding University took 4.2 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 | $15,418 | $65,372 | 3.2 years |
| $30–48k | $17,430 | $73,903 | 3.6 years |
| $48–75k | $19,832 | $84,088 | 4.1 years |
| $75–110k | $22,017 | $93,352 | 4.6 years |
| $110k+ | $26,284 | $111,444 | 5.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (55% 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 ($52,876) minus $32,399 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AR (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $20,477 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.
Harding University majors, earnings & careers
Harding University offers 74 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 12
- Health & Medicine · 11
- Business & Finance · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Science & Math · 8
- Arts & Design · 5
- Engineering · 5
- Technology & Computing · 5
- Communications & Media · 4
- Education · 4
Highest-earning majors at Harding University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $92,014 | $24,149 |
| Accounting | $80,311 | $27,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $73,601 | $27,000 |
| Nursing | $71,872 | $30,000 |
| Finance | $71,203 | $27,250 |
| Marketing | $62,558 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $62,025 | $27,750 |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | $60,567 | — |
Quick list of all 74 majors
- Accounting$80,311
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Bible Studies$48,762
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Biomedical Engineering—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business / Corporate Communications—
- Business Administration$62,025
- Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences—
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Science$92,014
- Criminal Justice$48,992
- Dietetics—
- Economics—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$41,228
- Education (Subject Teaching)$51,067
- Electrical Engineering—
- English$37,384
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences—
- Film and Photography—
- Finance$71,203
- General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$60,567
- Health Administration—
- Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities—
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- Housing and Human Environments—
- Human Biology—
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Human Resources—
- Information Science / Studies—
- Information Technology—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International / Global Studies—
- International Business—
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$54,149
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$41,328
- Marketing$62,558
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering$73,601
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Missions / Missionary Studies and Missiology—
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Nursing$71,872
- Pastoral Counseling / Ministry—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology$45,814
- Psychology (Research)—
- Public Administration—
- Public Relations and Advertising$51,434
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Religious Education—
- Social Sciences—
- Social Work$48,833
- Software and Media Applications—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$58,843
- Special Education—
- Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$58,184
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Theology / Ministry—
- 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 →Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
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
Living in Searcy
2 bedrooms $948.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 52 inches of rain a year, 2 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, White County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
White County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Harding University with similar schools
Similar private 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harding University | 71% | $22,130 | 69% | $52,876 | This school |
| Ouachita Baptist University | 68% | $22,409 | 61% | $51,673 | |
| John Brown University | 76% | $20,397 | 72% | $53,907 | |
| Hendrix College | 56% | $24,149 | 72% | $60,376 | |
| University of the Ozarks | 60% | $17,360 | 51% | $44,384 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Harding University would cost you $279 less per year than Ouachita Baptist University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Harding University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$8,238).
- Ouachita Baptist University gives aided families $7,508 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Arkansas resident | Harding University | OBU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $26,262 | $34,500 | −$8,238 |
| Books & supplies | $512 | $1,100 | −$588 |
| Housing & meals | $9,940 | $9,240 | +$700 |
| Personal & travel | $3,958 | $4,678 | −$720 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,138 | −$2,197 | +$1,059 |
| Sticker price | $39,534 | $47,321 | −$7,787 |
| Average grants | −$17,404 | −$24,912 | +$7,508 |
| You pay | $22,130 | $22,409 | −$279 |
“+” means Harding 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 Harding University
What is the Harding University acceptance rate?
Harding University accepts 71% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,202 of 2,202 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1050–1290 on the SAT or 20–29 on the ACT.
How much does Harding University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $39,534 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $22,130 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $15,418 and families earning $110k+ pay $26,284.
How much do Harding University graduates earn?
Former Harding University students earn a median $52,876 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Harding University graduation rate?
69% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 86% return for their second year.
How long does a Harding University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Harding University costs about $84,088 after grants ($19,832 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $52,876 ten years after starting, $20,477 more than high school graduates in Arkansas ($32,399), so the cost is repaid in 4.1 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: “Harding University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/harding-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).