More selective than 24% of Arkansas colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2023 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $27,385. College Scorecard.
Higher than 26% of Arkansas colleges we cover and 21% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 48% of Arkansas colleges we cover and 21% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Henderson State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,814 applicants, Henderson State University admitted 1,486 and 306 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2023. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Henderson 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 Henderson State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Henderson 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 | $23,386 | $100,560 | 9.1 years |
| $30–48k | $23,208 | $99,794 | 9.0 years |
| $48–75k | $25,051 | $107,719 | 9.7 years |
| $75–110k | n/a | — | not available |
| $110k+ | n/a | — | not available |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (29% 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 ($43,459) minus $32,399 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AR (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $11,060 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.
Henderson State University majors, earnings & careers
Henderson State University offers 39 bachelor's majors across 11 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Humanities & Languages · 4
- Science & Math · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Business & Finance · 3
- Communications & Media · 3
- Education · 3
- Engineering · 3
- Technology & Computing · 1
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at Henderson State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $68,733 | $21,500 |
| Accounting | $62,161 | — |
| Business | $48,955 | $19,500 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $46,783 | $25,500 |
| Social Work | $42,453 | $22,239 |
| Psychology | $41,112 | $19,134 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $40,226 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 39 majors
- Accounting$62,161
- Air Transportation—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Biology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business$48,955
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Engineering—
- Criminal Justice—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$40,226
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Engineering—
- Engineering Physics—
- English—
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences—
- Geography—
- History—
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Journalism—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$46,783
- Management Information Systems—
- Mathematics—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Music—
- Nursing$68,733
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$41,112
- Public Administration—
- Public Health—
- Social Work$42,453
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— 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 →Business → 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
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
Living in Arkadelphia
2 bedrooms $928.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 55 inches of rain a year, 1 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Clark County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Clark County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Henderson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henderson State University | 82% | $23,405 | 37% | $43,459 | This school |
| University of Arkansas-Fort Smith | 80% | $10,574 | 38% | $41,102 | |
| Southern Arkansas University Main Campus | 75% | $14,027 | 49% | $42,386 | |
| University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences | — | — | — | $73,827 | |
| University of Arkansas at Monticello | — | $14,287 | 49% | $36,902 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Henderson State University would cost you $12,831 more per year than University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Henderson State University, mostly from more University of Arkansas-Fort Smith students living at home, which lowers its average (+$2,702).
- University of Arkansas-Fort Smith gives aided families $4,494 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Arkansas resident | Henderson State University | University of Arkansas-Fort Smith | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,244 | $7,334 | +$910 |
| Books & supplies | $2,676 | $1,368 | +$1,308 |
| Housing & meals | $10,680 | $9,799 | +$881 |
| Personal & travel | $7,600 | $5,064 | +$2,536 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,815 | −$4,517 | +$2,702 |
| Sticker price | $27,385 | $19,048 | +$8,337 |
| Average grants | −$3,980 | −$8,474 | +$4,494 |
| You pay | $23,405 | $10,574 | +$12,831 |
“+” means Henderson 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 Henderson State University
What is the Henderson State University acceptance rate?
Henderson State University accepts 82% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,486 of 1,814 applicants were admitted.
How much does Henderson State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $27,385 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $23,405 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $23,386 and families earning $110k+ pay —.
How much do Henderson State University graduates earn?
Former Henderson State University students earn a median $43,459 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Henderson State University graduation rate?
37% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 62% return for their second year.
How long does a Henderson State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Henderson State University costs about $107,719 after grants ($25,051 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $43,459 ten years after starting, $11,060 more than high school graduates in Arkansas ($32,399), so the cost is repaid in 9.7 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is Henderson State University the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing Henderson State University with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
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: “Henderson State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/henderson-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).