College Scorecard
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $28,136. College Scorecard.
Higher than 13% of Arkansas colleges we cover and 13% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 13% of Arkansas colleges we cover and 10% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
PSU acceptance rate & admissions
Test scores: College Scorecard. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
PSU 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 PSU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Philander Smith University took 4.5 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 | $13,393 | $60,269 | 10.0 years |
| $30–48k | $14,606 | $65,727 | 10.9 years |
| $48–75k | $16,686 | $75,087 | 12.5 years |
| $75–110k | $12,847 | $57,812 | 9.6 years |
| $110k+ | $15,800 | $71,100 | 11.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (19% 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 ($38,427) minus $32,399 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AR (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $6,028 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.
PSU majors, earnings & careers
Philander Smith University offers 17 bachelor's majors across 7 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Science & Math · 4
- Humanities & Languages · 3
- Business & Finance · 2
- Education · 1
- Health & Medicine · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at PSU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | $44,330 | $49,638 |
| Business Administration | $43,163 | $27,622 |
Quick list of all 17 majors
- Biological and Physical Sciences—
- Biology—
- Business Administration$43,163
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other$44,330
- Chemistry—
- Computer Science—
- Criminal Justice—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- English—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Mathematics—
- Philosophy and Religious Studies—
- Political Science—
- Psychology—
- Social Work—
- Sociology—
— 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 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
Computer Science → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Little Rock
Overall prices in the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,121. Housing costs 32% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 50 inches of rain a year, 4 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (very high); river flooding (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Pulaski County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Pulaski County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare PSU 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philander Smith University | — | $14,224 | 30% | $38,427 | This school |
| Crowley's Ridge College | — | $16,315 | 36% | $39,533 | |
| Central Baptist College | 63% | $12,287 | 34% | $46,789 | |
| Lyon College | 63% | $19,616 | 47% | $44,232 | |
| 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
Philander Smith University would cost you $2,091 less per year than Crowley's Ridge College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Philander Smith University, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$2,100).
- Philander Smith University gives aided families $2,887 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Arkansas resident | PSU | Crowley's Ridge College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $13,014 | $16,670 | −$3,656 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $800 | +$400 |
| Housing & meals | $10,000 | $7,900 | +$2,100 |
| Personal & travel | $4,312 | $3,987 | +$325 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$390 | −$2,017 | +$1,627 |
| Sticker price | $28,136 | $27,340 | +$796 |
| Average grants | −$13,912 | −$11,025 | −$2,887 |
| You pay | $14,224 | $16,315 | −$2,091 |
“+” means PSU 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 PSU
How much does Philander Smith University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $28,136 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $14,224 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $13,393 and families earning $110k+ pay $15,800.
How much do PSU graduates earn?
Former Philander Smith University students earn a median $38,427 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the PSU graduation rate?
30% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 66% return for their second year.
How long does a PSU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Philander Smith University costs about $75,087 after grants ($16,686 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $38,427 ten years after starting, $6,028 more than high school graduates in Arkansas ($32,399), so the cost is repaid in 12.5 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: “Philander Smith University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/philander-smith-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).