More selective than 6% 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 $25,029. College Scorecard.
Higher than 74% of Arkansas colleges we cover and 49% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 65% of Arkansas colleges we cover and 29% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
University of Central Arkansas acceptance rate & admissions
Of 6,589 applicants, University of Central Arkansas admitted 5,961 and 1,737 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 910–1170 on the SAT or 19–25 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
University of Central Arkansas 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 University of Central Arkansas costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of Central Arkansas 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 | $14,656 | $62,874 | 4.6 years |
| $30–48k | $13,988 | $60,009 | 4.4 years |
| $48–75k | $16,203 | $69,511 | 5.1 years |
| $75–110k | $20,318 | $87,164 | 6.4 years |
| $110k+ | $20,157 | $86,474 | 6.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (40% 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 ($45,938) minus $32,399 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AR (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $13,539 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.
University of Central Arkansas majors, earnings & careers
University of Central Arkansas offers 60 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 10
- Health & Medicine · 10
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Science & Math · 6
- Arts & Design · 5
- Communications & Media · 3
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Engineering · 2
Highest-earning majors at University of Central Arkansas
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $76,783 | $25,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $75,893 | $25,901 |
| Management Information Systems | $74,094 | $21,500 |
| Accounting | $72,684 | $19,500 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | $66,499 | $24,530 |
| Mathematics | $63,239 | $16,711 |
| Business | $59,641 | $23,000 |
| Finance | $58,941 | $20,000 |
Quick list of all 60 majors
- Accounting$72,684
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$66,499
- Anthropology—
- Biological and Physical Sciences—
- Biology$50,742
- Business$59,641
- Business Administration$57,826
- Chemistry$53,755
- Communications$36,336
- Computer and Information Sciences$75,893
- Computer Engineering—
- Criminology$47,387
- Data Science—
- Dietetics—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$46,295
- Education (Subject Teaching)$49,113
- Engineering Physics—
- English$44,809
- Entrepreneurship$51,322
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences$42,493
- Film and Photography$37,484
- Finance$58,941
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services$48,556
- Geography—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$51,050
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other$54,517
- History$41,043
- Information Technology—
- Insurance—
- International / Global Studies—
- Journalism$43,189
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$50,557
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics$38,631
- Management Information Systems$74,094
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing$57,940
- Mathematics$63,239
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions$49,129
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music$46,446
- Nursing$76,783
- Nutrition Science—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$51,475
- Psychology$43,363
- Public Administration—
- Public Relations and Advertising$45,649
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology$40,873
- Special Education$43,536
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$55,316
- Studio Art$41,853
- Theatre—
- Writing$32,267
— 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 (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 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. 53 inches of rain a year, 2 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Faulkner County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Faulkner County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare University of Central Arkansas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Central Arkansas | 89% | $16,511 | 54% | $45,938 | This school |
| Arkansas State University | 82% | $12,366 | 55% | $42,617 | |
| 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
University of Central Arkansas would cost you $4,145 more per year than Arkansas State University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at University of Central Arkansas, mostly from lower housing & meal costs (−$2,438).
- Arkansas State University gives aided families $4,198 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Arkansas resident | University of Central Arkansas | Arkansas State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $10,523 | $8,090 | +$2,433 |
| Books & supplies | $1,230 | $1,250 | −$20 |
| Housing & meals | $8,662 | $11,100 | −$2,438 |
| Personal & travel | $5,447 | $6,122 | −$675 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$833 | −$1,480 | +$647 |
| Sticker price | $25,029 | $25,082 | −$53 |
| Average grants | −$8,518 | −$12,716 | +$4,198 |
| You pay | $16,511 | $12,366 | +$4,145 |
“+” means University of Central Arkansas 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 University of Central Arkansas
What is the University of Central Arkansas acceptance rate?
University of Central Arkansas accepts 89% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 5,961 of 6,589 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 910–1170 on the SAT or 19–25 on the ACT.
How much does University of Central Arkansas cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $25,029 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $16,511 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $14,656 and families earning $110k+ pay $20,157.
How much do University of Central Arkansas graduates earn?
Former University of Central Arkansas students earn a median $45,938 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the University of Central Arkansas graduation rate?
54% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 73% return for their second year.
How long does a University of Central Arkansas degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of Central Arkansas costs about $69,511 after grants ($16,203 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $45,938 ten years after starting, $13,539 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: “University of Central Arkansas: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-central-arkansas (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).