# Philander Smith University (PSU)

Private nonprofit college in Little Rock, AR. IPEDS ID 107600.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/philander-smith-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/philander-smith-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: not reported (latest, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $14,224 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 30%; beats 13% of AR colleges and 13% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $38,427; beats 13% of AR colleges and 10% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $14,750

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $13,393 |
| 30-48k | $14,606 |
| 48-75k | $16,686 |
| 75-110k | $12,847 |
| 110k+ | $15,800 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.5 years on average (19% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $38,427 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $32,399 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AR (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| 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 |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $28,136
- Tuition and fees: $13,014
- Housing and meals: $10,000; books: $1,200

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: not reported; SAT math: not reported; ACT: not reported (25th–75th percentile, latest)

## Majors (17 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | not reported | $44,330 | $49,638 |
| Business Administration | $27,413 | $43,163 | $27,622 |
| Computer Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| English | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy and Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Psychology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Criminal Justice | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Social Work | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Political Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Sociology | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage $75,750 (Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR), $72,950 (AR), $101,860 (U.S.)
- Computer Science → Software developer: median wage $104,070 (Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR), $104,490 (AR), $135,980 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).