# Southern Arkansas University Main Campus

Public college in Magnolia, AR. IPEDS ID 107983.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/southern-arkansas-university-main-campus · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/southern-arkansas-university-main-campus.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 75% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $14,027 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 49%; beats 65% of AR colleges and 40% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $42,386; beats 39% of AR colleges and 18% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $12,500

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $13,187 |
| 30-48k | $12,827 |
| 48-75k | $13,790 |
| 75-110k | $15,654 |
| 110k+ | $19,244 |

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

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.3 years on average (30% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $42,386 (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 | $13,187 | $56,704 | 5.7 years |
| 30-48k | $12,827 | $55,156 | 5.5 years |
| 48-75k | $13,790 | $59,297 | 5.9 years |
| 75-110k | $15,654 | $67,312 | 6.7 years |
| 110k+ | $19,244 | $82,749 | 8.3 years |

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

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $24,951 in-state; about $30,681 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $9,960 in-state, $15,690 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $7,601; books: $1,600

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 450–565; SAT math: 425–540; ACT: 17–24 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 2,936 applicants, 1,955 admitted, 797 enrolled; test scores required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 75%, ACT 17–24 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 67%, ACT 17–23 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (35 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physics | $58,870 | $89,685 | $23,625 |
| Nursing | $67,213 | $70,185 | $24,750 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $26,671 | $60,952 | not reported |
| Agricultural Business | $41,325 | $55,787 | $13,875 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $44,843 | $48,923 | $12,000 |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | not reported | $48,773 | not reported |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $29,854 | $48,662 | $20,169 |
| Business | $34,910 | $47,979 | $22,500 |
| Accounting | $40,138 | $46,771 | $14,848 |
| Biology | $26,044 | $44,873 | $20,375 |
| Criminal Justice | $28,541 | $44,523 | $22,349 |
| Psychology | $31,426 | $42,925 | $20,408 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $37,590 | $40,843 | $16,316 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $30,901 | $38,931 | $28,228 |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | $22,016 | $33,649 | $25,559 |
| Studio Art | not reported | $28,938 | not reported |
| Journalism | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| English | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History and Political Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Social Work | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Social Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Criminology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Political Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theatre | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Health | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business Administration | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Business → Management analyst: median wage not reported (metro), $72,950 (AR), $101,860 (U.S.)
- Nursing → Registered nurse: median wage not reported (metro), $78,940 (AR), $97,550 (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).