Best Colleges in Arkansas

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Best colleges in Arkansas

Choosing a college is one of the most important decisions a person will make for their education, impacting everything from future earnings and employment to potential student loan debt and social circles.

While every student wants to get the best education they possibly can, there are myriad considerations to take into account: location, size, diversity, areas of focus, study abroad opportunities—the list goes on. While best college lists are often topped with the same handful of expensive Ivy League schools, the U.S. is home to more than 4,000 degree-granting schools spread out across all 50 states and several territories, with amazing education offerings for students to consider.

Stacker compiled a list of the best four-year colleges in Arkansas using rankings from Niche. Tuition, student-to-faculty ratio, acceptance rate, and graduation rate are factors considered in deciding these rankings. Location is also often a key factor in a school's appeal, whether it be a beachside location, one full of New England foliage, or proximity to tech hubs and companies like Microsoft, Apple, and Google. Online and unspecified location schools were excluded from the rankings. Keep reading to see the best schools in your state.

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#25. Strayer University - Arkansas

- Acceptance rate: 100%
- Net price: $23,814
- Enrollment: 21 (56:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: not available

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#24. Champion Christian College

- Acceptance rate: 100%
- Net price: $10,557
- Enrollment: 68 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: not available

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#23. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

- Enrollment: 639 (3:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: not available
- City: Little Rock
- Type: Public

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#22. Arkansas Baptist College

- Acceptance rate: 100%
- Net price: $17,087
- Enrollment: 287 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: D-
--- Diversity grade: B
--- Location grade: B-
--- Safety grade: B-

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#21. Crowley's Ridge College

- Acceptance rate: 100%
- Net price: $14,682
- Enrollment: 167 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: C
--- Diversity grade: B
--- Value grade: C+
--- Athletics grade: C+

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#20. Ecclesia College

- Acceptance rate: 76%
- Net price: $16,336
- Enrollment: 169 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: C
--- Diversity grade: A+
--- Campus food grade: B+
--- Academics grade: C+

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#19. Philander Smith College

- Acceptance rate: 100%
- Net price: $13,579
- Enrollment: 699 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: C
--- Party grade: A-
--- Dorms grade: B+
--- Campus food grade: B+

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#18. University of Arkansas at Monticello

- Acceptance rate: 100%
- Net price: $11,967
- Enrollment: 1,692 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: C+
--- Diversity grade: B+
--- Athletics grade: B
--- Dorms grade: B

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#17. Williams Baptist University

- Acceptance rate: 69%
- Net price: $16,646
- Enrollment: 577 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: C+
--- Diversity grade: B+
--- Campus grade: B-
--- Athletics grade: B-

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#16. University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

- Acceptance rate: 60%
- Net price: $10,684
- Enrollment: 2,158 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: C+
--- Party grade: A-
--- Athletics grade: B+
--- Campus food grade: B+

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#15. Central Baptist College

- Acceptance rate: 50%
- Net price: $15,547
- Enrollment: 521 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: C+
--- Diversity grade: A-
--- Dorms grade: A-
--- Academics grade: B-

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#14. University of Arkansas at Fort Smith

- Acceptance rate: 100%
- Net price: $9,209
- Enrollment: 3,811 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: B-
--- Dorms grade: A
--- Campus food grade: A
--- Diversity grade: A-

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#13. Lyon College

- Acceptance rate: 50%
- Net price: $20,495
- Enrollment: 650 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: B-
--- Diversity grade: A-
--- Safety grade: A-
--- Dorms grade: B+

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#12. Henderson State University

- Acceptance rate: 75%
- Net price: $14,046
- Enrollment: 2,334 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: B-
--- Diversity grade: A-
--- Dorms grade: A-
--- Campus food grade: A-

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#11. Southern Arkansas University

- Acceptance rate: 69%
- Net price: $13,561
- Enrollment: 2,950 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: B-
--- Diversity grade: B+
--- Academics grade: B
--- Athletics grade: B

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#10. Arkansas Tech University

- Acceptance rate: 98%
- Net price: $11,277
- Enrollment: 6,227 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: B-
--- Campus food grade: A
--- Campus grade: A-
--- Diversity grade: B+

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#9. University of the Ozarks

- Acceptance rate: 56%
- Net price: $16,009
- Enrollment: 771 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: B-
--- Diversity grade: A+
--- Academics grade: B
--- Safety grade: B

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#8. University of Central Arkansas

- Acceptance rate: 94%
- Net price: $16,048
- Enrollment: 7,301 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: B
--- Diversity grade: A-
--- Campus grade: A-
--- Athletics grade: A-

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#7. University of Arkansas at Little Rock

- Acceptance rate: 56%
- Net price: $12,235
- Enrollment: 3,541 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: B
--- Diversity grade: A-
--- Athletics grade: A-
--- Professors grade: A-

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#6. Arkansas State University

- Acceptance rate: 67%
- Net price: $14,275
- Enrollment: 5,836 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: B
--- Campus food grade: A
--- Diversity grade: A-
--- Athletics grade: A-

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#5. Hendrix College

- Acceptance rate: 71%
- Net price: $20,778
- Enrollment: 1,101 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: A-
--- Campus food grade: A+
--- Academics grade: A
--- Party grade: A-

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#4. Ouachita Baptist University

- Acceptance rate: 62%
- Net price: $20,534
- Enrollment: 1,502 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: A-
--- Academics grade: A-
--- Campus grade: A-
--- Professors grade: A-

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#3. John Brown University

- Acceptance rate: 59%
- Net price: $21,578
- Enrollment: 1,326 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: A-
--- Safety grade: A
--- Academics grade: A-
--- Diversity grade: A-

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#2. Harding University

- Acceptance rate: 55%
- Net price: $19,454
- Enrollment: 3,294 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: A-
--- Academics grade: A
--- Dorms grade: A
--- Value grade: A-

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#1. University of Arkansas

- Acceptance rate: 78%
- Net price: $16,759
- Enrollment: 20,252 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Overall Niche grade: A-
--- Party grade: A+
--- Student life grade: A+
--- Campus grade: A