Best colleges for education in Arkansas

    University of Arkansas ranks first in Arkansas for education value (#167 nationally, value score 59.5): graduates earn $51,474 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $17,571 a year.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 12 Arkansas colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026

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    Best education colleges in Arkansas

    University of Arkansas ranks first in Arkansas for education value (#167 nationally, value score 59.5): graduates earn $51,474 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $17,571 a year. 12 Arkansas colleges qualify. At the median one, education graduates earn $43,072 and the average net price is $16,219 a year.

    Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025

    What the data shows

    Key findings

    • 12 Arkansas colleges qualify. At the median one, education graduates earn $43,072 and the average net price is $16,219 a year.
    • The lowest average net price among them is at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith: $9,653 a year.
    Median earnings
    $43,072
    National: $48,822
    Median net price
    $16,219
    National: $17,201
    Median federal debt
    $21,953
    education graduates
    Public colleges
    10 of 12
    in this list

    12 colleges

    The Arkansas ranking

    Ordered by the national value score; the national rank is shown with each college. Earnings are medians 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    1. Rank in Arkansas 1

      University of Arkansas

      Fayetteville, AR · Public · #167 nationally

      59.5Value
      Earnings
      $51,474
      Net price
      $17,571
      Federal debt
      $23,667
      Graduation rate
      71%
    2. Rank in Arkansas 2

      Arkansas Tech University

      Russellville, AR · Public · #204 nationally

      54.9Value
      Earnings
      $46,907
      Net price
      $11,332
      Federal debt
      $17,525
      Graduation rate
      45%
    3. Rank in Arkansas 3

      University of Central Arkansas

      Conway, AR · Public · #262 nationally

      49.5Value
      Earnings
      $46,295
      Net price
      $16,423
      Federal debt
      $17,360
      Graduation rate
      54%
    4. Rank in Arkansas 4

      University of Arkansas-Fort Smith

      Fort Smith, AR · Public · #299 nationally

      46.1Value
      Earnings
      $44,197
      Net price
      $9,653
      Federal debt
      $17,900
      Graduation rate
      42%
    5. Rank in Arkansas 5

      University of Arkansas at Monticello

      Monticello, AR · Public · #391 nationally

      36.1Value
      Earnings
      $41,606
      Net price
      $15,990
      Federal debt
      $17,368
      Graduation rate
      52%
    6. Rank in Arkansas 6

      Arkansas State University

      Jonesboro, AR · Public · #411 nationally

      33.3Value
      Earnings
      $41,947
      Net price
      $15,441
      Federal debt
      $21,000
      Graduation rate
      58%
    7. Rank in Arkansas 7

      University of Arkansas at Little Rock

      Little Rock, AR · Public · #446 nationally

      30.1Value
      Earnings
      $44,978
      Net price
      $16,882
      Federal debt
      $22,906
      Graduation rate
      41%
    8. Rank in Arkansas 8

      Southern Arkansas University

      Magnolia, AR · Public · #450 nationally

      28.5Value
      Earnings
      $40,843
      Net price
      $16,015
      Federal debt
      $19,808
      Graduation rate
      46%
    9. Rank in Arkansas 9

      Ouachita Baptist University

      Arkadelphia, AR · Private nonprofit · #462 nationally

      27.0Value
      Earnings
      $44,525
      Net price
      $25,343
      Federal debt
      $24,250
      Graduation rate
      66%
    10. Rank in Arkansas 10

      Harding University

      Searcy, AR · Private nonprofit · #480 nationally

      24.4Value
      Earnings
      $41,228
      Net price
      $19,786
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      71%
    11. Rank in Arkansas 11

      University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

      Pine Bluff, AR · Public · #485 nationally

      23.7Value
      Earnings
      $39,026
      Net price
      $11,528
      Federal debt
      $27,656
      Graduation rate
      39%
    12. Rank in Arkansas 12

      Henderson State University

      Arkadelphia, AR · Public · #518 nationally

      12.6Value
      Earnings
      $40,226
      Net price
      $21,843
      Federal debt
      $22,955
      Graduation rate
      36%

    Method: the same value score as the national education ranking (earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate, each a national percentile). Data: College Scorecard, reporting year 2025; 2026–27 edition, verified Nov 2026.

    Questions about education colleges in Arkansas

    What are the best colleges for education in Arkansas?

    By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 Arkansas colleges for education are University of Arkansas (value score 59.5), Arkansas Tech University (value score 54.9) and University of Central Arkansas (value score 49.5). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.

    Which Arkansas college has the highest earnings for education graduates?

    University of Arkansas: its education graduates have median earnings of $51,474 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    What is the most affordable education college in Arkansas on this list?

    University of Arkansas-Fort Smith has the lowest average net price of the ranked Arkansas colleges, $9,653 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.

    How many Arkansas colleges are ranked for education?

    12 Arkansas colleges have a education bachelor's program with enough graduates and reported earnings, plus a published net price and graduation rate. Ranks shown are national; the state rank is their order within Arkansas.