Best colleges for nursing in Arkansas

    Arkansas State University ranks first in Arkansas for nursing value (#186 nationally, value score 61.6): graduates earn $88,611 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $15,441 a year.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 10 Arkansas colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026

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    Best nursing colleges in Arkansas

    Arkansas State University ranks first in Arkansas for nursing value (#186 nationally, value score 61.6): graduates earn $88,611 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $15,441 a year. 10 Arkansas colleges qualify. At the median one, nursing graduates earn $75,246 and the average net price is $16,653 a year.

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

    What the data shows

    Key findings

    • 10 Arkansas colleges qualify. At the median one, nursing graduates earn $75,246 and the average net price is $16,653 a year.
    • The highest nursing earnings in the state are at University of Arkansas at Little Rock ($88,617), ranked #3 in the state once cost, debt and graduation rate count.
    • The lowest average net price among them is at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith: $9,653 a year.
    Median earnings
    $75,246
    National: $85,171
    Median net price
    $16,653
    National: $18,014
    Median federal debt
    $20,480
    nursing graduates
    Public colleges
    8 of 10
    in this list

    10 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

      Arkansas State University

      Jonesboro, AR · Public · #186 nationally

      61.6Value
      Earnings
      $88,611
      Net price
      $15,441
      Federal debt
      $20,320
      Graduation rate
      58%
    2. Rank in Arkansas 2

      Arkansas Tech University

      Russellville, AR · Public · #260 nationally

      55.2Value
      Earnings
      $84,719
      Net price
      $11,332
      Federal debt
      $19,590
      Graduation rate
      45%
    3. Rank in Arkansas 3

      University of Arkansas at Little Rock

      Little Rock, AR · Public · #296 nationally

      53.0Value
      Earnings
      $88,617
      Net price
      $16,882
      Federal debt
      $20,459
      Graduation rate
      41%
    4. Rank in Arkansas 4

      University of Arkansas

      Fayetteville, AR · Public · #327 nationally

      51.1Value
      Earnings
      $84,911
      Net price
      $17,571
      Federal debt
      $23,791
      Graduation rate
      71%
    5. Rank in Arkansas 5

      University of Central Arkansas

      Conway, AR · Public · #533 nationally

      36.2Value
      Earnings
      $76,783
      Net price
      $16,423
      Federal debt
      $19,500
      Graduation rate
      54%
    6. Rank in Arkansas 6

      University of Arkansas-Fort Smith

      Fort Smith, AR · Public · #561 nationally

      33.3Value
      Earnings
      $73,708
      Net price
      $9,653
      Federal debt
      $20,500
      Graduation rate
      42%
    7. Rank in Arkansas 7

      Harding University

      Searcy, AR · Private nonprofit · #643 nationally

      24.6Value
      Earnings
      $71,872
      Net price
      $19,786
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      71%
    8. Rank in Arkansas 8

      Henderson State University

      Arkadelphia, AR · Public · #645 nationally

      24.2Value
      Earnings
      $68,733
      Net price
      $21,843
      Federal debt
      $14,234
      Graduation rate
      36%
    9. Rank in Arkansas 9

      Southern Arkansas University

      Magnolia, AR · Public · #647 nationally

      23.3Value
      Earnings
      $70,185
      Net price
      $16,015
      Federal debt
      $21,500
      Graduation rate
      46%
    10. Rank in Arkansas 10

      John Brown University

      Siloam Springs, AR · Private nonprofit · #657 nationally

      21.0Value
      Earnings
      $64,963
      Net price
      $22,476
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      77%

    Method: the same value score as the national nursing 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 nursing colleges in Arkansas

    What are the best colleges for nursing in Arkansas?

    By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 Arkansas colleges for nursing are Arkansas State University (value score 61.6), Arkansas Tech University (value score 55.2) and University of Arkansas at Little Rock (value score 53). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.

    Which Arkansas college has the highest earnings for nursing graduates?

    University of Arkansas at Little Rock: its nursing graduates have median earnings of $88,617 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    What is the most affordable nursing 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 nursing?

    10 Arkansas colleges have a nursing 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.