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Arkansas Colleges

Knowledge is power! Choose the best Arkansas degree program with our helpful college search tool. Sort the list of Arkansas colleges by tuition, graduation rates and other statistics.

Find the Best Colleges in Arkansas & Beyond

The state of Arkansas supports two university systems, has a network of community colleges, and is host to 10 private colleges and universities accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The list of accredited Arkansas schools includes large public research universities, public and private baccalaureate colleges, plenty of public junior colleges and a variety of Christian colleges. Private schools with headquarters outside of Arkansas also offer degree programs within state lines.
Arkansas residents can also earn affordable degrees out of state through the Academic Common Market. In-state prices are offered to Arkansans for select undergraduate and graduate programs in Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Florida and Texas also offer tuition breaks at the graduate level.

Arkansas College Education Data

Here is an overview of Arkansas colleges and universities that are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

  • Two-Year Colleges: The state of Arkansas oversees more than 20 associate’s colleges. Most of these schools serve about 1500 to 2000 students per year, but Pulaski Technical College in North Little Rock enrolled about 10,500 students in the fall of 2013. Other associate’s colleges with especially high enrollments in Arkansas are the Northwest Arkansas Community College in Benton and Arkansas State University – Beebe. The only private associate’s college in Arkansas that’s accredited by the Higher Learning Commission is Crowley’s Ridge College in Paragould. It’s affiliated with the Churches of Christ.
  • Four-Year Colleges: The University of Arkansas campuses in Fort Smith, Pine Bluff, Fayetteville and Little Rock grant four-year degrees. The remaining four-year schools in Arkansas with accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission are private. Of these nine private schools, eight are Christian colleges. John Brown University is Arkansas’ only secular private college with accredited bachelor degree programs.
  • Master’s Universities: Seven institutions in Arkansas focus on master’s education. Six of these are public universities. One is a private school affiliated with the Churches of Christ.
  • Medical School: The state’s only medical school is the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.

Check out our list of top Arkansas colleges below.

Rank School Name City State Net Cost School Level Retention Rate Distance Learning
1

A & W Healthcare Educators

New Orleans

LA

N/A

Vocational

N/A

No

2

A T Still University of Health Sciences

Kirksville

MO

N/A

4 year

N/A

Yes

3

Aaniiih Nakoda College

Harlem

MT

$8,982

2 year

41.67%

No

4

Aaron's Academy of Beauty

Waldorf

MD

N/A

Vocational

87.5%

No

5

ABC Beauty Academy

Garland

TX

N/A

Vocational

37.5%

No

6

ABC Beauty College Inc

Arkadelphia

AR

N/A

Vocational

50%

No

7

Abcott Institute

Southfield

MI

N/A

Vocational

78.33%

No

8

Abdill Career College Inc

Medford

OR

N/A

Vocational

N/A

No

9

Abilene Christian University

Abilene

TX

N/A

4 year

75.15%

Yes

10

Abington Memorial Hospital Dixon School of Nursing

Willow Grove

PA

N/A

2 year

N/A

No

11

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Tifton

GA

$6,654

4 year

59.46%

Yes

12

Academia Serrant Inc

Ponce

PR

N/A

Vocational

78.89%

No

13

Academy College

Minneapolis

MN

N/A

4 year

N/A

Yes

14

Academy Di Capelli-School of Cosmetology

Wallingford

CT

N/A

Vocational

85.71%

No

15

Academy di Firenze

Jerome

ID

N/A

2 year

87.5%

No

16

Academy for Careers and Technology

Mullins

SC

$7,350

Vocational

62.5%

No

17

Academy for Five Element Acupuncture

Gainesville

FL

N/A

4 year

N/A

No

18

Academy for Jewish Religion-California

Los Angeles

CA

N/A

4 year

N/A

No

19

Academy for Nursing and Health Occupations

West Palm Beach

FL

N/A

2 year

86.36%

Yes

20

Academy for Salon Professionals

Canoga Park

CA

N/A

Vocational

90.91%

No

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Useful and Fun Facts about Arkansas

Learn more about Arkansas with this mix of useful and fun facts.

  • The name “Arkansas” is derived from the Sioux word acansa, which means “people of the south wind.”
  • In honor of its natural beauty, Arkansas is nicknamed the Natural State. The state has highlands and lowlands. It has six national parks, 50 state parks, 2.5 million acres of national forests, 13 major lakes and 9740 miles of rivers and streams. It’s also known for its hot springs.
  • Hot Springs Mountain has dozens of hot springs on its southwestern slope. Their average temperature is 143 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • In Crater of Diamonds State Park, visitors can prospect for diamonds, amethyst and other gemstones.
  • The cost of living in Arkansas is lower than average for the US.
  • Arkansas state government is focused on promoting and supporting higher education. One example is legislation passed in 2009 to help students transfer college credits. Another show of support came in June 2015 when an additional $7 million was allocated for college scholarships. In October 2015 the state adopted a master plan for higher education called Closing the Gap 2020.
  • Some major industries in Arkansas are electronics manufacturing, wood furniture production, paper milling, diamond mining, natural gas, and bromine and petroleum production. The state’s top crops are cotton, rice and soybeans. Tourism is also a big industry; it employs more than 50,000 Arkansans.

Ready to learn and earn? Make your list of best Arkansas colleges and universities today! Compare Arkansas schools and degree programs with help from the CollegeStats search tool.