The cost of college in Arkansas — and what it pays back
Across the 47 Arkansas institutions we profile, the median net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — is $12,366/yr, $4,536 below the $16,902 national median. Graduates earn a median $36,902 ten years after entry (below the $43,549 national median), and 7 of the 47 schools clear their full cost on institution-wide earnings. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
How Arkansas's 47 colleges split by ROI verdict
Verdicts: payback under 5 / 10 / 20 / over 20 years (or none).
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Arkansas Grantham | $8,370 | $63,496 | 2.2 yrs |
| Baptist Health College Little Rock | $25,454 | $62,244 | 7.3 yrs |
| University of Arkansas | $18,209 | $58,191 | 7.4 yrs |
| Hendrix College | $24,149 | $60,376 | 8 yrs |
| John Brown University | $20,397 | $53,907 | 14.7 yrs |
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas | $4,385 | $33,775 | no payback |
| Ozarka College | $4,543 | $29,314 | no payback |
| University of Arkansas Community College Rich Mountain | $4,842 | $30,037 | no payback |
| Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas | $4,848 | $29,552 | no payback |
| Black River Technical College | $5,095 | $34,818 | no payback |
How many Arkansas colleges actually pay for themselves?
7 of 47 — 15% of the Arkansas institutions we profile clear their full net cost on institution-wide earnings above the $48,360 high-school baseline. The rest need a high-paying major to pay off; the school average alone does not do it.
Do Arkansas graduates out-earn the national median?
Arkansas graduates report a median $36,902 ten years after entry, $6,647 below the $43,549 national median. Earnings track the local labour market and the mix of fields the state's colleges graduate, not the state border itself.