Best Online Colleges in Arkansas for 2024

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The Arkansas labor force for different sectors moves up and down, depending on how each sector performs from month to month. As an example, the civilian labor force’s employment ranged from 130,557 up to 135,820. Percentage wise, the unemployment rate moved from 4.4% to 4.3% recently.

The latest tracked time period for annual wages was May of 2020. During this time, the annual mean wage for all occupations was $45,000, while the hourly median wage was $16.51.

Employment numbers for other sectors included non-farm, construction, mining, logging, manufacturing, information, financial activities, professional and business activities, leisure and hospitality, trade, transportation and utilities, and education and health services. Government employment was also included in these numbers.

No matter your career goals or what industry you plan to become a part of, higher education is something that you almost can’t do without in today’s world. Nearly all of these industries, from agriculture to finance, require or at the least greatly reward well educated employees.

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Online Higher Education in Arkansas


Online education includes a huge segment of students who attend Arkansas colleges and universities. These schools have 46,552 students enrolled in online-only (distance learning) courses. The same colleges have 62,800+ students who are enrolled in some online courses or degree programs; these students may be enrolled in a hybrid learning format, in which they take some courses online and others on-campus.

The total student enrollment in the state is nearly 151,600 students, many of which attend online-only or hybrid classes. Breaking this down further, undergraduate schools enrolled around 93,800 students in online courses; the number of students taking at least one graduate course online was 15,600+.

The cost of attendance for Arkansas students and out-of-state students is another important factor for those considering attending college in the state. Undergraduate students attending school in-state paid around $5,000 on average for tuition and fees, $1,332 for books and supplies, and $12,174 for room and board. This made their total cost of attendance around $18,500. Out-of-state students paid closer to $8,300 in tuition and fees, while their other costs for attendance were the same, giving them a total cost of around $21,800.

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For many schools, there is no difference between the cost for an online vs. an on-campus degree. The main difference between these options is the extra cost of boarding, food, gas, etc. This is another reason why so many students these days are considering earning their degree online.

Our School Rankings Methodology


The methodology used to arrive at school rankings should be accurate, unbiased, and up to date. Students and their families rely on these numbers to help them find the best education available at a reasonable price. However, determining the value of student experiences is not always objective. Beyond the rankings and percentages, students accumulate memories, experiences, and impressions, which may be much more subjective. This is why it’s important for students to have plenty of objective information before they develop an opinion about the more subjective offerings from their school options.

Graduating salaries, one of the many data points we use in our rankings, may help students to choose a degree program that aligns with their skills and interests while also offering them the ability to do well in their life after college. Knowing how much financial aid or placement assistance can help a prospective student get a feel for how much help they can expect from the school throughout their college academic career.

In ranking online universities and colleges in Arkansas, our researchers used data from a variety of reliable sources. This includes sources provided by the school itself, government sources, and those from other respected organizations. By gathering objective information, we allow students to really know what they’re choosing between when one school seems to have a great, tight-knit community and another offers a big-city night life.

Ranking factors we use include:

  • Admission Rate
  • Retention Rate
  • Graduation Rate (4- and 6-year)
  • Cost of Tuition
  • Number of Programs Offered
  • Online Programs Offered
  • Graduating Salary
  • Diplomas Awarded
  • Number of Students provided Financial Aid
  • Loan Default Rate

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What are the Best Online Associate & Community College Programs in Arkansas?


Arkansas students planning to complete an online community college degree program are often those who are trying to keep cost in mind and their debt low. An affordable online education from a community college can not only keep your attendance cost low when it comes to tuition, but it can also help you to pay less for each credit while still providing you the option to finish a bachelor’s at a respected university. Your overall costs will be lower despite finishing the same degree as someone who spent all four years at a more expensive school.

Ozarka College
College Type
2-year, Public
Student Population
1,170
Graduation Rate
57%
Net Price
$5,809
Grads Salary
$27,300
Arkansas Tech University
College Type
4-year, primarily associate's, Public
Student Population
10,829
Graduation Rate
44%
Net Price
$11,277
Grads Salary
$34,100
NorthWest Arkansas Community College
College Type
2-year, Public
Student Population
8,383
Graduation Rate
27%
Net Price
$6,079
Grads Salary
$32,800
University of Arkansas Community College-Batesville
College Type
2-year, Public
Student Population
1,459
Graduation Rate
52%
Net Price
$7,896
Grads Salary
$25,500
Arkansas State University-Beebe
College Type
2-year, Public
Student Population
3,317
Graduation Rate
42%
Net Price
$9,084
Grads Salary
$29,400
Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas
College Type
2-year, Public
Student Population
1,541
Graduation Rate
41%
Net Price
$4,377
Grads Salary
$27,100
Southern Arkansas University Tech
College Type
2-year, Public
Student Population
1,102
Graduation Rate
41%
Net Price
$8,730
Grads Salary
$26,700
Black River Technical College
College Type
2-year, Public
Student Population
1,472
Graduation Rate
30%
Net Price
$5,307
Grads Salary
$26,100
Arkansas Northeastern College
College Type
2-year, Public
Student Population
1,562
Graduation Rate
27%
Net Price
$4,486
Grads Salary
$25,700
University of Arkansas at Monticello
College Type
4-year, primarily associate's, Public
Student Population
2,855
Graduation Rate
36%
Net Price
$11,967
Grads Salary
$31,500
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What are the Best Online Universities & College Programs in Arkansas?


College enrollment continues to rise. Perhaps this is due to prospective college students learning about the difference in income between those who have a college degree and those who do not. Even with an online degree, which once might have been considered less worthwhile than traditional degrees, annual salaries for those who hold a higher education degree are $24,000 higher than non-college graduates, on average. Students earning graduate degrees increase their annual earnings even more.

And students can expect to earn just as much with a degree they earned online as they do with a degree earned in a traditional classroom setting. In fact, there is no significant difference between these options anymore.

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University of Arkansas
College Type
4-year, Public
Student Population
27,562
Graduation Rate
68%
Net Price
$16,759
Grads Salary
$67,500
University of Arkansas Grantham
College Type
4-year, Private for-profit
Student Population
6,465
Graduation Rate
22%
Net Price
$9,303
Grads Salary
$76,000
Harding University
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit
Student Population
4,617
Graduation Rate
72%
Net Price
$19,454
Grads Salary
$63,300
Arkansas Tech University
College Type
4-year, primarily associate's, Public
Student Population
10,829
Graduation Rate
44%
Net Price
$11,277
Grads Salary
$34,100
Arkansas State University
College Type
4-year, Public
Student Population
13,106
Graduation Rate
53%
Net Price
$14,275
Grads Salary
$61,500
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
College Type
4-year, Public
Student Population
8,899
Graduation Rate
42%
Net Price
$12,235
Grads Salary
$63,700
Southern Arkansas University
College Type
4-year, Public
Student Population
4,475
Graduation Rate
43%
Net Price
$13,561
Grads Salary
$64,000
Williams Baptist University
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit
Student Population
550
Graduation Rate
38%
Net Price
$16,646
Grads Salary
$70,000
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
College Type
4-year, Public
Student Population
5,887
Graduation Rate
31%
Net Price
$9,209
Grads Salary
$57,800
University of Arkansas at Monticello
College Type
4-year, primarily associate's, Public
Student Population
2,855
Graduation Rate
36%
Net Price
$11,967
Grads Salary
$31,500
Full Ranking Report

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