Public Graduate Good 63/100

Arkansas Tech University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Russellville, Arkansas

About Arkansas Tech University

Thinking about Arkansas Tech University, a college in Arkansas where more students graduate in Liberal Arts than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Arkansas Tech University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Russellville, Arkansas. It enrolls 5,388 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
95.9%
Graduation
40.3%
Net Price
$12,970
Median Earnings (10yr)
$41,766
Enrollment
5,388
Student : Faculty
18:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
63/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 33
Value 67
Affordability 68
Selectivity 12

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Arkansas Tech University admits 95.9% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

Acceptance Rate
95.9%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
880 – 1100
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
17 – 23
Cumulative composite
Test Policy Required SAT or ACT scores must be submitted with the application.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Arkansas Tech University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Stable ↑ 1.5 pts since 2019
94.7%201997.7%202094.4%202194.4%202296.3%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $12,970 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$12,970
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
34%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
26%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$8,674
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$14,668
Room & Board (on-campus)
$10,338
Room & Board (off-campus)
$16,526
Books & Supplies
$1,250
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$4,297
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,509
Total Cost of Attendance
$22,808

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $12,426
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $11,165
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $13,130
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $14,675
  • Over $110,000
    $15,543

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$2,750
10% percentile
$5,500
25% percentile
$21,000
Median percentile
$21,600
75% percentile
$33,870
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $12,500 ↓ $8,500
No Pell $9,012 ↓ $11,988
Dependent students $9,918 ↓ $11,082
Independent students $16,510 ↓ $4,490
Female students $12,250 ↓ $8,750
Male students $10,500 ↓ $10,500
Pell recipients: 17.7% (3,713 students)No Pell: 12.7% (2,677 students)Dependent students: 14.0% (2,946 students)Independent students: 23.4% (4,905 students)Female students: 17.3% (3,639 students)Male students: 14.9% (3,119 students)Overall Median$21,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,543, less than completers ($21,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

40% of students who start here finish within six years, and 73% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
40%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
73%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $41,766 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$41,766
Earning > $25K
68%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$37,000$38,000$40,000$41,000$42,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$31,600

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$46,000

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$33,300

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$40,000

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$48,000

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $14,400, about 31% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Declining: debt management worsening over time ↓ 5.1 pts across 6 years
73.9%1yr71.4%3yr69.3%5yr68.8%7yr
What this signals: Moderate. Only 69% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 5,388 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 46% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
5,388
Part-Time
17%
First-Generation
46%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 71.6% 3,857
Hispanic 12.3% 661
Other 6.4% 345
Black 5.8% 313
Asian 2.0% 106
International 2.0% 106
White: 71.6% (3,857 students)Hispanic: 12.3% (661 students)Other: 6.4% (345 students)Black: 5.8% (313 students)Asian: 2.0% (106 students)International: 2.0% (106 students)Total5,388

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Arkansas Tech University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Town: Remote Russellville, Arkansas
Housing
Partly residential 2,058 beds available
Adult Learners
13% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Health graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Arkansas Tech University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 113 distinct programs across 27 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

2 Programs
17 Programs
14 Programs
8 Programs
6 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 18 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty
18:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$8,463
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$66M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$61,896
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

300 instructional faculty across 5 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 73 24% $80,370
Associate Professors 71 24% $66,469
Assistant Professors 58 19% $62,755
Instructors 38 13% $50,204
No Rank 60 20% $42,224

Pros & Cons of Arkansas Tech University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Arkansas Tech University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Accessible admissions for most applicants
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Class sizes are on the higher side
  • Below-average completion rate
  • Modest first-year retention
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
Best for: Based on the data, Arkansas Tech University is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.

Frequently Asked Questions about Arkansas Tech University

The questions families ask most about Arkansas Tech University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Arkansas Tech University hard to get into?
Not especially. Arkansas Tech University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 95.9%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Arkansas Tech University?
95.9% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Arkansas Tech University?
Aim for 1100 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 880 and 1100 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Arkansas Tech University?
Aim for 23 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 17 and 23 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Arkansas Tech University cost?
Budget around $12,970 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Arkansas Tech University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $41,766 a year against a net price of $12,970, about 3.2 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Arkansas Tech University known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Health Sciences, Business Administration. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Arkansas Tech University graduates earn?
About $41,766 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Arkansas Tech University accredited?
Yes. Arkansas Tech University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Arkansas Tech University?
5,388 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Arkansas Tech University?
40% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Arkansas Tech University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Arkansas Tech University located?
Arkansas Tech University is located in Russellville, Arkansas.
What programs does Arkansas Tech University offer?
113 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Health Sciences, Business Administration. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Arkansas Tech University?
18 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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