2026 Best Value General Education Schools in Arkansas
[General Education](/majors/education/general-education/education-general/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general education education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general education students.
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2026 Best Value General Education Schools in Arkansas
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Education Schools
Arkansas Tech University earned the #1 spot for value among general education schools in Arkansas. Set in the town of Russellville, Arkansas Tech University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,674 in tuition and fees, compared with $14,668 for out-of-state students. General Education graduates carry a median of $23,257 in student loans. General Education graduates of Arkansas Tech University earn a median of $45,115 early in their careers. Set against $23,257 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general education will find it at University Of Arkansas At Monticello, which ranked #2. Located in the town of Monticello, University Of Arkansas At Monticello is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,292, with out-of-state students paying around $14,857. General Education graduates carry a median of $15,611 in student loans. Early-career general education graduates make about $41,278. Set against $15,611 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general education, landing the #3 spot this year. Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Magnolia. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,960, compared with $15,690 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $20,385. General Education graduates of Southern Arkansas University Main Campus earn a median of $44,563 early in their careers. Set against $20,385 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Southern Arkansas University Main Campus admits about 75% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in general education will find it at University Of Central Arkansas, which ranked #4. University Of Central Arkansas is a large public school located in the city of Conway. In-state tuition and fees average $10,523, while out-of-state students pay about $18,023. General Education graduates carry a median of $22,920 in student loans. General Education graduates of University Of Central Arkansas earn a median of $43,187 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,920 median debt. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes University Of Arkansas one of the best values for general education. Located in the city of Fayetteville, University Of Arkansas is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,104, compared with $29,966 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $26,522. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from University Of Arkansas generally make around $31,068. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Arkansas admits about 74% of applicants.
More General Education Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
