2026 Best Value History Schools in Arkansas

[History](/majors/history/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 18 schools to find the best return on investment for history students.
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2026 Best Value History Schools in Arkansas
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in history, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value History Schools
Our analysis ranked Arkansas State University Main Campus the best value for a degree in history in Arkansas. Located in the city of Jonesboro, Arkansas State University Main Campus is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $8,090 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $14,522. Typical student debt for history graduates is $26,618. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients from Arkansas State University Main Campus generally make around $48,847. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 82%.
Students looking for strong value in history will find it at Arkansas Tech University, which ranked #2. Arkansas Tech University is a large public school located in the town of Russellville. In-state tuition and fees average $8,674, while out-of-state students pay about $14,668. Students borrow a median of $23,257 to complete the history program here. Early-career history graduates make about $45,115. That is a strong return on a $23,257 median debt. Arkansas Tech University admits about 96% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Arkansas Fort Smith one of the best values for history. University Of Arkansas Fort Smith is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Fort Smith. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,334, compared with $12,182 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for history graduates is $19,700. History graduates of University Of Arkansas Fort Smith earn a median of $26,445 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Arkansas At Little Rock earned it the #4 place for history. University Of Arkansas At Little Rock is a large public school located in the city of Little Rock. In-state tuition and fees average $9,911, with out-of-state students paying around $22,721. History graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. History graduates of University Of Arkansas At Little Rock earn a median of $23,785 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. University Of Arkansas At Little Rock admits about 59% of applicants.
University Of Central Arkansas is a great value for students pursuing a degree in history, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Conway, University Of Central Arkansas is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,523, compared with $18,023 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the history program here. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients from University Of Central Arkansas generally make around $29,337. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Arkansas earned the #6 position for value in history this year. Located in the city of Fayetteville, University Of Arkansas is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,104, while out-of-state students pay about $29,966. History graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. History graduates of University Of Arkansas earn a median of $27,873 early in their careers. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Arkansas admits about 74% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 18 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.