by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the college options in Arkansas, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. We have ranked **27** schools by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual analyzed 27 colleges across over 20 objective factors such as graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, and per-student spending, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Here are the top-ranked colleges:
Arkansas Tech University earned the #1 spot in this year's Best Colleges ranking in Arkansas. This public school is set in Russellville, AR. The six-year graduation rate is 44%. In-state tuition and fees run about $8,674, with out-of-state students paying around $14,668. Graduates go on to earn a median of $45,115 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $23,257 to complete a degree here.
You'll be in good company at University Of Central Arkansas, which ranked #2 this year. Set in Conway, AR, University Of Central Arkansas is a public institution. About 53% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $10,523, while out-of-state students pay about $18,023. Graduates go on to earn a median of $43,187 early in their careers. The median student debt is $22,920.
A rank of #3 makes Northwest Arkansas Community College one of the top colleges in Arkansas. This public school is set in Bentonville, AR. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,342, while out-of-state students pay about $5,238. Early-career graduates earn a median of $40,671. Typical student debt is $12,479.
A rank of #4 makes Arkansas State University Main Campus one of the top colleges in Arkansas. Arkansas State University Main Campus is a public school based in Jonesboro, AR. The six-year graduation rate is 53%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,090, while out-of-state students pay about $14,522. Graduates go on to earn a median of $48,847 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $23,399 in student loans.
University Of Arkansas At Little Rock came in at #5 on this year's Best Colleges ranking in Arkansas. Set in Little Rock, AR, University Of Arkansas At Little Rock is a public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 37%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,911, with out-of-state students paying around $22,721. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $47,170. Students borrow a median of $27,093 to complete a degree here.
Southern Arkansas University Tech ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Located in Camden, AR, Southern Arkansas University Tech is a public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,040, with out-of-state students paying around $6,480. Southern Arkansas University Tech graduates report median early-career earnings of $34,302. Typical student debt is $8,488.
Arkansas State University Newport landed the #7 spot in Arkansas this year. Set in Newport, AR, Arkansas State University Newport is a public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,312, with out-of-state students paying around $4,752. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $44,500. Graduates carry a median of $10,925 in student loans.
College Of The Ouachitas came in at #8 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Malvern, AR. In-state tuition and fees average $3,788, compared with $4,388 for out-of-state students.
Southern Arkansas University Main Campus came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Based in Magnolia, AR, Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is a public institution. Southern Arkansas University Main Campus graduates 44% of students within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,960, compared with $15,690 for out-of-state students. Early-career graduates earn a median of $41,723. Southern Arkansas University Main Campus students take on a median of $20,385 in debt.
Arkansas State University Beebe did well this year, earning the #10 position. Arkansas State University Beebe is a public school based in Beebe, AR. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,336, compared with $5,232 for out-of-state students. Median early-career earnings reach $30,293. Typical student debt is $9,350.
University Of Arkansas Community College Morrilton placed #11 among the best colleges in Arkansas. Set in Morrilton, AR, University Of Arkansas Community College Morrilton is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $3,648, with out-of-state students paying around $4,728. University Of Arkansas Community College Morrilton graduates report median early-career earnings of $47,729. Students borrow a median of $13,758 to complete a degree here.
University Of Arkansas At Monticello did well this year, earning the #12 position. This public school is set in Monticello, AR. The six-year graduation rate is 38%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,292, while out-of-state students pay about $14,857. University Of Arkansas At Monticello graduates report median early-career earnings of $41,278. Graduates carry a median of $15,611 in student loans.
Phillips Community College Of The University Of Arkansas ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Set in Helena, AR, Phillips Community College Of The University Of Arkansas is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $3,380, compared with $4,550 for out-of-state students. Phillips Community College Of The University Of Arkansas graduates report median early-career earnings of $45,190. Typical student debt is $5,500.
Black River Technical College came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Set in Pocahontas, AR, Black River Technical College is a public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,776, compared with $7,488 for out-of-state students. Early-career graduates earn a median of $41,888. Typical student debt is $12,420.
University Of Arkansas Community College Batesville placed #15 among the best colleges in Arkansas. Based in Batesville, AR, University Of Arkansas Community College Batesville is a public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,630, with out-of-state students paying around $4,662. Graduates go on to earn a median of $64,187 early in their careers. The median student debt is $9,265.
University Of Arkansas Fort Smith placed #16 among the best colleges in Arkansas. Set in Fort Smith, AR, University Of Arkansas Fort Smith is a public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 38%. Students from in state pay about $7,334 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $12,182. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $39,204. Graduates carry a median of $20,333 in student loans.
Cossatot Community College Of The University Of Arkansas did well this year, earning the #17 position. This public school is set in De Queen, AR. Students from in state pay about $4,320 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $5,190. Early-career graduates earn a median of $35,035. The median student debt is $7,018.
Henderson State University ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Located in Arkadelphia, AR, Henderson State University is a public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 37%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,244, with out-of-state students paying around $10,620. Henderson State University graduates report median early-career earnings of $40,131. The median student debt is $23,234.
Pulaski Technical College placed #19 among the best colleges in Arkansas. Pulaski Technical College is a public school based in North Little Rock, AR. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,300, while out-of-state students pay about $9,450. Graduates go on to earn a median of $32,554 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $15,043 to complete a degree here.
East Arkansas Community College did well this year, earning the #20 position. Located in Forrest City, AR, East Arkansas Community College is a public institution. Students from in state pay about $3,300 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $4,380. Early-career graduates earn a median of $42,134. East Arkansas Community College students take on a median of $8,110 in debt.
Rich Mountain Community College placed #21 among the best colleges in Arkansas. Based in Mena, AR, Rich Mountain Community College is a public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,696, with out-of-state students paying around $4,272. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $21,186.
South Arkansas Community College landed the #22 spot in Arkansas this year. Set in El Dorado, AR, South Arkansas Community College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $3,324, with out-of-state students paying around $5,532. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $59,370. Graduates carry a median of $15,386 in student loans.
North Arkansas College ranked #23 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Located in Harrison, AR, North Arkansas College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $3,504, while out-of-state students pay about $5,592. North Arkansas College graduates report median early-career earnings of $38,948. Students borrow a median of $10,645 to complete a degree here.
Southeast Arkansas College placed #24 among the best colleges in Arkansas. Located in Pine Bluff, AR, Southeast Arkansas College is a public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,200, while out-of-state students pay about $8,650. Southeast Arkansas College graduates report median early-career earnings of $30,715. The median student debt is $12,008.
Arkansas Northeastern College placed #25 among the best colleges in Arkansas. This public school is set in Blytheville, AR. In-state tuition and fees run about $2,570, while out-of-state students pay about $4,250. Median early-career earnings reach $47,773. Arkansas Northeastern College students take on a median of $7,944 in debt.
These colleges also placed among the very best this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Colleges are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and per-student spending drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.