by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the graduate school options in Arkansas, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. Our ranking highlights **7** graduate schools by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2027 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual analyzed 7 graduate schools 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.
This is how starting salaries are distributed among the top-ranked graduate schools:
Here are the top-ranked graduate schools:
No school ranked higher than University Of Arkansas For Medical Sciences this year in Arkansas. Located in Little Rock, AR, University Of Arkansas For Medical Sciences is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,086, with out-of-state students paying around $14,714. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $72,098. University Of Arkansas For Medical Sciences students take on a median of $23,106 in debt.
University Of Arkansas came in at #2 on this year's Best Graduate Schools ranking in Arkansas. This public school is set in Fayetteville, AR. University Of Arkansas posts a six-year graduation rate of 70%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,104, compared with $29,966 for out-of-state students. Median early-career earnings reach $52,555. The median student debt is $24,019.
A rank of #3 makes Arkansas State University Main Campus one of the top graduate schools in Arkansas. Based in Jonesboro, AR, Arkansas State University Main Campus is a public institution. Arkansas State University Main Campus graduates 53% of students within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,090, while out-of-state students pay about $14,522. Median early-career earnings reach $48,847. Graduates carry a median of $23,399 in student loans.
A rank of #4 makes Harding University one of the top graduate schools in Arkansas. This private not-for-profit school is set in Searcy, AR. About 69% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $25,962. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $53,629. Students borrow a median of $26,715 to complete a degree here.
A rank of #5 makes University Of Central Arkansas one of the top graduate schools in Arkansas. Set in Conway, AR, University Of Central Arkansas is a public institution. Roughly 53% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees run about $10,523, compared with $18,023 for out-of-state students. University Of Central Arkansas graduates report median early-career earnings of $43,187. Graduates carry a median of $22,920 in student loans.
University Of Arkansas At Little Rock ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best graduate schools. Located in Little Rock, AR, University Of Arkansas At Little Rock is a public institution. Roughly 37% of students complete a degree within six years here. Students from in state pay about $9,911 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $22,721. University Of Arkansas At Little Rock graduates report median early-career earnings of $47,170. Students borrow a median of $27,093 to complete a degree here.
Southern Arkansas University Main Campus placed #7 among the best graduate schools in Arkansas. Located in Magnolia, AR, Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is a public institution. Southern Arkansas University Main Campus posts a six-year graduation rate of 44%. In-state tuition and fees run about $9,960, compared with $15,690 for out-of-state students. Early-career graduates earn a median of $41,723. Students borrow a median of $20,385 to complete a degree here.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked graduate schools only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Graduate schools 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.