Best Health Professions Colleges in Arkansas (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 12 four-year colleges in Arkansas that report a Health Professions earnings cohort, ordered by the median earnings of Health Professions graduates four years after completing. University of Arkansas at Little Rock leads the list with median earnings of $81,688 four years after completing.
Across the 11 schools with a reported completion median, earnings range from $81,688 to $49,174, with a median of $68,733.
Public institutions account for 8 of the 12 schools on the list, alongside 4 private colleges. Arkansas State University posts the lowest average net price at $12,366, while University of Arkansas ranks 218th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Health Professions Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock · Little Rock, AR | $81,688 | $17,248 | $15,195 | 58.8% |
| University of Arkansas at Little Rock ranks 1st on this list, with median earnings of $81,688 for its Health Professions graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (192 graduates), Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General (27 graduates), Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (9 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($88,617), Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General ($46,276) | |||||
| 2 | Arkansas State University · Jonesboro, AR | $78,222 | $12,366 | $10,098 | 82.3% |
| An average net price of $12,366 makes Arkansas State University the lowest on the page, and its graduates report median earnings of $78,222 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (200 graduates), Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (31 graduates), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (31 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($88,611), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($63,340), Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions ($57,419) | |||||
| 3 | University of Arkansas · Fayetteville, AR | $76,730 | $18,209 | $14,319 | 74.3% |
| University of Arkansas posts a six-year completion rate of 71% and ranks 218th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (269 graduates), Public Health (121 graduates), Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (80 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($84,911), Public Health ($67,891) | |||||
| 4 | University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences · Little Rock, AR | $72,403 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| Graduates of University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences earn a median of $72,403 four years after completing, placing the school 4th on this list. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (157 graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (121 graduates), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (79 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($79,413), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($74,782), Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions ($67,126) | |||||
| 5 | Southern Arkansas University Main Campus · Magnolia, AR | $70,185 | $14,027 | $13,187 | 75.3% |
| Southern Arkansas University Main Campus admits 75% of applicants and its graduates earn a median of $70,185 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (33 graduates), Public Health (10 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($70,185) | |||||
| 6 | Henderson State University · Arkadelphia, AR | $68,733 | $23,405 | $23,386 | Not reported |
| Henderson State University has an average net price of $23,405 and a six-year completion rate of 37%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (64 graduates), Public Health (31 graduates), Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (6 graduates) | |||||
| 7 | Harding University · Searcy, AR | $67,582 | $22,130 | $15,418 | 70.5% |
| A private nonprofit university in Searcy, Harding University reports median earnings of $67,582 for its Health Professions graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (46 graduates), Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (21 graduates), Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (5 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($71,872) | |||||
| 8 | John Brown University · Siloam Springs, AR | $64,963 | $20,397 | $17,484 | 76.1% |
| John Brown University reports median earnings of $64,963 four years after completing, alongside a six-year completion rate of 72%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (16 graduates) | |||||
| 9 | University of Central Arkansas · Conway, AR | $63,611 | $16,511 | $14,656 | 89.5% |
| University of Central Arkansas admits 89% of applicants, the most open admission rate on the list, and its graduates earn a median of $63,611 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (113 graduates), Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (57 graduates), Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (55 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($76,783), Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other ($54,517), Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions ($49,129) | |||||
| 10 | Ouachita Baptist University · Arkadelphia, AR | $62,886 | $22,409 | $15,207 | 67.5% |
| Ouachita Baptist University reports an average net price of $22,409 and a six-year completion rate of 61%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (17 graduates), Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (11 graduates), Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services (6 graduates) | |||||
| 11 | University of the Ozarks · Clarksville, AR | $49,174 | $17,360 | $14,664 | 59.5% |
| University of the Ozarks ranks 11th on this list, with median earnings of $49,174 for its Health Professions graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Public Health (24 graduates) | |||||
| 12 | University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff · Pine Bluff, AR | $49,001 | $12,653 | $12,302 | 41.2% |
| An average net price of $12,653 and an admission rate of 41% make University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff the most selective school on the page. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (18 graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (18 graduates) | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Health Professions graduates four years after completing, highest first. The figure is the median for federally aided Health Professions completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The figures cited on this page cover the 11 schools with a reported completion median. University of Arkansas at Little Rock leads Arkansas State University by $3,466, and the spread from top to bottom is $32,514.
Job market context in Arkansas
Health Professions graduates in Arkansas enter occupations such as Nursing Assistants, Registered Nurses, and Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses. The median annual wage across those occupations is $57,596; a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $47,678. Projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 15,340 openings a year, or about 640 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 13.3% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing; the market figures describe the occupations, not the earnings of any listed school's graduates.