College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

ARMedium public institution · Overall rank #466 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth ranks University of Arkansas at Little Rock #466 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions.

Who it’s a good fit for

University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a public university in Little Rock, Arkansas, where Health Professions and Business account for the largest shares of degrees. Most graduates are estimated to go into jobs rather than on to further study.

Graduates earn less than predicts for students like them. The model attributes an addition to the factors it measures and a subtraction to the remainder it cannot explain.

Access is well above average. Pell recipients complete at a rate that trails the overall cohort.

The admission rate is below the median for comparable institutions. A student drawn to Nursing should know it is both the largest program and the best-paid one.

A student considering Criminal Justice or Psychology should know that graduates in those fields earn below the national median for their field.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
58.8%
Six-year completion[2]
41.6%
Four-year earnings[3]
$58,470

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$19,018
Median student debt[4]
$22,000
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$10,492

University of Arkansas at Little Rock rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a public university in Little Rock, Arkansas, enrolling 4,949 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits near the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (68th percentile).

The university admits 58.8% of applicants, a rate well below the 85.9% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Among full-time first-year students, 76.5% return for a second year, compared with a median of 73.7% for similar schools.

The six-year graduation rate for that cohort is 41.6%, against a peer median of 49.1%. An estimated 65.2% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, which means the first-time, full-time graduation rate describes a minority of the student body.

The four sit apart. Access is the strongest, at the 86th percentile, while return is the weakest, at the 45th percentile.

Affordability and mobility fall between them, at the 72nd and 48th percentiles respectively.

Access is the strongest pillar for University of Arkansas at Little Rock, sitting at the 86th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Affordability follows at the 72nd percentile.

The other two pillars are closer to the middle of the pack. Mobility is at the 48th percentile, and return is the weakest of the four at the 45th percentile.

Among enrolled students who submitted scores, the middle half of SAT results ranged from 960 to 1,210, and the middle half of ACT results from 17 to 24. Pell Grants go to 41.2% of undergraduates.

The university ranks #211 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell recipients finish within six years at 30.8%, 10.8 percentage points below the overall rate (41.6%).

The mobility pillar ranks #756 among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $3,762 less than the model expects for similar students.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

University of Arkansas at Little Rock rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#466

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 48
Access & reach
National percentile: 86
Affordability
National percentile: 72
Return on investment
National percentile: 45

Top-ranked majors

  1. Information Science/Studies#52
  2. Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General#72
  3. Social Work#122

This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

Explore major rankings

01 / University of Arkansas at Little Rock briefing

University of Arkansas at Little Rock cost & financial aid[6][7]

University of Arkansas at Little Rock sets a published cost of attendance of $22,519 for the standard budget. In-state tuition and fees run $9,748, while nonresidents pay $22,158.

Room and board add another $10,760. After grants and scholarships, aid recipients pay $17,248 on average.

That is $5,271 less than the full sticker price. On average, aid covers about 23% of the published cost for the average aid recipient.

The average net price is $3,180 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #403 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 72nd percentile.

The published cost of attendance at University of Arkansas at Little Rock is $22,519. Azimuth ranks the university #403 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $15,195, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $19,018, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $22,255. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,060.

Aid covers about 23% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The across all aid recipients is $17,248, which is $3,180 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $22,000 in federal student loans. That is $771 above the peer median of $21,229.

Parents who borrow through the Parent PLUS program hold a separate median of $10,492. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $250 a month.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$19,018

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Most undergraduates at University of Arkansas at Little Rock borrow: 82.9% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among those who complete, the median federal student loan debt is $22,000.

That median is $771 above the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parent borrowers hold a separate median of $10,492 in Parent PLUS loans.

At University of Arkansas at Little Rock, graduates earn about $3,762 less than the model expects for similar students. That gap sits at the 40th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Four years after completion, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $58,470. That median lands $1,169 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

It sits at the 45th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix span from $42,017 on the downside to $85,532 on the upside, with $58,470 as the typical outcome.

Borrowers who finish hold a median of $22,000 in federal loans, $771 above the peer median. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $250 a month if repaid over ten years.

Earnings beat the comparable median yet fall short of the model's expectation, with debt running higher as well.

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $10,492. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $250 a month if repaid over ten years.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$22,000
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$10,492

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$250/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$133/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / University of Arkansas at Little Rock briefing

University of Arkansas at Little Rock career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $58,470. That figure is $1,169 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), and sits at the 45th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Azimuth places the return pillar at the 45th percentile. Graduates earn about $3,762 less than the model expects for similar students.

That puts the gap at the 40th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $7,974. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $11,736.

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates from University of Arkansas at Little Rock who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $58,470. That is the 45th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, drawn from a cohort of 1,385 completers.

Earnings at comparable institutions (same type and size) center on $57,301; the university's median is $1,169 above. Graduates earn about $3,762 less than the model expects for similar students.

Earnings scenarios range from $42,017 to $85,532, with a typical outcome of $58,470. The program mix suggests an estimated 28.6% of graduates go on to graduate study.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduates earn a median of $58,470 four years after completing a degree. That is $1,169 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth ranks the university #801 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $3,762 less than the model expects for similar students.

That places the gap at the 40th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $7,974.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $11,736. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,655.

The program mix points to a wide range of outcomes. The downside earnings scenario, estimated from the mix, is $42,017, while the upside scenario reaches $85,532.

An estimated 28.6% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix.

The earnings scenarios show a wide spread: from $42,017 on the downside to $85,532 on the upside. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates.

At the top end, Nursing graduates earn $88,617 four years after completion, from 192 degrees awarded. Construction Engineering Technology/Technician follows at $86,132, with 18 degrees awarded. Finance rounds out the top three at $71,526.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a public university where the cost of attendance is $22,519, and the average net price for aid recipients is $17,248. Aid covers about 23% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, though this is an average rather than a personal quote.

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $22,000 in federal student loans, $771 above the peer median of $21,229 for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $250 a month.

Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $10,492 in Parent PLUS loans. Graduates earn about $3,762 less than the model expects for similar students.

The debt sits close to the peer median, so the value question turns less on borrowing than on whether the earnings picture meets a family's expectations.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$7,974
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
-$11,736
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
-$3,762

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / University of Arkansas at Little Rock briefing

University of Arkansas at Little Rock acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock admits 58.8% of applicants, a rate well below the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

SAT: approximate enrolled-student range
Admission rate
58.8%
Approximate lower endpoint
960
Reported average
1049
Approximate upper endpoint
1210

Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters.

Read the full admissions brief

04 / University of Arkansas at Little Rock briefing

What are the largest majors at University of Arkansas at Little Rock?[12]

Earnings across programs at University of Arkansas at Little Rock vary widely by field. Nursing is the largest program, awarding 192 degrees a year.

Its graduates earn $88,617 four years after completion; Azimuth ranks the program #137 nationally in its field. Several smaller programs also post strong earnings.

Computer and Information Sciences awards 36 degrees a year, with graduates earning $70,696 four years out. Azimuth ranks it #183 nationally in its field.

Other large programs land at more moderate levels. Criminal Justice awards 99 degrees a year, with graduates earning $43,990 four years after completion. Azimuth ranks it #198 nationally in its field.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock has 16 nationally ranked programs, and the largest of them is also the best-paid. Nursing awarded 192 degrees and its completers earn a median of $88,617 four years after completion.

Azimuth ranks it #137 within its field and #1 in Arkansas. The next-largest programs earn considerably less.

Business Administration and Management awarded 75 degrees at $51,384, ranked #328 nationally. The best-ranked program is Information Science/Studies, at #52 in its field, with 20 degrees awarded and median earnings of $61,350.

The institution offers 16 ranked programs, with the largest share of degrees in Health Professions.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock awards degrees across 16 ranked programs, with earnings data published for 21. The program mix leans toward the health professions and business: Health Professions accounts for 18.5% of bachelor's degrees awarded, and Business for 15.8%.

Security & Protective Services is a distant third at 8.0%. The largest single program is Nursing, at 192 degrees awarded a year.

It is also the highest-earning program, with a median of $88,617 four years after completion, and Azimuth ranks it #1 in Arkansas within its field. The highest-ranked program is Information Science/Studies, with 20 degrees awarded a year and median earnings of $61,350 four years after completion.

It ranks #1 in Arkansas within its field. Health Sciences also places well, with 27 degrees awarded and median earnings of $46,276 four years out; Azimuth ranks it #72 nationally within its field and #2 in Arkansas.

The pattern is one of concentrated strength in a few professional fields. Nursing carries the largest share of degrees and the highest earnings, while the highest-ranked programs sit in applied areas like Information Science/Studies and Health Sciences. Across all fields, 20.0% of degrees awarded are in STEM.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 192 degrees awarded
$88,617
Criminal Justice and Corrections 99 degrees awarded
$43,990
Business Administration, Management and Operations 75 degrees awarded
$51,384
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 71 degrees awarded
$50,805
Psychology, General 69 degrees awarded
$45,797
Social Work 67 degrees awarded
$49,594

Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.

Read the full majors brief

05 / University of Arkansas at Little Rock briefing

What colleges are similar to University of Arkansas at Little Rock?[15]

Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. How matching works.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Admissions peerCentral Baptist College63.5% admitted
Comparison with University of Arkansas at Little Rock
MeasureUniversity of Arkansas at Little RockCentral Baptist College
Peer earnings · 4 years$58,470$46,683-$11,787 vs University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Average annual net price$17,248$12,287-$4,961 vs University of Arkansas at Little Rock · lower cost
Admission rate58.8%63.5%
Higher-admission alternativeUniversity of Central Arkansas89.5% admitted
Comparison with University of Arkansas at Little Rock
MeasureUniversity of Arkansas at Little RockUniversity of Central Arkansas
Peer earnings · 4 years$58,470$52,203-$6,267 vs University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Average annual net price$17,248$16,511-$737 vs University of Arkansas at Little Rock · lower cost
Admission rate58.8%89.5%
Explore University of Central Arkansas →
Nearby alternativeUniversity of Central ArkansasNearby option · AR
Comparison with University of Arkansas at Little Rock
MeasureUniversity of Arkansas at Little RockUniversity of Central Arkansas
Peer earnings · 4 years$58,470$52,203-$6,267 vs University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Average annual net price$17,248$16,511-$737 vs University of Arkansas at Little Rock · lower cost
Admission rate58.8%89.5%
Explore University of Central Arkansas →
Higher-earnings alternativeUniversity of Providence$88,535 earnings
Comparison with University of Arkansas at Little Rock
MeasureUniversity of Arkansas at Little RockUniversity of Providence
Peer earnings · 4 years$58,470$88,535+$30,065 vs University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Average annual net price$17,248$17,649+$401 vs University of Arkansas at Little Rock · higher cost
Admission rate58.8%50.3%
Lower-cost alternativeCUNY Lehman College$3,148 average net price
Comparison with University of Arkansas at Little Rock
MeasureUniversity of Arkansas at Little RockCUNY Lehman College
Peer earnings · 4 years$58,470$63,353+$4,883 vs University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Average annual net price$17,248$3,148-$14,100 vs University of Arkansas at Little Rock · lower cost
Admission rate58.8%56.6%
Explore CUNY Lehman College →
Similar profileTexas A&M University-KingsvilleMatched across several measures
Comparison with University of Arkansas at Little Rock
MeasureUniversity of Arkansas at Little RockTexas A&M University-Kingsville
Peer earnings · 4 years$58,470$56,982-$1,488 vs University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Average annual net price$17,248$12,090-$5,158 vs University of Arkansas at Little Rock · lower cost
Admission rate58.8%90.9%
Explore Texas A&M University-Kingsville →

Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.

Read the full similar schools brief

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.

Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.

Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.

Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com.

Data notes & source fields

Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.

  1. Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.

    Source fields: ADM_RATE

  2. Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.

    Source fields: C150_4

  3. Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.

    Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

  4. Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.

    Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN

  5. National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.

    Source fields: Azimuth rankings

    College Azimuth · Ranking methodology

  6. Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.

    Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV

  7. Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.

    Source fields: PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations

    College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology

  8. Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.

    Source fields: Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios

    College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology

  9. Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

    Source fields: Azimuth statistical model

    College Azimuth · Value-added methodology

  10. SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.

    Source fields: SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG

  11. First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.

    Source fields: RET_FT4

  12. Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.

    Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE

    College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation

  13. Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.

    Source fields: PCTPELL

  14. Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.

    Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF

  15. Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.

    Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

    College Azimuth · Comparison methodology

How to interpret program rankings