1.  [College research](/)
2.  /
3.  [University of Arkansas](/school/university-of-arkansas/)
4.  /
5.  Career outcomes brief

Career outcomes brief

Copy linkPrint brief

# University of Arkansas Career Outcomes & Earnings

Updated September 30, 2026

[Overview](/school/university-of-arkansas/)[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-arkansas/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/university-of-arkansas/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-arkansas/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-arkansas/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much do University of Arkansas graduates earn?

The reported median is $68,890 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $65,610 as its benchmark; the difference is $3,280 per year.

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $68,890, at the 74th percentile nationally. That is $3,280 above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Graduates earn about $1,532 less than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 49th percentile.

Azimuth places the return pillar at the 76th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $13,766. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $15,298.

Earnings vary sharply by field, so the school-level median conceals a broad modeled range. Across 54 programs with published earnings data four years after completion, the downside and upside scenarios run from $49,190 to $89,308.

At the upper end, Computer and Information Sciences completers have median earnings of $102,747, Computer Engineering completers earn $99,031, and Industrial Engineering completers earn $98,765, all four years after completion. Those field figures show why the earnings scenarios span a wide range.

Graduate study is part of the context for reading earnings: an estimated 26.5% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. Because the four-year earnings measure includes completers who are working and not enrolled, it does not describe those continuing their education.

**Median earnings · four years after completion**
$68,890

**Rank for difference from expectations**
49th percentile

Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks

**University of Arkansas reported median**
$68,890

**Peer schools comparable schools · $3,280 below University of Arkansas**
$65,610

**Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $1,532 above University of Arkansas**
$70,422

School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/).

## How could earnings differ from the median?

The planning scenarios range from $49,190 to $89,308, around the reported median of $68,890. Compare the lower scenario with [University of Arkansas borrowing and monthly payments](/school/university-of-arkansas/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan.

Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate.

Earnings four years after completion

Planning rangeReported median

**Lower estimate**
$49,190

**Median · reported**
$68,890

**Higher estimate**
$89,308

Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates.

[Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/).

## Do University of Arkansas graduates earn more than expected?

Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added).

University of Arkansas graduates’ reported earnings are $1,532 below that expectation, the 49th percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls.

The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending University of Arkansas caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/).

What explains value-added earnings?

**Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.**
+$13,766

**Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.**
\-$15,298

**Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.**
\-$1,532

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

## Which fields at University of Arkansas report the highest earnings?

The largest programs show a broad range in earnings four years after completion, making field choice central to the return picture at University of Arkansas. For Finance, median earnings were $87,717 from 351 degrees awarded; [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #54 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

Nursing recorded $84,911 from 269 degrees awarded and ranks #174 in Azimuth’s national comparison among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Business Administration and Management had median earnings of $79,770 from 405 degrees awarded, with an Azimuth national rank of #62 among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

At the more moderate end, Communication and Media Studies reported $56,969 from 226 degrees awarded and an Azimuth rank of #96 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. The higher figures in the first pair contrast with the more moderate figures in the latter pair.

National field rankings give University of Arkansas a broad program profile, with 51 ranked programs and earnings data published for 54 fields. In Azimuth’s national field rankings among nonprofit four-year institutions, Agricultural Public Services ranks #5, awarded 29 degrees, and has median earnings of $54,454 four years after completion.

[Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Animal Sciences #7 nationally; it awarded 88 degrees and reports median earnings of $56,136 four years after completion. Business/Managerial Economics is ranked #9 nationally by Azimuth, with 48 degrees awarded and median earnings of $97,743 four years after completion.

Highest reported four-year program earnings

**Computer and Information Sciences, General**
$102,747

**Computer Engineering**
$99,031

**Industrial Engineering**
$98,765

**Business/Managerial Economics**
$97,743

**Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering**
$97,516

**Computer Science**
$95,642

**Chemical Engineering**
$93,641

**Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods**
$88,067

[Explore University of Arkansas program cohorts and field ranks](/school/university-of-arkansas/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context.

## Further analysis

Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix show substantial variation by field: the downside scenario is $49,190, the typical scenario is $68,890, and the upside scenario is $89,308. Computer and Information Sciences reaches $102,747 four years after completion, whereas Communication and Media Studies is $56,969.

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of University of Arkansas who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $68,890. The four-year earnings cohort includes 4,364 completers, and Azimuth places the figure in the 74th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $1,532 less than the model expects for similar students. The earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show the range: a downside scenario of $49,190 and an upside scenario of $89,308.

An estimated 26.5% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The earnings picture is mixed: graduates out-earn the median among comparable public universities but fall short of what the model predicts for students like them.

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

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

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).