Cost & financial aid brief
University of Central Arkansas Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does University of Central Arkansas cost after financial aid?
Aid covers about 34% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, reducing the sticker price by $8,518 on average. The pricing structure across income bands is compressed.
The lowest-income band pays an average net price of $14,656, only $5,501 less than the highest band. That narrow gap means the aid formula does not steeply discount for lower incomes, and the middle bands sit close to both ends.
The published cost of attendance at University of Central Arkansas is $25,029. Azimuth ranks the university #356 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 $14,656, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $16,203, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $20,157. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $5,501.
Aid covers about 34% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The across all aid recipients is $16,511, which is $2,443 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $20,346 in federal student loans. That is $883 below the median for comparable institutions, $21,229.
82.7% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $16,180 in Parent PLUS loans.
If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $231 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Federal borrowing is common at University of Central Arkansas. 82.7% of federal aid recipients take federal loans, and among those who complete, median federal student debt is $20,346.
That is $883 below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, the median debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $231 a month.
Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $16,180 in Parent PLUS loans.
At University of Central Arkansas, the return picture is mixed. The median earnings of $52,203 four years after completion rank at the 24th percentile and sit $5,098 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions.
Graduates earn about $2,950 less than expects for similar students, at the 44th percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from $41,552 on the downside to $69,700 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $52,203.
On the debt side, the median federal loan balance at completion is $20,346, which is $883 below the peer median. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $231 a month if repaid over ten years.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $16,180. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $231 a month if repaid over ten years.
Repayment figures are in the Financial GPS card below. Borrowing populations and model assumptions.
Parent loans: what can the family afford?
How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families
- Median Parent PLUS debt
- $16,180
- Estimated parent payment
- $206/mo
| Income | Risk level |
|---|---|
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | Safe |
| $150,000 | Safe |
| $200,000 | Safe |
The model holds the parent balance fixed and varies parent income. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $20,346
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $16,180
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $231/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $206/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $437/mo
Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.
Student payment as a share of available income
At median graduate earnings of $52,203, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
9.4% of income above the allowance · Good
- Excellent Under 8%
- Good 8–under 12% · selected scenario
- Concerning 12–20%
- High risk Over 20%
How this estimate works
These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $22,590, uses the published framework’s 2024 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.
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.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, 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.
Net price and borrowing. The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. College Scorecard data and documentation.
A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.
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. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.