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Arkansas State University

Students comparing Arkansas State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.

CompareOfficial site
Jonesboro, Arkansas9,110 undergraduatesMean consensus percentile 65Public universityResearch universityU.S. News ranked

The short answer

Arkansas State University: U.S. News ranks it #352 on National Universities (2026); WSJ ranks it #486 on Best Colleges in the U.S. (2026); Niche ranks it #475 on Best Colleges (Overall) (2026). It enrolls 9,110 undergraduates, admits 82.3% of applicants, and posts a 55.4% six-year graduation rate. Out-of-state tuition is $14,522; aid recipients pay $12,366 on average. Median earnings ten years after entry: $42,617.

The six numbers that matter most

Acceptance rate
82.3%

Above the dataset median of 76%

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported entering class, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Average net price
$12,366

53% below the $26,072 published price

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardAverage for full-time first-time aid recipients, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Median earnings, 10 yrs
$42,617

Below the dataset median of $54,053

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMedian earnings 10 years after entry, working and not enrolled, College Scorecard June 2026 release

6-year graduation rate
55.4%

About the dataset median

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent six-year cohort, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Median debt at graduation
$20,500

Above the dataset median of $23,250

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMedian federal loan debt of completers, College Scorecard June 2026 release

SAT middle 50%
970–1190

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardSum of reported reading and math section percentiles for the most recent entering class, College Scorecard June 2026 release. Section percentiles added together approximate, but do not exactly equal, the composite score range.

Where Arkansas State ranks, and why the answers differ

Each publisher's position, the list it belongs to, and how many institutions it was drawn from.

SourceListRank
US News2026National Universities#352of 436National universities
Forbes2026America's Top CollegesNot ranked by this source
Washington Monthly2026Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) DollarsNot ranked by this source
WSJ2026Best Colleges in the U.S.#486of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)
Niche2026Best Colleges (Overall)B#475of 2,605Overall (Niche)
Money2026Best Value CollegesNot ranked by this source
Princeton Review2026Best Colleges (Overall)Not ranked by this source
QS2026World University RankingsNot ranked by this source

Methodology sensitivity: Arkansas State's position moves 79 percentile points depending on which published list you read. That is a wide spread, so which list you consult substantially changes the impression you get. How we compute this

Ranking positions are the editorial property of their publishers and are reproduced here with attribution for comparison and commentary. Follow each source link for its full list and methodology.

About Arkansas State

Arkansas State University is a public institution in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Federal data show 78.1% first-year retention and a 15:1 student-faculty ratio. Figures on this page come from College Scorecard and IPEDS; publisher rankings shown here are transcribed from named sources and checked in our dataset.

Strengths and honest considerations

Strengths

  • Cost and outcome metrics on this profile come directly from federal collections, not self-reported marketing sheets.
  • Net price $12,366 reflects what aid recipients actually paid in the most recent federal reporting year.

Considerations

  • This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
  • Compare $26,072 sticker cost against $12,366 net price before ruling a school in or out on price alone.
  • Publishers we have not loaded yet, or lists that omit this school, show as “not ranked by this source” — that is expected.

Who this school genuinely fits

Students comparing Arkansas State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.

What it costs

Published price, then what families actually pay after grants and scholarships.

In-state tuition & fees
$8,090

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Out-of-state tuition & fees
$14,522

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Room & board
$11,550

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Published cost of attendance comes to roughly $26,072 a year, but the average family pays $12,366 — a 53% difference. 38.4% of undergraduates receive Pell grants, the federal marker of low family income.

Net price varies enormously by income band, so run Arkansas State's net price calculator for your own household before drawing conclusions. Why net price is the only cost number that matters.

Programs and academics

Most popular majors

  1. 1Business
  2. 2Biology
  3. 3Psychology
  4. 4Computer Science
  5. 5Economics

Standout programs

    Student-faculty ratio
    15:1

    IPEDS / National Center for Education StatisticsIPEDS 2023 fall enrollment

    First-year retention
    78.1%

    U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent first-year cohort, College Scorecard June 2026 release

    Undergraduate enrollment
    9,110

    U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

    Arkansas State: questions families ask

    Out-of-state tuition is $14,522 and on-campus room and board is $11,550, for a published total of $26,072 before aid. The average net price for first-time full-time students receiving aid is $12,366.

    The most recent federal admissions rate reported to the Department of Education is 82.3%. Test policy as reported in IPEDS: see the admissions section on this page for the institution's own category.

    Similar colleges

    Matched on institutional character, overlapping majors and comparable cross-source standing.

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    Verified publisher rankings · federal data

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    Acceptance rate
    69.1%
    Average net price
    $13,359
    Median earnings (10 yr)
    $48,541
    6-yr graduation rate
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    US News · National universities#257 of 436Forbes · Top colleges (Forbes)#467 of 500WSJ · U.S. colleges (WSJ)#425 of 500+3 more on profile

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    Savannah State University

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    Verified publisher rankings · federal data

    Savannah State University: U.S. News ranks it #112 on Regional Universities (South) (2026); Washington Monthly ranks it #688 on Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars (2026); WSJ ranks it #488 on Best Colleges in the U.S. (2026); Niche ranks it #778 on Best Colleges (Overall) (2026). It enrolls 2,833 undergraduates, admits not reported of applicants, and posts a 28.0% six-year graduation rate. Out-of-state tuition is $19,043; aid recipients pay $8,172 on average. Median earnings ten years after entry: $37,981.

    Acceptance rate
    Not reported
    Average net price
    $8,172
    Median earnings (10 yr)
    $37,981
    6-yr graduation rate
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    US News · Regional univ. (South)#112 of 135Washington Monthly · Tuition & tax value (WM)#688 of 1,504WSJ · U.S. colleges (WSJ)#488 of 500+1 more on profile

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