Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for University of Arkansas, University of Alabama, University of Louisville. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | ArkansasFayetteville, AR | AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL | LouisvilleLouisville, KY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 74.3% | 76.6% | 79.4% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1030–1220 | 1170–1400 | 1040–1270 |
| Average net price | $18,20917.8% on Pell grants | $22,42018.4% on Pell grants | $17,98830.6% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $10,104 in-state · $29,966 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $12,180 in-state · $34,172 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $13,136 in-state · $29,482 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 70.5% | 73.4% | 61.2% |
| First-year retention | 86.4% | 89.5% | 81.5% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 17.8% | 18.4% | 30.6% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $58,191 | $59,221 | $53,899 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $21,500 | $22,750 | $20,500 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 20:1 | 19:1 | 14:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 28,677 | 33,227 | 14,727 |
| Consensus percentile | 45Lower is better | 43Lower is better | 49Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 69 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 56 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 72 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Arkansas | Alabama | Louisville |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #183 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #169 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #158 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | #175 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #270 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #309 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #969 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #608 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #521 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #233 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #276 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #396 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #182 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #149 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #178 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| QS | #1147 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | #933 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | #1161 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 |
Students comparing University of Arkansas on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
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.
Full profileStudents comparing University of Alabama on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
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.
Full profileStudents comparing University of Louisville on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
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.
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