Public · Community college
National Park College
Hot Springs, Arkansas · Small suburb
- 10%
- Transfer rate
- $12,720
- Avg net price
- 35%
- Grad / completion
- $32,444
- Median earnings
National Park College is a public certificate-granting institution in Hot Springs, Arkansas (small suburb setting), enrolling 1,789 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs is a resort city in the state of Arkansas, United States, and the county seat of Garland County. In 1673, Father Marquette and Jolliet explored the area and claimed it for France. The 1763 Treaty of Paris ceded the land to Spain; however, in 1800, control was returned to France until the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Small suburb
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 50 miles to Little Rock, AR
- To the ocean
- 315 miles
- Nearest airport
- 3 miles to Memorial Field (HOT)
How National Park College compares
Higher than 20% · #41 of 47 in Arkansas
Higher than 12%
Higher than 40% · #23 of 43 in Arkansas
Cheaper than 59% · #27 cheapest of 49 in Arkansas
Lower than 42%
Lower than 49%
Larger than 80%
Percentiles compare National Park College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Arkansas.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women1,05959%
- Men73041%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White64%
- Black11%
- Hispanic14%
- Asian1.0%
- Other or multiracial9.6%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 1,789
- Student–faculty ratio
- 16 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 48%
- First-generation students
- 46%
- Students over 25
- 21%
- Median family income
- $17,464
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $48,699
- Endowment
- $2,289,969
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $5,600
- Out-of-state tuition
- $7,280
- Room & board
- $6,750
- Books & supplies
- $1,500
- Total cost of attendance
- $19,331
- Average net price
- $12,720
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 35%
- First-year retention
- 51%
- Transferred to another college
- 10%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $28,337
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $32,444
- Median debt at graduation
- $10,500
- Students with federal loans
- 22%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 45%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 180
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 10%
- Housing charge (year)
- $4,725
- Meal plan (year)
- $2,000
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NJCAA Division II
- Varsity athletes
- 159 (110 men · 49 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (5)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.2 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 1
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,805 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 45% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $2,893. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 474 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $32,444
- Typical debt at graduation
- $10,500
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 32%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 37%
Typical debt would take roughly 3.2 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $7,009 (24%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 93°F
- Winter low
- 32°F
- Annual rain
- 58″
- Annual snow
- 1.1″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Hot Springs 1 Nne, AR US station (4 mi from campus).
What National Park College graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to National Park College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare National Park College side by side →
North Arkansas College
Harrison, Arkansas · Remote town · 61 mi to Fayetteville
- Students
- 1,202
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 13%
- Earnings
- $35k
Arkansas State University-Beebe
Beebe, Arkansas · Fringe town · 32 mi to Little Rock
- Students
- 1,986
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 14%
- Earnings
- $37k
University of Arkansas at Monticello
Monticello, Arkansas · Remote town · 84 mi to Little Rock
- Students
- 1,933
- Tuition
- $9k
- Transfer
- 10%
- Earnings
- $37k
University of Arkansas Community College-Morrilton
Morrilton, Arkansas · Distant town · 39 mi to Little Rock
- Students
- 1,447
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 9%
- Earnings
- $35k
University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College
North Little Rock, Arkansas · Small city · 3 mi to Little Rock
- Students
- 4,118
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 15%
- Earnings
- $35k
Arkansas State University-Mountain Home
Mountain Home, Arkansas · Remote town · 79 mi to Springfield
- Students
- 925
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 8%
- Earnings
- $34k
Colleges near National Park College
Champion Christian College
Hot Springs, AR · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 144 students
Hot Springs Beauty College
Hot Springs, AR · Private for-profit · Certificate · 86 students
Arkansas State University Three Rivers
Malvern, AR · Public · Certificate · 550 students
Henderson State University
Arkadelphia, AR · Public · Bachelor's · 1,456 students
Ouachita Baptist University
Arkadelphia, AR · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,602 students
Baptist Health College Little Rock
Little Rock, AR · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 569 students
Washington Barber College Inc
Little Rock, AR · Private for-profit · Certificate · 43 students
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Little Rock, AR · Public · Bachelor's · 4,949 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.












