Private nonprofit · University

Ouachita Baptist University

Arkadelphia, Arkansas · Distant town

#5 graduation rate in Arkansas
67.5%
Admit rate
$22,409
Avg net price
61%
Graduation rate
$51,673
Median earnings

Ouachita Baptist University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Arkadelphia, Arkansas (distant town setting), enrolling 1,602 undergraduates. It has a Southern Baptist religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,602 undergradsDistant townAccessible · 68% admitNCAA Division II with football · Great American ConferenceCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Ouachita Baptist University's admitted students.

Admit rate
67.5%
SAT (mid 50%)
1070–1280
Avg GPA (est.)
3.48

Enter a test score to see where you land against Ouachita Baptist University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Ouachita Baptist University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Arkadelphia, Arkansas

Arkadelphia is a city in and the county seat of Clark County, Arkansas, United States. In 1809, Adam Blakely established a blacksmith shop at the site, which became known as Blakelytown. Arkadelphia's economy is influenced by education, manufacturing, health care, retail, tourism, and its role as the seat of Clark County. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Distant town
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
289 miles
Nearest airport
24 miles to Memorial Field (HOT)

How Ouachita Baptist University compares

Selectivity67.5%

More selective than 68% · #7 most selective of 15 in Arkansas

SAT average1211

Higher than 61%

Graduation rate61%

Higher than 63% · #5 of 21 in Arkansas

First-year retention83%

Higher than 69%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$51,673

Higher than 43% · #7 of 22 in Arkansas

Average net price$22,409

Cheaper than 38% · #19 cheapest of 21 in Arkansas

Median debt at graduation$21,050

Lower than 67%

Student–faculty ratio14 : 1

Lower than 42%

Undergraduate enrollment1,602

Larger than 51%

Percentiles compare Ouachita Baptist University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Arkansas.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

1,731students
  • Undergraduate1,60293%
  • Graduate1297%

Undergraduates by gender

1,602undergrads
  • Women79249%
  • Men81051%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White81%
  • Black5.6%
  • Hispanic6.3%
  • Asian1.2%
  • Other or multiracial6.4%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,602
Graduate enrollment
129
Student–faculty ratio
14 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
23%
First-generation students
24%
Students over 25
2%
Median family income
$62,149
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$69,318
Endowment
$140,325,456

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 469 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Arkansas61%
  • Other U.S. states38%
  • International1.7%

A regional draw: about 61% of first-years come from Arkansas, the rest from elsewhere.

2% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
67.5%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1070–1280
SAT average
1211
SAT reading
540–650
SAT math
530–630
ACT composite
22–28
Average GPA (estimated)
3.48

Cost

In-state tuition
$34,500
Room & board
$9,720
Books & supplies
$1,100
Total cost of attendance
$47,321
Average net price
$22,409

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 (within 6 years)
61%
Graduated on time (4 years)
57%
First-year retention
83%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$41,697
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$51,673
Median debt at graduation
$21,050
Students with federal loans
46%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
66%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
57%
Low-income (Pell)
60%
First-generation
54%

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
1,661
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
100%+
Housing charge (year)
$4,520
Meal plan (year)
$4,720
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division II with football
Football conference
Great American Conference
Varsity athletes
622 (331 men · 291 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 (12)

Football125
Track and Field (Outdoor)90
Cross Country66
Soccer61
Track and Field (Indoor)60
Swimming and Diving (combined)56
Baseball35
Wrestling31
Basketball30
Softball29
Volleyball20
Tennis19

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.1 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
6
Property offenses (2022–2024)
0

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,858 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.

2.0reported offenses a year
2.0 violent a year0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Fondling
1.7
Rape
0.3

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.

< $30k
$15,207
$30–48k
$15,954
$48–75k
$18,007
$75–110k
$19,151
$110k+
$26,281

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.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$73,796

$18,007/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

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.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$20,373
average award, among those who get one

Ouachita Baptist University discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $20,373. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

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 445 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)
$51,673
Typical debt at graduation
$21,050
Debt vs. one year's pay
41%
Out-earn a HS grad
58%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.1 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

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.

Women
$46,055
Men
$55,130

Men out-earn women by $9,075 (20%) 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
94°F
Winter low
31°F
Annual rain
54.8″
Annual snow
1.4″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.03.36.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Arkadelphia 2 N, AR US station (1.2 mi from campus).

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 Ouachita Baptist University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Ouachita Baptist University side by side →

Colleges near Ouachita Baptist University

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.