Public · University

University of Central Arkansas

Conway, Arkansas · Small city

89.5%
Admit rate
$16,511
Avg net price
54%
Graduation rate
$45,938
Median earnings

University of Central Arkansas is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Conway, Arkansas (small city setting), enrolling 7,762 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 7,762 undergradsSmall cityAccessible · 89% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · United Athletic ConferenceCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against University of Central Arkansas's admitted students.

Admit rate
89.5%
SAT (mid 50%)
910–1170
Avg GPA (est.)
3.20

Enter a test score to see where you land against University of Central Arkansas's admitted students.

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

About Conway, Arkansas

Conway is a city in Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States, and its county seat. Robinson was the chief engineer for the Little Rock-Fort Smith Railroad (now the Union Pacific). Part of his compensation was the deed to a tract of land, one square mile, located near the old settlement of Cadron. The Conway Symphony Orchestra performs many times throughout the year, and the Conway Community Arts Association has been presenting theatre and other art opportunities to the community for over 40 years. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
349 miles
Nearest airport
28 miles to Bill & Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field (LIT)

How University of Central Arkansas compares

Selectivity89.5%

More selective than 25% · #15 most selective of 15 in Arkansas

SAT average1118

Higher than 35%

Graduation rate54%

Higher than 47% · #7 of 21 in Arkansas

First-year retention73%

Higher than 40%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$45,938

Higher than 26% · #9 of 22 in Arkansas

Average net price$16,511

Cheaper than 66% · #10 cheapest of 21 in Arkansas

Median debt at graduation$20,346

Lower than 73%

Student–faculty ratio15 : 1

Lower than 35%

Undergraduate enrollment7,762

Larger than 86%

Percentiles compare University of Central Arkansas 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

9,606students
  • Undergraduate7,76281%
  • Graduate1,84419%

Undergraduates by gender

7,762undergrads
  • Women4,78662%
  • Men2,97638%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White64%
  • Black17%
  • Hispanic8.8%
  • Asian2.1%
  • Other or multiracial9.0%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
7,762
Graduate enrollment
1,844
Student–faculty ratio
15 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
38%
First-generation students
35%
Students over 25
8%
Median family income
$37,082
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$67,491
Endowment
$76,422,969

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 1,737 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Arkansas90%
  • Other U.S. states7.8%
  • International2.0%

Most first-years stay in state — University of Central Arkansas draws overwhelmingly from Arkansas.

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
89.5%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
910–1170
SAT average
1118
SAT reading
480–590
SAT math
430–580
ACT composite
19–25
Average GPA (estimated)
3.20

Cost

In-state tuition
$10,523
Out-of-state tuition
$18,023
Room & board
$9,110
Books & supplies
$1,216
Total cost of attendance
$25,029
Average net price
$16,511

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)
54%
Graduated on time (4 years)
42%
First-year retention
73%
Transferred to another college
25%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$36,670
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$45,938
Median debt at graduation
$20,346
Students with federal loans
40%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
63%

About 12% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
42%
Low-income (Pell)
38%
First-generation
36%

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
3,435
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
44%
Housing charge (year)
$4,724
Meal plan (year)
$3,938
Application fee
$25
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
United Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
678 (409 men · 269 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 (11)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)225
Football165
Soccer82
Baseball44
Other Sports37
Basketball30
Softball28
Golf22
Volleyball21
Beach Volleyball16
Tennis8

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)
14
Property offenses (2022–2024)
21

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (10,112 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.

12reported offenses a year
4.7 violent a year7.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
4.7
Rape
2.7
Aggravated assault
2.0
Motor vehicle theft
2.0
Arson
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
$14,656
$30–48k
$13,988
$48–75k
$16,203
$75–110k
$20,318
$110k+
$20,157

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
$70,083

$16,203/year × about 4.3 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.

70%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$5,681
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 70% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $5,681. 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 1,799 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)
$45,938
Typical debt at graduation
$20,346
Debt vs. one year's pay
44%
Out-earn a HS grad
53%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.4 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
$43,182
Men
$49,968

Men out-earn women by $6,786 (16%) 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
92°F
Winter low
27°F
Annual rain
51.2″
Annual snow
2.3″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.85.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Conway, AR US station (2.5 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 University of Central Arkansas

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of Central Arkansas side by side →

Colleges near University of Central Arkansas

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.