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.
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
- Nearest big city
- 25 miles to Little Rock, AR
- To the ocean
- 349 miles
- Nearest airport
- 28 miles to Bill & Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field (LIT)
How University of Central Arkansas compares
More selective than 25% · #15 most selective of 15 in Arkansas
Higher than 35%
Higher than 47% · #7 of 21 in Arkansas
Higher than 40%
Higher than 26% · #9 of 22 in Arkansas
Cheaper than 66% · #10 cheapest of 21 in Arkansas
Lower than 73%
Lower than 35%
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
- Undergraduate7,76281%
- Graduate1,84419%
Undergraduates by gender
- 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)
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)
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.
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.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$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.
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.
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 $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
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Conway, AR US station (2.5 mi from campus).
What University of Central Arkansas 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 University of Central Arkansas
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of Central Arkansas side by side →
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, Tennessee · Small city · 50 mi to Asheville
- Students
- 10,004
- Admission
- 86%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 1144
- GPA
- 3.3
- Earnings
- $45k
Northwest Missouri State University
Maryville, Missouri · Remote town · 83 mi to Omaha
- Students
- 4,378
- Admission
- 86%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 1119
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $48k
Missouri State University-Springfield
Springfield, Missouri · Midsize city · 1 mi to Springfield
- Students
- 13,313
- Admission
- 91%
- Net price
- $18k
- SAT
- 1122
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $50k
University of Louisiana at Monroe
Monroe, Louisiana · Small city · 98 mi to Shreveport
- Students
- 5,022
- Admission
- 85%
- Net price
- $13k
- SAT
- 1116
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $47k
Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Natchitoches, Louisiana · Remote town · 66 mi to Shreveport
- Students
- 5,519
- Admission
- 93%
- Net price
- $14k
- SAT
- 1088
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $47k
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, Pennsylvania · Distant town · 46 mi to Pittsburgh
- Students
- 6,764
- Admission
- 91%
- Net price
- $17k
- SAT
- 1082
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $51k
Colleges near University of Central Arkansas
Central Baptist College
Conway, AR · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 484 students
Hendrix College
Conway, AR · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,100 students
Arthur's Beauty College
Conway, AR · Private for-profit · Certificate · 66 students
University of Arkansas Community College-Morrilton
Morrilton, AR · Public · Certificate · 1,447 students
The Salon Professional Academy
Sherwood, AR · Private for-profit · Certificate · 106 students
University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College
North Little Rock, AR · Public · Certificate · 4,118 students
Arkansas Welding Academy
Jacksonville, AR · Private for-profit · Certificate · 73 students
Arthur's Beauty College
Jacksonville, AR · Private for-profit · Certificate · 29 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.













