This is the Most Expensive College in Arkansas

A college education has long been a key driver of upward socioeconomic mobility in the United States. However, enrollment costs at colleges and universities have soared in recent years, making a four-year postsecondary education prohibitively expensive for many working- and middle-class families.

Data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that the average cost of undergraduate tuition at a private four-year college climbed by over 800% from 1980 to 2020 – nearly four times faster than inflation, as measured by the consumer price index.

While the cost of higher education is climbing across the board, some colleges and universities stand out as being especially expensive relative to others in the same state. Of the 13 four-year colleges and universities in Arkansas with available data from the NCES and enrollment of at least 800 undergraduate students, Harding University ranks among the most expensive. The average annual net price at the school – including tuition, books, room and board, accounting for financial aid – stands at $20,533.

The school, located in Searcy, has a student-to-faculty ratio of 16:1 and an acceptance rate of 54.1%. Among the 3,684 undergraduate students enrolled at the school, business, management, marketing, and related support services is the most popular degree program.

All data in this story is from the NCES. Colleges and universities were ranked based on average annual net price for full-time, first-time degree-seeking undergraduate students who received grant or scholarship aid in the 2020-21 school year. Only public and private nonprofit schools that predominantly grant bachelor’s degrees and had at least 800 undergraduates enrolled in fall 2021 were considered.