- Photos
-
-
_
U.S. News Rankings
| Ranking score and category | |||||
|
|||||
Summary
University of Arkansas is a public institution that was founded in 1871. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 19,027, its setting is city, and the campus size is 425 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Arkansas's ranking in the 2013 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 134. Its in-state tuition and fees are $7,554 (2012-13); out-of-state tuition and fees are $18,434 (2012-13).
The University of Arkansas, or U of A, is a public institution located in the city of Fayetteville, in the northwest corner of the state. Students at the University of Arkansas can choose from about 200 fields of study, with graduate degrees available in the Sam M. Walton College of Business, the College of Engineering, the School of Law, and other fields. U of A students can get involved on campus through several student organizations and media opportunities, including two radio stations and a student newspaper that’s been around for more than a century. The Office of Student Activities at U of A plans several free events for students, including concerts featuring Grammy winners such as John Mayer, and lectures by prominent figures such as former President George H.W. Bush.
Students who want to venture off the University of Arkansas campus can visit the nearby Ozark National Forest and Buffalo National River or take a weekend trip to Dallas, Memphis, or St. Louis, which are each about 300 miles away. Student athletes can join recreational sports or one of the nearly 20 University of Arkansas Razorbacks varsity teams, which compete in the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference. Notable U of A past faculty include Bill and Hillary Clinton, who each taught in the law school a few decades before landing in the White House, and famed alumni include Charles Portis, who penned the western novel, True Grit.
| School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school): | |
|
Starting on Old Main's front step with the Class of 1876, the names of more than 160,000 University of Arkansas graduates have been engraved into campus walkways, grouped by year of graduation. Covering more than three miles of university sidewalks, this one-of-a-kind tribute to its alumni underscores the U of A's "Students First!" philosophy. Today, the University of Arkansas is a nationally competitive, student-centered research university that is flourishing thanks to a $1 billion capital campaign completed in 2005. The campaign received a major boost from a historic $300 million gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation. This gift, the largest ever to a public university at that time, established the Honors College,endowed the University Libraries and created dozens of undergraduate and graduate fellowships across campus. Each year the Honors College awards up to 90 freshman fellowships that provide $50,000 over four years, and from $500,000 to $1 million in undergraduate research and study abroad grants. Honors programs are offered in all disciplines, tailored to students' academic interests, with interdisciplinary collaborations encouraged. Thanks to the 6:1 ratio of honors students to honors faculty, Honors College students enjoy multiple opportunities to explore substantive questions with the university's most research-active professors. More than 50 percent of Honors College students who have graduated in the last four years have studied abroad, and 100 percent of Honors College graduates have engaged in mentored undergraduate research. The $300 million gift also endowed graduate fellowships. Today, the university is experiencing record growth, with enrollment climbing to more than 23,000 students and numerous bricks-and-mortar projects underway. The university enjoys high rankings for programs ranging from architecture, ranked 20th in the nation in 2009, to the Sam M. Walton College of Business, ranked 24th among the nation's public business colleges. In 2011 the University of Arkansas achieved the highest possible classification in the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching's categorization of American universities and colleges. It listed the University of Arkansas as one of just 108 U.S. schools-out of 4,633 schools reviewed-to have earned the "RU/VH" classification, which the foundation defines as a doctoral-granting research university with very high levels of research activity. Recent academic initiatives include a new department of supply chain management and a new undergraduate minor in sustainability that has united students from across campus on projects such as a new campus community garden. University of Arkansas students have won a substantial number of nationally and internationally prestigious scholarships, awards and fellowships throughout its history, including 46 Goldwater Scholars, 54 NSF Graduate Research Fellowships, 46 Fulbright Scholars, 15 Truman Scholars, 6 Marshall Scholars, 5 Madison Scholars, 2 Gates Cambridge Scholars, 6 Udall Scholars, and 11 Rhodes Scholars, among many others. These honors provide significant financial support to the university's students: in 2010-11 alone, they received more than $2.4 million in awards and scholarships. Since its founding, the University of Arkansas has compiled a remarkable record of scientific, technological, intellectual and creative accomplishment. This accomplishment is exemplified by the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright, a Rhodes Scholar as a student and eventual president of the university (1939-41). As a member of the U.S. Senate, in 1946 Fulbright authored what became known as the Fulbright Program, the highly competitive, merit-based international educational exchange program for scholars, students, educators, artists and professionals. |
General Information
| School type | public, coed college |
| Year founded | 1871 |
| Religious affiliation | N/A |
| Academic calendar | semester |
| Setting | city |
| 2011 Endowment | $788,667,527 |
Applying
When applying to University of Arkansas, it's important to note the application deadline is August 1, and the early action deadline is November 15. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due August 1. The application fee at University of Arkansas is $40. It is more selective, with an acceptance rate of 60.9 percent and an early acceptance rate of 72.0 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | more selective |
| Fall 2011 acceptance rate | 60.9% |
| Application deadline | August 1 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | August 1 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at University of Arkansas is 18:1, and the school has 28.6 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at University of Arkansas include: Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Engineering; Social Sciences; Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs; and Health Professions and Related Programs. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 82.5 percent.
Student Life
University of Arkansas has a total undergraduate enrollment of 19,027, with a gender distribution of 51.0 percent male students and 49.0 percent female students. At this school, 33.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 67.0 percent of students live off campus. University of Arkansas is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.
See what students are saying about life at University of Arkansas.
| Total enrollment | 23,199 |
| Student gender distribution | |
|
|
|
| Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity | |
|
|
|
| Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority | |
|
|
|
| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA I |
Campus Info & Services
University of Arkansas offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, placement service, day care, health service, and health insurance. University of Arkansas also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at University of Arkansas, 48 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at University of Arkansas.
| Students who have cars on campus | 48% |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At University of Arkansas, 46.8 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $6,896.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| In-state tuition and fees | $7,554 (2012-13) |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $18,434 (2012-13) |
| Room and board | $8,672 (2012-13) |
| Financial aid statistics | |
|
|
|
* Overview details based on 2011 data
