Howard Payne University vs Harding University

Howard Payne University and Harding University, both esteemed private Christian universities, offer distinct educational experiences. Howard Payne, nestled in Brownwood, Texas, boasts a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community feel. Harding, located in Searcy, Arkansas, has a larger student population, providing a more diverse and vibrant campus life. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence and spiritual growth, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Harding University	Howard Payne University
Overview
Location	Searcy, Arkansas	Brownwood, Texas
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	84.0%	52.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation	Churches of Christ	Baptist

Admission
Acceptance rate	54.1%	59.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $45
SAT range	1050 - 1300	N/A
ACT range	20 - 28	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	23.0%
Students submitting ACT score	80.0%
Total number of applicants	2,200	1,333
Total number of admissions given out	1,191	790
Admitted students who chose to enroll	748	231
Yield rate	62.8%	29.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$34,538	$41,278
Average net price	$20,533	$23,603
Tuition	$21,690	$26,778
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,068 Meal plan: $4,658	Room/dormitory: $3,600 Meal plan: $5,548
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	97.0% Average amount $12,769	90.0% Average amount $17,565
Students receiving federal student loan	45.0% Average amount $5,607	74.0% Average amount $5,108
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $12,585	13.0% Average amount $13,758

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,684 Men 43.8% Women 56.2%	863 Men 51.0% Women 49.0%
Graduate students	1,289 Men 34.0% Women 66.0%	68 Men 70.6% Women 29.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	6.2%	N/A
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	2,867	671
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Communication and Journalism Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Business Education Social Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Theology
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	67.2%	35.0%
Dropout rate	31.7%	27.1%
Transferred out	N/A	37.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $117,748 Year 2: $124,539 Year 3: $127,639 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,011 Year 2: $106,978 Year 3: $105,028 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,933 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $88,179 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $69,415 Year 2: $68,618 Year 3: $71,365 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,335 Year 2: $66,104 Year 3: $69,942 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,533 Year 2: $58,673 Year 3: $67,054 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,156 Year 2: $52,733 Year 3: $65,082 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,219 Year 2: $57,047 Year 3: $64,125 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,088 Year 2: $58,221 Year 3: $62,592 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,124 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $60,778	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $63,035 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,093 Year 2: $37,568 Year 3: $38,467 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,854 Year 2: $31,042 Year 3: $36,219 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,694 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $35,108 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,229 Year 2: $23,649 Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $18,880 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Criminology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,568 Year 2: $32,563 Year 3: N/A

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Harding University

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