Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) vs University of Central Arkansas (UCA)

Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and University of Central Arkansas (UCA) are two public universities located in the heart of the South, offering a wide range of academic programs and vibrant campus life. While both institutions share similarities, they also have distinct characteristics that set them apart. MTSU boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for students, while UCA has a slightly higher graduation rate, indicating a strong commitment to student success. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further differences, including popular majors, student body demographics, and more, to determine which university best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Middle Tennessee State University	University of Central Arkansas
Overview
Location	Murfreesboro, Tennessee	Conway, Arkansas
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	75.0%	71.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	68.4%	92.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $35	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $45
SAT range	1010 - 1210	980 - 1160
ACT range	19 - 26	19 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	7.0%	3.0%
Students submitting ACT score	92.0%	94.0%
Total number of applicants	11,244	6,057
Total number of admissions given out	7,691	5,595
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,752	1,854
Yield rate	35.8%	33.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $24,554 Out of state: $43,586	In state: $25,219 Out of state: $32,089
Average net price	$12,617	$14,042
Tuition	In state: $7,344 Out of state: $26,376	In state: $6,870 Out of state: $13,740
Room & board	$9,576	Room/dormitory: $4,326 Meal plan: $3,570
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	97.0% Average amount $8,747	92.0% Average amount $7,693
Students receiving federal student loan	36.0% Average amount $4,835	51.0% Average amount $5,106
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $12,638	5.0% Average amount $10,426

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	18,603 Men 45.2% Women 54.8%	8,244 Men 39.0% Women 61.0%
Graduate students	2,965 Men 36.1% Women 63.9%	1,861 Men 26.6% Women 73.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	7.9%
International students	2.4%	3.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	2,518	3,675
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Arkansas Texas Oklahoma Tennessee Alabama

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Visual & Performing Arts Multidisciplinary Studies Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Health Professions Education Business Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	53.7%	49.4%
Dropout rate	14.7%	19.1%
Transferred out	28.5%	29.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $88,408 Year 2: $85,760 Year 3: $90,571 Psychology, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,120 Year 2: $59,485 Year 3: $88,221 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $71,903 Year 2: $66,104 Year 3: $78,609 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $68,709 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $72,118 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,220 Year 2: $66,541 Year 3: $69,654 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $57,896 Year 2: $57,860 Year 3: $67,093 Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $50,963 Year 2: $57,995 Year 3: $66,752 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,662 Year 2: $54,192 Year 3: $66,144 Engineering-Related Fields (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,628 Year 2: $58,943 Year 3: $61,839 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,209 Year 2: $55,061 Year 3: $58,677	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,284 Year 2: $92,358 Year 3: $96,070 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $72,491 Year 2: $70,736 Year 3: $76,640 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,696 Year 2: $67,548 Year 3: $65,753 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,174 Year 2: $58,842 Year 3: $59,396 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,787 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $57,030 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,827 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $55,240 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,080 Year 2: $45,305 Year 3: $52,677 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,462 Year 2: $47,729 Year 3: $52,542 Library Science, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,140 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $49,838 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,755 Year 2: $48,432 Year 3: $49,837

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Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) vs University of Central Arkansas (UCA)

Middle Tennessee State University

University of Central Arkansas

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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