Southern Arkansas University Main Campus vs University of Central Arkansas (UCA)

Southern Arkansas University Main Campus and University of Central Arkansas, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Arkansas, offer distinct educational experiences. Southern Arkansas University, nestled in Magnolia, boasts a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community feel, while University of Central Arkansas, located in Conway, offers a more diverse student population and a larger campus. Acceptance rates vary, with Southern Arkansas University being slightly more selective. Both universities offer a wide range of academic programs, with popular majors including Business, Education, and Nursing. While Southern Arkansas University has a higher graduation rate, University of Central Arkansas offers more opportunities for graduate studies. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Southern Arkansas University Main Campus	University of Central Arkansas
Overview
Location	Magnolia, Arkansas	Conway, Arkansas
Campus setting	Town: Remote	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	64.0%	71.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	62.6%	92.4%
Application fees	$25	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $45
SAT range	930 - 1140	980 - 1160
ACT range	18 - 25	19 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	10.0%	3.0%
Students submitting ACT score	100.0%	94.0%
Total number of applicants	2,813	6,057
Total number of admissions given out	1,761	5,595
Admitted students who chose to enroll	632	1,854
Yield rate	35.9%	33.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $26,411 Out of state: $31,631	In state: $25,219 Out of state: $32,089
Average net price	$14,141	$14,042
Tuition	In state: $6,750 Out of state: $11,970	In state: $6,870 Out of state: $13,740
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,340 Meal plan: $3,444	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)	98.0% Average amount $8,861	92.0% Average amount $7,693
Students receiving federal student loan	50.0% Average amount $5,247	51.0% Average amount $5,106
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $8,817	5.0% Average amount $10,426

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,160 Men 43.4% Women 56.6%	8,244 Men 39.0% Women 61.0%
Graduate students	1,274 Men 35.2% Women 64.8%	1,861 Men 26.6% Women 73.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	28.0%	7.9%
International students	7.5%	3.8%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	2,032	3,675
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Arkansas Texas Louisiana Oklahoma Alabama	Arkansas Texas Oklahoma Tennessee Alabama

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Education Business Computer and Information Science Agriculture	Health Professions Education Business Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	40.1%	49.4%
Dropout rate	23.3%	19.1%
Transferred out	35.5%	29.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,230 Year 2: $58,402 Year 3: $70,408 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,929 Year 2: $55,151 Year 3: $62,262 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $39,925 Year 2: $42,458 Year 3: $42,763 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,784 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $38,968 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,986 Year 2: $30,228 Year 3: $35,029 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,781 Year 2: $33,565 Year 3: $33,986 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $28,923 Physics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,362 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: N/A Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $58,402 Year 3: N/A	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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