University of Arkansas-Fort Smith (UAFS) vs Ouachita Baptist University

Nestled in the heart of Arkansas, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith (UAFS) and Ouachita Baptist University (OBU) stand as two distinct beacons of higher education, each offering a unique blend of academic excellence and vibrant campus life. While both institutions share a commitment to providing students with a transformative educational experience, they differ in several key aspects. UAFS, a public university, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of academic programs, including popular majors in business, education, and nursing. OBU, a private Christian university, offers a more intimate learning environment with a focus on liberal arts and sciences, along with popular majors in business, education, and music. With varying acceptance rates, graduation rates, and student demographics, UAFS and OBU cater to different student profiles and aspirations. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Ouachita Baptist University	University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
Overview
Location	Arkadelphia, Arkansas	Fort Smith, Arkansas
Campus setting	Town: Distant	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	84.0%	67.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation	Baptist

Admission
Acceptance rate	73.8%	55.8%
Application fees	$40	$50
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	2,610	3,571
Total number of admissions given out	1,925	1,993
Admitted students who chose to enroll	485	1,084
Yield rate	25.2%	54.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A
High school GPA	Required	N/A
Recommendation letters	Not required	N/A
High school transcript	Not required	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$44,910	In state: $23,548 Out of state: $30,820
Average net price	$20,074	$9,663
Tuition	$29,480	In state: $4,104 Out of state: $11,376
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,370 Meal plan: $4,140	Room/dormitory: $5,390 Meal plan: $3,700
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $21,394	97.0% Average amount $8,604
Students receiving federal student loan	70.0% Average amount $5,357	33.0% Average amount $4,692
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $13,978	2.0% Average amount $8,042

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,716 Men 43.5% Women 56.5%	5,403 Men 41.1% Women 58.9%
Graduate students	48 Men 2.1% Women 97.9%	44 Men 20.5% Women 79.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	38.8%	N/A
International students	1.9%	1.2%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	1,602	940
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 Tennessee	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Philosophy and Religious Studies	Business Health Professions Precision Production Liberal Arts Automotive Technology
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	66.8%	26.3%
Dropout rate	33.0%	57.4%
Transferred out	N/A	13.8%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,579 Year 2: $44,776 Year 3: $51,108 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,699 Year 2: $36,726 Year 3: $42,665 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,047 Year 2: $37,748 Year 3: $38,112 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,498 Year 2: $37,208 Year 3: $37,714 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,967 Year 3: $31,315 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $27,439 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $23,351 Year 3: N/A Religion/Religious Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,174 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $37,208 Year 3: N/A	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,923 Year 2: $61,218 Year 3: $62,803 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,394 Year 2: $61,681 Year 3: $59,673 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,470 Year 2: $51,392 Year 3: $51,551 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,569 Year 3: $43,001 Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $41,202 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,587 Year 2: $32,071 Year 3: $37,742 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,076 Year 2: $35,274 Year 3: $36,641 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,492 Year 2: $35,416 Year 3: $36,412 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $31,945 Year 2: $31,853 Year 3: $33,768 Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,418 Year 2: $32,678 Year 3: $33,668

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University of Arkansas-Fort Smith (UAFS) vs Ouachita Baptist University

Ouachita Baptist University

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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