University of Arkansas-Fort Smith (UAFS) vs Southern Arkansas University Main Campus

Nestled in the heart of Arkansas, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith (UAFS) and Southern Arkansas University Main Campus (SAU) stand as two distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering unique opportunities for students to pursue their academic aspirations. While both universities share a commitment to providing quality education, they differ in several key aspects, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. This side-by-side comparison delves into these differences, providing valuable insights to help prospective students make informed decisions about their educational journey. Explore the comprehensive table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic goals, personal preferences, and future aspirations.

	Southern Arkansas University Main Campus	University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
Overview
Location	Magnolia, Arkansas	Fort Smith, 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%	67.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	62.6%	55.8%
Application fees	$25	$50
SAT range	930 - 1140	N/A
ACT range	18 - 25	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	10.0%
Students submitting ACT score	100.0%
Total number of applicants	2,813	3,571
Total number of admissions given out	1,761	1,993
Admitted students who chose to enroll	632	1,084
Yield rate	35.9%	54.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A
High school GPA	Required	N/A
Recommendation letters	Not required	N/A
High school transcript	Required	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $26,411 Out of state: $31,631	In state: $23,548 Out of state: $30,820
Average net price	$14,141	$9,663
Tuition	In state: $6,750 Out of state: $11,970	In state: $4,104 Out of state: $11,376
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,340 Meal plan: $3,444	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)	98.0% Average amount $8,861	97.0% Average amount $8,604
Students receiving federal student loan	50.0% Average amount $5,247	33.0% Average amount $4,692
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $8,817	2.0% Average amount $8,042

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,160 Men 43.4% Women 56.6%	5,403 Men 41.1% Women 58.9%
Graduate students	1,274 Men 35.2% Women 64.8%	44 Men 20.5% Women 79.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	28.0%	N/A
International students	7.5%	1.2%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	2,032	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 Alabama	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Education Business Computer and Information Science Agriculture	Business Health Professions Precision Production Liberal Arts Automotive Technology
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	40.1%	26.3%
Dropout rate	23.3%	57.4%
Transferred out	35.5%	13.8%
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	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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