Public · Jonesboro, Arkansas

Arkansas State University

Arkansas State University is a public institution in Jonesboro, Arkansas. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.

$12,366
Avg net price / yr
$42,617
10-yr median earnings
55.3%
150%-time completion
82.3%
Acceptance rate

The verdict

Arkansas State University pairs above-median former-student earnings with open admission.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

Top 45%
former-student earnings, US
82.3%
acceptance rate
55.3%
150%-time completion
+9%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Small Carnegie: R2
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Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

How to read this Arkansas State University profile

Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.

Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.

Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.

College Value Score

C-
College Value Score
54/100
Arkansas State University

A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.

Earnings C-
$42,617
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price B-
$12,366
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate D
55.3%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$20,500
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment B
71.1%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention C
78.1%
First-year students returning for year two
Arkansas State University vs. the national benchmark
EarningsNet PriceCompletionDebtRepaymentRetention

Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.

10-yr median earnings

$42,617

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$12,366

After grants and scholarships

150%-time completion

55.3%

Full-time, first-time cohort

150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 55.3%

Four-year-institution cohort

College ROI Quadrant - Arkansas State University vs peers

Arkansas State University positioned by earnings vs cost Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 8 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Arkansas State University positioned by earn… Carnegie Classification: R2 R2 COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $18K $48K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $6K $23K Avg Net Price ($) Arkansas State University (you are here): $43K earn · $12K net · 55% grad You are here - Arkansas State Uni… University of Central Arkansas: $46K earn · $17K net · 53% grad University of Cent… Arkansas Tech University: $42K earn · $13K net · 49% grad Arkansas Tech Univ… NorthWest Arkansas Community College: $44K earn · $7K net · 29% grad NorthWest Arkansas… University of Arkansas at Little Rock: $45K earn · $17K net · 42% grad University of Arka… University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College: $35K earn · $14K net · 34% grad University of Arka… University of Arkansas-Fort Smith: $41K earn · $11K net · 37% grad Arthur's Beauty College: $21K earn · $22K net · 53% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.

How Arkansas State University ranks nationally

Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.

Arkansas State University: former-student earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$42,617 Top 45% higher than 55% of 5,103 US colleges

$0–$20,000: 169 US colleges (3%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 2,245 US colleges (44%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 1,897 US colleges (37%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 606 US colleges (12%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 134 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 39 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 11 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. This college $0 $160,000 every US college, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Metric Arkansas State University National rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $42,617 #2288 of 5103 55th
Average net price $12,366 #1572 of 5020 69th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 55.3% #2573 of 4858 47th
Undergraduate enrollment 9,110 #390 of 5462 93rd

National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.

Quick Facts

9,110
Undergraduate enrollment
82.3%
Acceptance rate
1,090
SAT average
55.3%
150%-time completion
$42,617
10-yr median earnings
78.1%
First-year retention

How Arkansas State University ranks in Arkansas

State rank among 72 reporting Arkansas colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.

Metric Arkansas State University State rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $42,617 #18 of 72 75th
Average net price $12,366 #30 of 70 57th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 55.3% #22 of 67 67th
Undergraduate enrollment 9,110 #2 of 74 97th

Highest former-student earnings in Arkansas

#School10-yr earningsNet price
1Jefferson Regional School of Nursing$73,975-
2University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences$73,827-
3University of Arkansas Grantham$63,496$8,370
4Baptist Health College Little Rock$62,244$25,454
5Hendrix College$60,376$24,149
6University of Arkansas$58,191$18,209
7John Brown University$53,907$20,397
8Harding University$52,876$22,130
9Ouachita Baptist University$51,673$22,409
10Central Baptist College$46,789$12,287
11University of Central Arkansas$45,938$16,511
12University of Arkansas at Little Rock$45,265$17,248
18Arkansas State UniversityThis school$42,617$12,366

Admissions

Admission Rate 82.3%
SAT Average 1,090
SAT Math (25th-75th) 480 – 620
SAT Reading (25th-75th) 490 – 570
ACT Average 23
ACT (25th-75th) 18 – 24
0%100%82.3%
Share of applicants admitted

Costs & Financial Aid

Net price by family income at Arkansas State University

Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket

net price / yr

What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Arkansas State University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $8,090
Out-of-State Tuition $14,522
Average Net Price $12,366
38.4%
Pell Grant Rate
42.4%
Federal Loan Rate
$20,500
Median Debt
$217/mo
Monthly Payment

Net price at Arkansas State University swings rather than trends

Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $9,475 to $14,189 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as +38.1%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.

Lowest year
$9,475
Highest year
$14,189
Most recent (2023)
$13,085
Average net price, 2013–2023

11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

2013: $9,4752014: $11,7522015: $12,1522016: $12,4182017: $13,8282018: $13,6052019: $13,4062020: $14,1892021: $13,4302022: $11,8572023: $13,085
2013 · $9,4752023 · $13,085

Over the same years, enrollment went -14.3% (9,325 → 7,994 students).

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.

Student Demographics

Race & ethnicity

Student body at a glance

61.1%
Female
38.8%
First Generation

Outcomes

78.1%
Retention Rate
$38,944
Median Earnings (6yr)
53.4%
Earning Over $25K
71.1%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Outcomes & debt snapshot

Measure Cohort / horizon Value
Completion within 150% of normal time First-time, full-time 55.3%
First-year retention First-time, full-time freshmen 78.1%
Median earnings 6 years after entry $38,944
Median earnings 10 years after entry $42,617
Share earning over $25,000 Working, not enrolled 53.4%
Loan repayment rate Completers, 3 years after leaving 71.1%
Median federal student debt At completion $20,500
Estimated monthly payment Standard 10-year plan $217/mo

Programs & Earnings

Field-of-study summary by credential

Credential Programs Award count Avg earnings Top earnings Avg debt
Bachelor's 39 1,621 $56,465 $98,691 $21,594
Master's 17 1,603 $68,963 $146,230 $26,161
Graduate Certificate 4 637 $61,340 $68,970 $22,593
Associate's 3 695 $64,837 $76,671 $14,807
Doctoral 1 0 $82,724 $82,724 $65,000

Top programs at Arkansas State University by completer earnings

Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file

median earnings

What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Master's 59 $146,230 $61,500
Engineering-Related Fields Master's 51 $102,712 -
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering Bachelor's 4 $98,691 -
Mechanical Engineering Bachelor's 19 $91,665 -
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Bachelor's 200 $88,611 $21,222
Civil Engineering Bachelor's 12 $83,270 -
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions Doctoral - $82,724 $65,000
Computer and Information Sciences, General Bachelor's 20 $79,309 $19,736
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Associate's 76 $76,671 $15,750
Public Administration Master's 102 $76,032 $31,713
Homeland Security Master's 21 $75,019 -
Business Administration, Management and Operations Master's 54 $73,394 $25,501
Educational Administration and Supervision Graduate Certificate 559 $68,970 $22,593
Finance and Financial Management Services Bachelor's 53 $68,408 $20,790
Accounting and Related Services Bachelor's 28 $67,944 $20,925

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at Arkansas State University?
Arkansas State University is a public institution in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The acceptance rate is 82.3%. The average SAT score is 1,090. Undergraduate enrollment is 9,110 students.
How much do Arkansas State University former students earn?
Federally aided former students at Arkansas State University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $42,617 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $38,944.
How much does Arkansas State University cost?
The average net price at Arkansas State University is $12,366. In-state tuition is $8,090 and out-of-state tuition is $14,522. Median student debt at graduation is $20,500.
What is the graduation rate at Arkansas State University?
Arkansas State University has a 55.3% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 78.1%.
Is Arkansas State University worth the student debt?
The median student debt at Arkansas State University is $20,500, while former students earn a median of $42,617 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 48% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 71.1% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $217.

Sources & methodology

Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.

Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Where to go next from Arkansas State University

Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.