Harding University vs University of Arkansas (Uark)

Harding University and the University of Arkansas, two esteemed institutions of higher learning in Arkansas, offer distinct educational experiences. Harding University, a private Christian university, boasts a lower acceptance rate and a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community. In contrast, the University of Arkansas, a public research university, has a higher acceptance rate and a larger, more diverse student body. Both universities offer a wide range of academic programs, with Harding University excelling in fields like Bible and Ministry, while the University of Arkansas is renowned for its programs in Engineering, Business, and Agriculture. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further differences, including graduation rates, popular majors, and student demographics, to determine which university best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Harding University	University of Arkansas
Overview
Location	Searcy, Arkansas	Fayetteville, 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%	87.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation	Churches of Christ

Admission
Acceptance rate	54.1%	82.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $45	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1050 - 1300	1050 - 1220
ACT range	20 - 28	21 - 28
Students submitting SAT score	23.0%	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	80.0%	78.0%
Total number of applicants	2,200	21,462
Total number of admissions given out	1,191	17,743
Admitted students who chose to enroll	748	6,065
Yield rate	62.8%	34.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$34,538	In state: $26,978 Out of state: $43,794
Average net price	$20,533	$15,218
Tuition	$21,690	In state: $7,666 Out of state: $24,482
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,068 Meal plan: $4,658	Room/dormitory: $7,744 Meal plan: $4,198
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	97.0% Average amount $12,769	65.0% Average amount $8,362
Students receiving federal student loan	45.0% Average amount $5,607	38.0% Average amount $5,442
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $12,585	6.0% Average amount $16,058

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,684 Men 43.8% Women 56.2%	24,265 Men 44.1% Women 55.9%
Graduate students	1,289 Men 34.0% Women 66.0%	4,803 Men 46.6% Women 53.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	56.6%
International students	6.2%	4.1%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	2,867	6,232
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 Missouri Oklahoma Kansas

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Communication and Journalism Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Engineering Education Health Professions Business Engineering Technologies
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	19:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	67.2%	69.7%
Dropout rate	31.7%	28.4%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $117,748 Year 2: $124,539 Year 3: $127,639 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,011 Year 2: $106,978 Year 3: $105,028 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,933 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $88,179 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $69,415 Year 2: $68,618 Year 3: $71,365 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,335 Year 2: $66,104 Year 3: $69,942 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,533 Year 2: $58,673 Year 3: $67,054 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,156 Year 2: $52,733 Year 3: $65,082 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,219 Year 2: $57,047 Year 3: $64,125 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,088 Year 2: $58,221 Year 3: $62,592 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,124 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $60,778	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $122,450 Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $123,792 Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,048 Year 2: $71,854 Year 3: $82,519 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,784 Year 2: $69,079 Year 3: $80,036 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,033 Year 2: $78,343 Year 3: $78,844 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,024 Year 2: $71,015 Year 3: $75,031 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,436 Year 2: $68,778 Year 3: $74,432 Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,594 Year 2: $69,524 Year 3: $73,914 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $57,595 Year 2: $62,463 Year 3: $72,333 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $53,737 Year 2: $58,479 Year 3: $68,196 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,418 Year 2: $50,606 Year 3: $66,051

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