University of Memphis (UofM) vs University of Central Arkansas (UCA)

When it comes to higher education, the University of Memphis and the University of Central Arkansas stand out as two compelling options for prospective students. With distinct characteristics and academic offerings, these universities cater to diverse student aspirations. The University of Memphis boasts a higher acceptance rate, allowing more students the opportunity to pursue their educational goals. In contrast, the University of Central Arkansas maintains a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community. While both universities offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, the University of Memphis excels in fields like engineering, business, and health sciences, while the University of Central Arkansas shines in areas such as education, nursing, and social work. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about these institutions, including graduation rates, student demographics, and additional factors that may influence your decision.

	University of Central Arkansas	University of Memphis
Overview
Location	Conway, Arkansas	Memphis, Tennessee
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Large
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	71.0%	72.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	92.4%	95.2%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $45	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $35
SAT range	980 - 1160	N/A
ACT range	19 - 26	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	3.0%
Students submitting ACT score	94.0%
Total number of applicants	6,057	14,916
Total number of admissions given out	5,595	14,201
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,854	2,593
Yield rate	33.1%	18.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $25,219 Out of state: $32,089	In state: $26,429 Out of state: $30,461
Average net price	$14,042	$14,251
Tuition	In state: $6,870 Out of state: $13,740	In state: $8,352 Out of state: $12,384
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,326 Meal plan: $3,570	Room/dormitory: $6,020 Meal plan: $4,414
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	92.0% Average amount $7,693	95.0% Average amount $9,642
Students receiving federal student loan	51.0% Average amount $5,106	43.0% Average amount $4,996
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $10,426	2.0% Average amount $12,990

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	8,244 Men 39.0% Women 61.0%	16,702 Men 39.4% Women 60.6%
Graduate students	1,861 Men 26.6% Women 73.4%	4,920 Men 38.6% Women 61.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	7.9%	17.9%
International students	3.8%	4.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	3,675	2,683
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Arkansas Texas Oklahoma Tennessee Alabama	Tennessee Mississippi Arkansas Illinois Missouri

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts	Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Business Education Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	49.4%	54.4%
Dropout rate	19.1%	27.8%
Transferred out	29.7%	14.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,183 Year 2: $90,482 Year 3: $93,053 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,578 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $83,771 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $77,569 Year 2: $73,446 Year 3: $81,572 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,053 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $72,912 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,497 Year 2: $60,623 Year 3: $71,690 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,138 Year 2: $63,749 Year 3: $68,655 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,294 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $68,033 Engineering Technology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,203 Year 2: $61,020 Year 3: $64,943 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,998 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $62,591 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $50,920 Year 2: $51,035 Year 3: $61,841

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