2023 Best Value Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Prices
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools and bootcamps that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
The Best Value Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 27 schools in Arkansas to see which associate degree programs offered the best value experiences for students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
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Top Value Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Arkansas State University - Newport the best value school in Arkansas for students working on their associate degree. Newport, Arkansas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 273 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ASUN are $4,320 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $15,938 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at ASUN. During the 2019-2020 year, about 62% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
ASUN also made our Best Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas list, coming in at #4.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Arkansas State University - Beebe. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas list. Arkansas State University - Beebe is a small public school located in Beebe, Arkansas that handed out 712 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at ASU-Beebe are $4,656 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $10,741 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at ASU-Beebe, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 57% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means NorthWest Arkansas Community College is a great place for students working on their associate degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. NWACC is a public institution located in Bentonville, Arkansas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,060 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
NWACC undergraduate students pay an average of $4,456 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $15,871 in student loans.
NWACC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 79% took at least some of their classes online.
NWACC not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #1 on our Best Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas list.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Arkansas Northeastern College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas list. Arkansas Northeastern College is a small public school situated in Blytheville, Arkansas. It awarded 172 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Arkansas Northeastern College are $4,138 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $11,336 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Arkansas Northeastern College does offer online classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 84% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend East Arkansas Community College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas list. East Arkansas Community College is a small public school located in Forrest City, Arkansas that handed out 135 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at East Arkansas Community College are $3,720 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $10,175 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at East Arkansas Community College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 63% took at least some of their classes online.
University of Arkansas Community College - Batesville landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree programs. University of Arkansas Community College - Batesville is a small public school located in Batesville, Arkansas that handed out 216 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UACCB are $3,438 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $12,191 in loans while pursuing their degree.
UACCB does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 53% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Full University of Arkansas Community College - Batesville Report
Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas ranking. Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas is a small public school located in De Queen, Arkansas that handed out 177 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at UA Cossatot are $4,410 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $7,043 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at UA Cossatot, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 58% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
UA Cossatot also made our Best Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas list, coming in at #3.
Read full report on Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas
Southeast Arkansas College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree programs. Located in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, the very small public school handed out 155 associate degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at SEARK College are $6,735 a year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at SEARK College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 49% took at least some of their classes online.
SEARK College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas list.
Arkansas State University - Mountain Home did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in Mountain Home, Arkansas, the small public school awarded 214 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ASUMH are $4,524 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $22,082 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that ASUMH does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 65% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
University of Arkansas Community College - Morrilton landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree programs. University of Arkansas Community College - Morrilton is a small public school located in Morrilton, Arkansas that handed out 371 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
UACCM undergraduate students pay an average of $4,128 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $19,183 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at UACCM. During the 2019-2020 year, about 47% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #11, Black River Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their associate degree. Black River Technical College is a public institution located in Pocahontas, Arkansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 389 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Black River Technical College are $6,350 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $16,606 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Black River Technical College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 65% took at least some of their classes online.
Arkansas State University Three Rivers did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #12 on the list. Arkansas State University Three Rivers is a small public school located in Malvern, Arkansas that handed out 93 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at ASU Three Rivers are $5,882 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $30,774 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
ASU Three Rivers does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2019-2020 about 27% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree programs. Phillips County Community College is a small public school situated in Helena, Arkansas. It awarded 107 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Phillips County Community College are $4,910 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $10,650 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Phillips County Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 32% took at least some of their classes online.
Full Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas Report
With a ranking of #14, South Arkansas Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their associate degree. This small public school is located in El Dorado, Arkansas, and it awarded 176 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
SouthArk undergraduate students pay an average of $4,812 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $18,164 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at SouthArk. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 58% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Southern Arkansas University Tech did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #15 on the list. Southern Arkansas University Tech is a very small public school located in Camden, Arkansas that handed out 148 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at SAU Tech are $6,210 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,314 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at SAU Tech. In 2019-2020 about 51% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #16, University of Arkansas Rich Mountain did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their associate degree. Mena, Arkansas is the setting for this very small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 127 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at UA Rich Mountain are $3,816 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UA Rich Mountain does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 70% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
North Arkansas College landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree programs. Northark is a small public school situated in Harrison, Arkansas. It awarded 277 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Northark are $5,940 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $15,802 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Northark. In fact, around 52% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #18, University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their associate degree. This small public school is located in North Little Rock, Arkansas, and it awarded 759 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UA Pulaski Tech are $6,900 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $22,524 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
UA Pulaski Tech does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 69% took at least some of their classes online.
UA Pulaski Tech also took the #5 spot in our Best Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas rankings.
Full University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College Report
National Park College landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree programs. Hot Springs, Arkansas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 265 students in 2020-2021.
National Park College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,230 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $18,521 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that National Park College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 79% took at least some of their classes online.
Arkansas State University - Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #20 on the list. Located in Jonesboro, Arkansas, the fairly large public school handed out 629 associate degree awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at A-State are $12,698 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $22,827 in loans while pursuing their degree.
A-State does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 71% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
A-State also made our Best Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas list, coming in at #2.
University of Arkansas - Fort Smith ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas list. This medium-sized public school is located in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and it awarded 234 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
UAFS undergraduate students pay an average of $13,026 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $14,238 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that UAFS does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 82% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #22, Henderson State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their associate degree. Henderson State University is located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 associate degrees to qualified students.
Henderson State University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,768 in tuition and fees each year.
Henderson State University does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 90% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Arkansas Tech University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas list. Russellville, Arkansas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 1,008 students in 2020-2021.
ATU undergraduate students pay an average of $13,636 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $22,182 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that ATU does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 78% took at least some of their classes online.
University of Arkansas at Little Rock ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Associate Degree Schools in Arkansas list. UA Little Rock is a medium-sized public school situated in Little Rock, Arkansas. It awarded 320 associate degrees in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UA Little Rock are $21,767 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $31,418 in student loans.
Online courses are available at UA Little Rock, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 87% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
University of Arkansas at Monticello landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree programs. UAM is located in Monticello, Arkansas and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 284 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at UAM are $13,879 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,111 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at UAM. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 52% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Best Value Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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