A Guide to Online Colleges in Arkansas

Students can find much to enjoy in the state of Arkansas. The state is driven by a unique philosophy, which is centered around a person's prosperity and fulfillment as an individual. This philosophy acts like a backdrop to the vibrant culture and history of Arkansas, dating back to before the Civil War. The state's motto, Regnat populus, which translates into "The People Rule," and its former nickname, "The Land of Opportunity" both imply this philosophy. The new nickname of Arkansas is "The Natural State," and was coined due to the state's extensive state park system, and robust natural resources. So students with a knack for outdoor adventure, will find Arkansas offers endless opportunity. Students will also be pleased to know that the state has earned national reputation for its continuous and enormous improvements in the area of its educational systems.

Arkansas has dedicated enormous resources in the past decade to developing its educational offerings. Education Week has praised Arkansas for its recent strides in student-centered policies, ranking the state in the top 10 of their "Quality Counts" set of state educational review rankings. Arkansas ranked consecutively starting in 2009, and was also placed in the top 5 states during 2012 and 2013. Through statewide reforms, Arkansas has become a leader in curricula designed specifically to prepare students for continuing education. These reforms have focused on positively rewarding professors for their students' achievement, and for providing incentives for universities to prepare their students for successful careers. Evidencing this, Education Week rated Arkansas with an A in "Transition and Policy Making," citing excellent progress in areas of early-childhood education, college preparation, and career readiness.

While one of the most notable perks of online education is the ability to complete schooling from anywhere, Arkansas offers a number of reasons for both residents and prospects to seek online education within its borders. For instance, in-state tuition is often applied to public schools that offer online programs. Also, many online programs require some face-to-face time, or more numerous support services at their brick and mortar locations. Intensive study experiences — often on the weekends or in several week long bouts — enable many online students to accelerate their time until graduation and reduce overall tuition costs. And a factor that can often make the most impact is that students seeking online education can drastically expand their educational options if they also look to hybrid degrees (degrees where coursework is completed partially online with required courses or events on campus). Finally, one of the most common stipulations in scholarships is that students be from a certain state or region, and so often more funds are available to students seeking degrees in-state.

Featured Online Schools

Top Public Offerings in Arkansas

Arkansas officials have gone to great lengths to improve the state's educational infrastructure at both the pre- and post-secondary level. As such the majority of the state's most reputable universities are public institutions that benefited from such statewide initiatives. Arkansas supports a large network of reputable public universities and colleges, many of which offer strong departments of distance education. Most notable among these are the state's two major university systems: The Arkansas State University System and The University of Arkansas System. These two university systems and the programs they collectively offer account for a large portion of the state's higher education opportunities. According to U.S. News & World Report, the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System in Fayetteville ranked among the best public schools in the nation. The state's remaining top public institutions are as follows: University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Arkansas Tech University, Henderson State University, Southern Arkansas University, University of Central Arkansas, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. All of these schools offer numerous online degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate level, while some offer fully accredited online associate's and even postgraduate programs.

Top Private Offerings in Arkansas

Arkansas is home to 11 private colleges and universities — among which is Hendrix College, one of the nation's top 100 liberal arts colleges. While much of Arkansas' state funding and support has been directed towards its public institutions, the resulting competition has apparently driven many private schools to greater heights, particularly in the area of online education. John Brown University, Ecclesia College, and Remington College-Little Rock are great examples of this trend. While fewer in number than their public counterparts, these schools offer a number of nationally recognized online degrees at the undergraduate level. John Brown offers 2 fully online bachelor's and 4 master's degree options. Ecclesia College offers online programs at the associate, undergraduate, and graduate level. And while Remington College focuses on undergraduate online offerings instead of associate or doctorate options, it offers 7 online bachelor's degrees — the most of any of the state's private schools.

According to the American College Board, the average cost of tuition and fees for the 2016–2017 school year was $33,480 for students enrolled in private colleges, $9,650 for state residents in public colleges, and $24,930 for their out-of-state peers. A major plus for Arkansas students is that educational costs are lower than national averages across the board. For example, Arkansas' in-state students in public universities pay an average of $8,247 while out-of-state students can expect to pay around $20,000. The 2015-16 average tuition cost for private colleges in Arkansas was $16,622. Though for non-residential students, there are also the factors of living expenses, which include housing, utilities, groceries, and other expenses associated with student life. The average cost of living for students throughout a 4 year program totals to about $11,000. Arkansas, however, offers living expenses 12% lower than the national average. So Arkansas students can look forward to impressive affordability both in the cost of their education and in the costs of living outside of their degree program.

Little Rock is the capital and the most populous city in Arkansas with a current population of around 200,000. Located at the heart of the state along the Arkansas River, Little Rock boasts a rich history as a hub for trade and travel dating back to the early 17th century. Today, Little Rock functions as a center for cultural, economic, government, and transportation both for the state of Arkansas and for the larger region of the southern U.S. As such, Little Rock demonstrates thriving markets across numerous industries and supports headquarters for many national and international corporations. And as the functional "heart" of the state, Little Rock also houses several of the state's cultural and historical centers. Among these are the Arkansas Arts Center, the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, and the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. Residents of Little Rock enjoy a very unique blend of metropolitan urban infrastructures with the outdoor wonders, and warm rural communities with no lack for professional opportunities in any category.

Fort Smith is a relatively small city compared to Little Rock with a population of just 86,209 and 68 square miles of city limits. The city, however, still ranks as the state's second most populous city and is hailed as offering excellent living conditions — from a comfortable climate, to 316 acres of nationally acclaimed public park space within the city limits, to housing costs expenses 35% lower than the national average. According to the statistics of the Council for Community Economic Research (C2ER) and analysis by the Kiplinger Agency, Fort Smith ranks as the #1 cheapest place to live in the country. The report attributes this to Arkansas being a low-cost, low-tax state, and to Fort Smith's fortuitous geographic location in the west of the state. The city also houses several major nationwide corporations and manufacturing plants. So the median household income of nearly $36,000 combined with city's below-average living expenses make Fort Smith an ideal place to live for any student looking to make the most the of each dollar in a very well-reviewed city.

Fayetteville is the second most populous city in Arkansas totalling out at around 83,000. Fayetteville is home to the University of Arkansas, the state's largest university, which impacts the city's economy enormously. The city has received raving reviews in numerous categories. U.S. News ranked the city as the 23rd best place to live in the country, and one of the best places to retire in the South. Forbes also ranked the city as the 24th best city for businesses and careers in 2016, and Lonely Planet named it among its top places to visit in the South. The top employers in the city are in order: University of Arkansas, Washington Regional Medical center, Veterans Administration Medical, Washington County Government, and the Fayetteville School District. Fayetteville is by all accounts an excellent place to live for anyone, not to mention students, who can benefit even more from the thriving business markets, affordable living costs, and the city's close relationship with the University of Arkansas.

The fourth-largest city in Arkansas, Springdale sports a population of about 70,000 with rapid growth in recent years, as indicated by the growth between 1990 and 2010 where there was a 133% growth in population. Alongside this growth was the breaking of ground at a new community college, a history museum, and a minor league baseball team. Nicknamed "The Poultry Capital of the World," the city is home to Tyson Foods, the world's largest meat producing company. Walmart and J.B. Hunt are two other Fortune 500 companies based in close proximity to the city. Besides Tyson, the city's top employers are George's, Springdale Public Schools, Cargill Meat Solutions, and Northwest Medical Center-Springdale. There are plenty of reasons to live in Springfield, but students interested in working with the any of the three Fortune 500 companies listed above may find it unbeatable.

The Best Online Colleges in Arkansas

Monitoring the accreditation of a university you are interested in attending is incredibly important. Accreditation ensures your credits can transfer that you can receive Federal financial aid, and most importantly that certain standards of educational quality are during your schooling. The highest accreditation standard for most programs in the United States is provided by regional accreditation agencies. The regional accrediting agency for Arkansas is the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, one of six regional accrediting agencies responsible for accrediting schools in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

Making sure that a University you're hoping to attend is regionally accredited — or accredited by a real and respected accrediting agency — is one of the most important choices you can make in ensuring the quality of your education.

Three Steps for Securing Financial Aid

• Submit your FAFSA.

• Check to see if additional forms are needed at your university of choice.

• Search and apply for private scholarships.

Through the previous three steps most students find themselves offered some sort of federal grant, work study, private grant, scholarship, or stipend.

Great Arkansas Higher Education Resources

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