2018 Directory of Online Colleges and Universities in Arkansas

As more and more members of the public gain access to personal computing and the internet, individuals all over the state dubbed The Land of Opportunity have access to online options for higher education. Colleges and universities in Arkansas are digitizing their coursework to make distance learning available to even the state’s most remote and rural corners.

Featured Online Schools

Directory

Advanced Search
Search for School Name
Programs by Location
Select State
School Type
Programs by Degree Level
Arkansas has more than 76 post-secondary institutions. Of these, 16 offer online programs. Of these accredited online colleges, seven are public four-year colleges or universities and three are public community or technical colleges and six are private colleges, universities, or career and vocational schools. These schools offer: 465 online certificate programs, 1,638 online associates programs, 2,556 online bachelor’s programs, 1,036 online master’s programs, 1,220 online professional programs and 184 online doctoral programs.

Job Outlook

There are 1.1 million employees in the state. The average wage of Arkansas employees is less than the average wage for employees across the U.S. Employees in Arkansas earn an average annual income of $35,460 while the national average annual income is $42,871. The median income for employees is $27,860 per year. But, the top 10 percent of the state’s employees earn over $61,420 per year, while the bottom 10 percent earn less than $16,470.

With an unemployment rate of 7.1 percent, Arkansas is on par with the national average. Its fastest growing industries include minerals, outpatient care centers, investigation and security services and hospitals. Clinical settings also produce the states’ highest earning jobs, such as obstetricians/gynecologists, surgeons, anesthesiologists, and family and general practitioners.

Scholarship Directory

Advanced Search
Search for Name
Programs by Location
Select State
Browse by Renewability
Browse by Minimum GPA
Sponsored by School
Ethnicity Preference
Enrollment Level

Accreditation

In whichever programs you’re interested, confirm they offer accredited degrees. A degree from an accredited program generally means the difference between landing a prospective job in the market or not.

The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges accredits Arkansas online schools. Recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, this federally supported body provides students, parents and all stakeholders with assurance that schools meet clearly defined quality standards for educational and financial performance.

Distance Learning Resources

  • Online Trends: The University of Arkansas Global Campus Written by Javier Reyes, Vice Provost for Distance Education at UA, this blog gathers his thoughts on the future of online education and his university’s place in the broader dialog between educators, schools, and students.
  • Arkansas Works, Arkansas’ college and career planning system, is database with all the information necessary to prepare for a career pathway based on your interests, skills, and needs. This site will aid you in locating strategies to map out your college plans in line with your own career aspirations.
  • Career Development Center– Although primarily intended for students enrolled at University of Arkansas, this helpful resource offers tips and strategies for securing work for anyone. Find guides to interviewing, resume writing, global work, and more.
  • Southern Arkansas University: How to be an online student – SAU offers this practical guide to starting an online degree program. Read through an online readiness self-assessment, your understanding of the nuts and bolts of distance learning, as well as tips and strategies for time management and academic integrity in online courses.

Tuition

Tuition for online college courses varies depending on factors such as the type and location of the institution as well as the program. In Arkansas, the average in-state tuition at the public four-year colleges and universities was $5,043 per year. On average, tuition at public community and technical colleges was $2,251 per year. Private accredited online college tuition ranged from $9,480 to $18,884 per year.

More Information

Named from the Quapaw Indians, Arkansas is located in the Southern region of the United States. The 23rd smallest state in the US, it has an area of 53,179 square miles. It has an average annual temperature of about 60°F.

The population of Arkansas is the 20th smallest in the US. It has an estimated population of 2,915,918 residents living in its 75 counties. Approximately 41 percent of those living in Arkansas are less than 30 years old. Also, it has one of the least diverse populations in the nation with about 25 percent of the population identifying itself as belonging to a racial or ethnic minority group.

Arkansas’s capital city, Little Rock, is the largest city in the state. It has a population of 193,524 residents. Of the state’s residents, about 15.07 percent reside in the greater Little Rock area. Other large cities in the state are Fort Smith, Fayetteville, Springdale, and Jonesboro.

As compared to residents in other states around the nation, Arkansas residents generally have a higher than average level of education. According to the 2010 Census, about 22.8 percent of the state’s residents over the age of 25 have finished high school, 3.6 percent have at least an associate degree, 2.7 percent have degrees at the bachelor’s level or higher, and 1 percent hold a graduate level degree.