University of Arkansas at Little Rock

University of Arkansas--Little Rock placed 376th in the 2027 U.S. News rankings, reflecting a notable downward trajectory over the past decade before stabilizing in recent cycles. Despite this broader ranking decline, gaining admission remains selective relative to comparable state institutions. In a comparison group of similarly ranked public universities, the institution recorded an admit rate of 58.8% in 2025, which was higher than 11% of peer schools. This comparatively low acceptance rate indicates that the university screens its applicant pool far more strictly than most of its direct peers. However, the school demonstrates a relatively modest pull once offers are extended. Its yield rate reached 21.8% in 2025, showing that many admitted candidates ultimately decide to enroll elsewhere. For prospective applicants, these patterns mean that securing an acceptance requires stronger preparation than at peer campuses, but applicants who are admitted frequently have multiple competing educational options to weigh during their final decision process.

Standardized test scores are required for undergraduate applicants at the University of Arkansas--Little Rock. Across the enrolled class in 2025, students demonstrated standardized test results that lean slightly below typical regional cohorts. The school's median SAT score was 1030 in 2025, which is higher than 22% of peer schools among 30 similarly ranked public comprehensive universities. Among students submitting the ACT, the middle 50% composite score range was 17 to 24. Freshmen overwhelmingly take this testing path, with 84% of the enrolled cohort submitting ACT scores in 2025. For prospective applicants preparing their submissions, achieving a composite score approaching or exceeding the upper quartile mark of 24 places an academic profile comfortably above the institution's average admitted range, making an application notably competitive within this testing-required framework.

Academic offerings at the University of Arkansas--Little Rock display clear separation between undergraduate workforce preparation and specialized graduate strengths. At the undergraduate level, degree conferrals are moderately concentrated, with the top three fields producing 29.2% of all bachelor's graduates in 2025. Registered Nursing formed the single largest undergraduate program with 139 graduates, followed by criminal justice and safety studies, and social work. However, the university's highest-ranked academic programs are at the graduate level, led by legal writing, which U.S. News ranked 36 in 2026, and criminology, ranked 36 in 2021. The prominent undergraduate fields offer practical employment returns; based on 2023 earnings data, bachelor's recipients in registered nursing earned a median salary of $80,281 one year after graduation. Meanwhile, graduate study in technology relies heavily on foreign enrollment, where international students made up 93.6% of master's degree recipients in computer and information sciences. Prospective students should recognize that undergraduate programs focus on regional professional demand rather than nationally ranked specialties.

The student body at the University of Arkansas--Little Rock reflects a diverse mix of regional undergraduates and specialized graduate students. International students form a substantial cohort, particularly at the advanced degree level where they count 418 scholars, representing 18.4% of all graduate students. At the undergraduate level, global representation remains smaller, accounting for minor shares of entering freshmen, continuing students, and transfer cohorts. Asian students constitute modest groups across campus divisions, totaling 17 students or 3.1% of the first-time freshman class, with similarly modest proportions among continuing undergraduates and graduate cohorts. White and African American students form the primary racial groups across undergraduate and graduate divisions, while female students make up the majority across all student classifications. Overall, the university community combines a predominantly domestic regional undergraduate population with a graduate sector shaped by international enrollment.

The age profile at the University of Arkansas--Little Rock reveals a campus environment shaped by both traditional college-age students and older learners. Among undergraduates in 2025, students aged 20 to 21 constituted the largest segment at 18.6%, followed closely by those aged 18 to 19 at 17.0% and those aged 22 to 24. A substantial portion of the undergraduate student body is older, indicating strong participation by non-traditional and working students. In graduate programs, students aged 25 to 29 formed the single largest group at 26.8%, alongside another 22.0% aged 22 to 24. This broad age distribution suggests that campus life blends typical collegiate routines with the schedules of working adults and returning professionals rather than centering exclusively on traditional residential activities.

International student representation at the University of Arkansas--Little Rock follows opposing paths between degree levels. Undergraduate international enrollment stood at 2.7% in 2025, which is higher than 77% of peer institutions in its comparison group of 30 public universities with similar rankings. In contrast, international presence is substantially heavier and expanding at the graduate level, where international students accounted for 18.4% of all graduate enrollments in 2025, up from earlier years. International degree recipients are heavily concentrated in specific graduate disciplines. In 2025, international scholars received only a small share of bachelor's degrees, with minor representation in fields such as business and biology. However, they earned over forty percent of all master's degrees awarded, driven by technology programs such as computer and information sciences, where international students made up 93.6% of graduates. Doctoral degrees in bioinformatics and physical sciences also show substantial foreign participation, contrasting sharply with predominantly domestic undergraduate cohorts.

Families exploring degree options in the region can consider several alternatives within driving distance of Little Rock. Located 26.8 kilometers away in Conway, Hendrix College provides a private alternative holding rank 100 on the 2027 U.S. News National Liberal Arts Colleges ranking. Approximately 50.2 kilometers northeast in Searcy, Harding University is a private doctoral institution holding rank 276 on the National Universities ranking list. Further northwest at a distance of 139.1 kilometers sits the state's flagship campus, University of Arkansas, which is ranked 191 among National Universities. Additionally, across the state line in Memphis, Tennessee, Rhodes College is located 136.3 kilometers away and ranks 49 among National Liberal Arts Colleges, giving applicants diverse choices across private liberal arts and comprehensive public settings.

Campus safety indicators at the University of Arkansas--Little Rock point to a relatively quiet security environment that has improved over time. The crime rate per 1,000 students declined from 2.5 in 2016 to 1.1 in 2025, indicating a downward trend in reportable security concerns across campus grounds. When examining specific incident categories over the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, disciplinary violations formed the most common category, led by 14 liquor law disciplinary referrals. Property and personal safety incidents remained low during these years; theft was the next most frequent offense with 5 recorded incidents, while drug arrests, stalking reports, and rape allegations each occurred in low single digits. Serious weapons violations were rare over this multi-year span. For prospective students and their families, these figures show that campus disciplinary infractions outnumber personal safety violations, with overall crime metrics remaining moderate.