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Downtown ConwayPhoto: Ronny Willhite · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Conway

Conway is a college town: 16 of every 100 residents are students

The University of Central Arkansas (8,426 students on campus) and Hendrix College (1,107) are inside the city. Across Arkansas, 5 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town16% of residents are studentsUniversity of Central ArkansasHendrix College

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Conway. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
3
10,033 students on campus
Nearest college
0.6 mi
University of Central Arkansas
Residents in college
16%
Above AR (5%)
Nearest community college
16.2 mi
University of Arkansas Community College-Morrilton · $3,648 tuition
Nearest public university
0.6 mi
University of Central Arkansas · $10,523 in-state
Students on campus in Conway
10,033
next to 72,328 residents

What stands out about college in Conway

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town16 of every 100 Conway residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Arkansas.Two colleges within 2.3 milesUniversity of Central Arkansas admits 89% of applicants; Hendrix College admits 56%. Together they have 9,533 students on campus.In-state price at University of Central ArkansasLiving in Arkansas, the University of Central Arkansas charges $10,523 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $18,023. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 16.2 miles awayUniversity of Arkansas Community College-Morrilton in Morrilton: tuition and fees $3,648 a year for Arkansas residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Conway

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

16 of every 100 Conway residents are in college (AR: 5).

10,033students on campus at Conway’s 3 colleges, next to 72,328 residents (dorm students count as residents)
6,855college students live in Conway households rather than dorms
30.3median age · AR 38.5
52%of residents are women · AR 51% (±0.9 points)
55%of homes rented · AR 34%
$1,011median rent · 7% above the state
ConwayConway, AR
Cost of living$1,011/mo median rentC+SafetyCrime reported to the FBIC−HealthCDC estimatesB−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC+HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Conway’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C+

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 16.7% of Conway residents are below the poverty line, 12.9% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 3 points either way). 47% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living C+

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 16%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health B−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Conway’s median age is 30.3 (Arkansas 38.5), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety C−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Conway

Two private colleges within 2.3 miles, and one public college within 0.6 miles.

5 mi10 mi15 miUniversity of Central ArkansasHendrix CollegeConway
University or collegeCommunity college
University of Central ArkansasUniversity or college · Public · 8,426 on campus · In Conway89%admitted$17knet price54%graduate$46kearningsCentral Baptist CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 500 on campus · In Conway63%admitted$12knet price34%graduate$47kearningsHendrix CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,107 on campus · In Conway56%admitted$24knet price72%graduate$60kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Conway’s median household income ($63,004) falls.

Central Baptist CollegeIn Conway · sticker $30,605$12,067a year
University of Central ArkansasIn Conway · sticker $25,029$16,203a year
Hendrix CollegeIn Conway · sticker $55,013$26,414a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Conway: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →University of Central ArkansasCentral Baptist CollegeHendrix College
University of Central Arkansas54% graduate$46k earnings$20k typical debt
Hendrix College72% graduate$60k earnings$27k typical debt
Central Baptist College34% graduate$47k earnings$22k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Conway

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Conway’s 3 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 18%Health professions 15%Psychology 10%Education 7%Biology 6%Visual & performing arts 5%Everything else 39%

Biggest programs

Psychology, GeneralUniversity of Central Arkansas · 150 graduates a year
$43k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessUniversity of Central Arkansas · 111 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingUniversity of Central Arkansas · 106 graduates a year
$77k4 yrs out
Business/Commerce, GeneralUniversity of Central Arkansas · 90 graduates a year
$60k4 yrs out
Biology, GeneralUniversity of Central Arkansas · 80 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsUniversity of Central Arkansas · 77 graduates a year
$46k4 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralUniversity of Central Arkansas · 75 graduates a year
$76k4 yrs out
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsUniversity of Central Arkansas · 55 graduates a year
$49k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Conway

Is Conway a college town?

Yes. 16 of every 100 Conway residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 5 across Arkansas. The University of Central Arkansas has 8,426 students on campus, next to 72,328 residents.

What colleges are in Conway?

The University of Central Arkansas, Hendrix College and Central Baptist College are inside the city. University of Arkansas Community College-Morrilton is 16.2 miles away in Morrilton.

Why is Conway’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 16.7% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 12.9% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 3 points).

What is the closest community college to Conway, and what does it cost?

University of Arkansas Community College-Morrilton in Morrilton, 16.2 miles away. Tuition and fees are $3,648 a year for Arkansas residents; the federal net price, $8,725, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into the University of Central Arkansas?

The University of Central Arkansas admitted 89% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 910–1,170 on the SAT.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Conway. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →