Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Fayetteville

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Downtown Fayetteville from Old Main 001Photo: Brandonrush · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Fayetteville

Fayetteville is a college town: 21 of every 100 residents are students

The University of Arkansas (28,901 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Arkansas, 5 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town21% of residents are studentsUniversity of Arkansas

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 Fayetteville. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
29,020 students on campus
Nearest college
0.6 mi
University of Arkansas
Residents in college
21%
Above AR (5%)
Nearest community college
19.8 mi
NorthWest Arkansas · $3,342 tuition
Nearest public university
0.6 mi
University of Arkansas · $10,104 in-state
Students on campus in Fayetteville
28,901
next to 106,623 residents

What stands out about college in Fayetteville

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

A college town21 of every 100 Fayetteville residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Arkansas.A university in FayettevilleThe University of Arkansas has 28,901 students on campus in Fayetteville, 71% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at University of ArkansasLiving in Arkansas, the University of Arkansas charges $10,104 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $29,966. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 19.8 miles awayNorthWest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville: tuition and fees $3,342 a year for Arkansas residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Fayetteville

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

21 of every 100 Fayetteville residents are in college (AR: 5).

28,901students on campus at University of Arkansas, next to 106,623 residents (dorm students count as residents)
13,992college students live in Fayetteville households rather than dorms
28.8median age · AR 38.5
51%of residents are women · AR 51% (±1 points)
58%of homes rented · AR 34%
$1,065median rent · 12% above the state
FayettevilleFayetteville, AR
Cost of living$1,065/mo median rentC+SafetyCrime reported to the FBIDHealthCDC estimatesB+Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundB−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Fayetteville’s other numbers

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

Jobs & income B−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 20.5% of Fayetteville residents are below the poverty line, 13.7% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 2 points either way). 56% 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 21%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health B+

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Fayetteville’s median age is 28.8 (Arkansas 38.5), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety D

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 Fayetteville

One private college within 10.6 miles, and one public college within 0.6 miles.

5 mi10 mi15 miUniversity of ArkansasEcclesia CollegeFayetteville
University or collegeCommunity college
University of ArkansasUniversity or college · Public · 28,901 on campus · In Fayetteville74%admitted$18knet price71%graduate$58kearningsEcclesia CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 119 on campus · 10.6 mi · Springdale74%admitted$22knet price40%graduate$41kearnings

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 Fayetteville’s median household income ($62,695) falls.

University of ArkansasIn Fayetteville · sticker $27,767$15,934a year
Ecclesia College10.6 mi · Springdale · sticker $31,571$20,393a 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 Fayetteville: 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 ArkansasEcclesia College
University of Arkansas71% graduate$58k earnings$22k typical debt
Ecclesia College40% graduate$41k earnings$13k 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 Fayetteville

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at University of Arkansas, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 30%Health professions 10%Engineering 7%Communication 7%Biology 6%Psychology 5%Everything else 34%

Biggest programs

Business Administration, Management and Operations402 graduates a year
$80k4 yrs out
Marketing368 graduates a year
$73k4 yrs out
Finance and Financial Management Services355 graduates a year
$88k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing291 graduates a year
$85k4 yrs out
Psychology, General233 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Communication and Media Studies201 graduates a year
$57k4 yrs out
Biology, General190 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services161 graduates a year
$84k4 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 Fayetteville

Is Fayetteville a college town?

Yes. 21 of every 100 Fayetteville residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 5 across Arkansas. The University of Arkansas has 28,901 students on campus, next to 106,623 residents.

What colleges are in Fayetteville?

The University of Arkansas is inside the city. NorthWest Arkansas Community College is 19.8 miles away in Bentonville.

Why is Fayetteville’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 20.5% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 13.7% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 2 points).

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

NorthWest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville, 19.8 miles away. Tuition and fees are $3,342 a year for Arkansas residents; the federal net price, $7,196, counts housing and food at full cost.

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

The University of Arkansas admitted 74% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,030–1,220 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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 Fayetteville. 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 →