University or college · Private nonprofit
Harding University
Searcy, AR568 online only
Harding University is a private nonprofit university in Searcy, AR, with about 4,040 students on campus.
© OpenStreetMap contributors Students on campus
4,040
plus 568 studying only online
Admission rate
71%
lower than at 63% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$22,130
higher than at 60% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
69%
higher than at 76% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$52,876
higher than at 75% of U.S. colleges
Getting in
How hard is it to get into Harding University?
71%
of applicants admitted
About 14 of every 20 applicants get in.
Test scores of admitted students
The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1182.
What it costs
The sticker price, and what families really pay
Sticker price: $39,534 a year
Before any grants
Tuition & fees $26,262Room & board $9,060Books & supplies $598Other costs $3,614
After grants, the average family on aid pays $22,130.
Your family’s price
Average net price after grants, by family income
$19,832
About $79,328 over 4 years · 50% off the sticker price
Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Outcomes
Do students finish, and does it pay off?
Graduate
69%
within 6 years · Pell students 57%
Come back for year two
86%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$52,876
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$26,500
about $281 a month over 10 years
Debt vs. the paycheck
The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting
7.7%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%
$281 a month against about $3,630 a month in pay.
Paying back loans
Federal student loans, this college
73%
of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 89% of U.S. colleges.
Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).
Earnings by family background
Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment
Lower incomeunder $30k
$47kHigher incomeover $75k
$56k Majors
What students study, and what it pays
Share of degrees by field
Health professions 17%Business 15%Education 13%Computer science 6%Parks, recreation & fitness 6%Visual & performing arts 5%Everything else 37%
Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates
And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods52 graduates a year · typical debt $26,687
$41k4 yrs outRegistered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing48 graduates a year · typical debt $29,000
$72k4 yrs outSports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness43 graduates a year · typical debt $24,812
$54k4 yrs outPublic Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication37 graduates a year · typical debt $26,767
$51k4 yrs outPsychology, General35 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$46k4 yrs outTeacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas33 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$51k4 yrs outAccounting and Related Services32 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$80k4 yrs outComputer Science28 graduates a year · typical debt $24,149
$92k4 yrs outWho goes thereThe students
3,382 degree-seeking undergraduates.
By race and ethnicity
White 80%Hispanic 5%Black 5%Asian 1%Two or more 4%International 5%
Women and men
Women 54%Men 46%
13 : 1
students per teacher
24%
get Pell grants (lower income)
The town around itLiving in Searcy
15% of Searcy’s 24,351 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Searcy pages.
Searcy →NearbyOther colleges within 30 miles
Straight-line distances from Harding University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.
Ask around
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
Start the conversation
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
