Southern Arkansas University Main Campus

https://www.saumag.edu/

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2021 Undergraduate Tuition

$6,750

5.14% growth from 2020

2021 Average Net Price

$14,141

After Financial Aid

2019 Student Loan

6.47%

Default Rate

2021 Acceptance Rate

62.6%

2,813 Applicants

2021 Enrolled Students

4,434

65.7% Full-Time

2021 Graduation Rate

37.7%

294 Graduates

About

Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is a higher education institution located in Columbia County, AR. In 2021, the most popular Associates Degree concentrations at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus were General Studies (271 degrees awarded), General Business (61 degrees), and Agricultural Business Operations (15 degrees).

In 2021, 1,280 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus. 61.8% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 38.2% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (856 degrees), 3.94 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (217 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is $6,750, which is $−16,434 less than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($23,184).

Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs Masters Colleges and Universities

Costs

In 2021, the median undergraduate tuition at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is $6,750, which is $−16,434 less than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($23,184).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $14,141.

In 2021, 92% of undergraduate students attending Southern Arkansas University Main Campus received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 73% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$6,750

2021 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2021, the cost of tuition at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus was $6,750. The cost of tuition at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is $−16,434 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($23,184).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Southern Arkansas University Main Campus (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$14,141

2021 Value

4.28%

1 Year Growth

In 2021 Southern Arkansas University Main Campus had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $14,141. Between 2020 and 2021, the average net price of Southern Arkansas University Main Campus grew by 4.28%.

This chart compares the average net price of Southern Arkansas University Main Campus (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$7,418

Room and Board

$1,600

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus was of $7,418 in 2021. The cost of room and board increased by 3.2% between 2020 and 2021.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,600. The cost of books and supplies did not change during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

92%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

73%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

92% of undergraduate students at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus received financial aid through grants or loans in 2021. This represents a decline of 3.16% with respect to 2020, when 95% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

6.47%

2019 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2019 the default rate for borrower's at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus was 6.47%, which represents 65 out of the 1004 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

Southern Arkansas University Main Campus received 2,813 undergraduate applications in 2021, which represents a 17.9% annual growth. Out of those 2,813 applicants, 1,761 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 62.6% acceptance rate.

There were 4,434 students enrolled at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus in 2021. 10% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Southern Arkansas University Main Campus has an overall enrollment yield of 35.9%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

62.6%

Acceptance Rate in 2021

1,761

Accepted Out of 2,813

In 2021, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Southern Arkansas University Main Campus was 62.6% (1,761 admissions from 2,813 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2020, which was 68.5%. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of applicants grew by 17.9%, while admissions declined by −25%..

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Southern Arkansas University Main Campus (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

SAT Scores

10%

Submission Percentage (2021)

Scores Submitted (2021)

10% of enrolled first-time students at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus in 2021 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Southern Arkansas University Main Campus had a total enrollment of 4,434 students in 2021. The full-time enrollment at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is 2,913 students and the part-time enrollment is 1,521. This means that 65.7% of students enrolled at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus, both undergraduate and graduate, is 58% White, 18.8% Black or African American, 6.07% Two or More Races, 4.26% Hispanic or Latino, 0.925% Asian, 0.338% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0226% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (34.6%), followed by White Male (27.3%) and Black or African American Female (10.8%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (13%), followed by White Male (7.97%) and Black or African American Female (7.61%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

65.7%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus in 2021, both undergraduate and graduate, is 4,434 students. The full-time enrollment at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is 2,913 and the part-time enrollment is 1,521. This means that 65.7% of students enrolled at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus are enrolled full-time compared with 68.3% at similar Masters Colleges and Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

64%

2021 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus was 64%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Masters Colleges and Universities (73%), Southern Arkansas University Main Campus had a retention rate lower than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
2,573 enrolled students
Black or African American
833 enrolled students
Two or More Races
269 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is 58% White, 18.8% Black or African American, 6.07% Two or More Races, 4.26% Hispanic or Latino, 0.925% Asian, 0.338% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0226% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Masters Colleges and Universities is 52% White, 16.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 12.8% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 181 students (4.08%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2021, 302 more women than men received degrees from Southern Arkansas University Main Campus. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is white (856 degrees awarded). There were 3.94 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (217 degrees).

The most common Associates Degree concentration at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is General Studies (271 degrees awarded), followed by General Business (61 degrees) and Agricultural Business Operations (15 degrees).

In 2021, the most specialized majors across all degree types at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Agriculture (52 degrees awarded), EDUCATION. (275 degrees), and Physical Sciences (36 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Elementary & middle school teachers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus are Elementary & middle school teachers (1,680,660 people), Secondary school teachers (443,560 people), Education administrators (266,331 people), Postsecondary teachers (188,105 people), and Other managers (187,906 people).

The most specialized majors at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus in 2021 are Agriculture (52 degrees awarded), EDUCATION. (275 degrees), Physical Sciences (36 degrees), Liberal Arts & Humanities (320 degrees), and Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (41 degrees) (as of 2021).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus are Surgeons, Broadcast announcers and radio disc jockeys, Physicians, Nurse anesthetists, and Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

The most specialized majors at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus are Agriculture (52 degrees awarded), EDUCATION. (275 degrees), Physical Sciences (36 degrees), Liberal Arts & Humanities (320 degrees), and Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (41 degrees) (as of 2021).

Common Industries by Major

Elementary & secondary schools

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus are Elementary & secondary schools (2,824,181 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (394,625 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (239,241 people), Computer Systems Design (116,475 people), and Construction (105,405 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Southern Arkansas University Main Campus.

Most Common (2021)

General Business
62 degree-majors awarded
General Studies
49 degree-majors awarded
Early Childhood Education & Teaching
44 degree-majors awarded

In 2021, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus was General Business with 62 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

489

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2021

791

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2021

In 2021, 489 degrees were awarded to men at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus, which is 0.618 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (791).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2021, 118 degrees were awarded to men at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus in General Studies, which is 0.584 times less than the 202 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2021, 202 degrees were awarded to men at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus in General Studies, which is 1.71 times more than the 118 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

29%

100% Completion Time

42%

150% Completion Time

In 2021, 29% of students graduating from Southern Arkansas University Main Campus completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 42% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 43% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Masters Colleges and Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

Asian Male

Highest Graduation Rate (66.7%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2021 at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is Male and Asian (66.7% graduation rate). Across all Masters Colleges and Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.9%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 1.36% of graduates (4 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
856 degrees awarded
Black or African American
217 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
45 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is white (856 degrees awarded). There were 3.94 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (217 degrees).

1.09% of degree recipients (14 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2021)

White Female
545 degrees awarded
White Male
311 degrees awarded
Black or African American Female
127 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is white female (545 degrees awarded). There were 1.75 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (311 degrees).

Operations

Southern Arkansas University Main Campus has an endowment valued at nearly $56.9M, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 1.77M (3.12%) compared to the 13.1% average return (6.61M on 50.4M) across all Masters Colleges and Universities.

In 2021, Southern Arkansas University Main Campus had a total salary expenditure of 68.2M. Southern Arkansas University Main Campus employs 54 Assistant professors, 39 Associate professors and 36 Instructors. Most academics at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus are Male Assistant professor (29), Female Assistant professor (25), and Female Associate professor (21).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus are: Office and Administrative Support, with 65 employees, Management, with 38 employees, and Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services with 38 employees.

Endowment

$56.9M

2021 Endowment

growth from 2020

Southern Arkansas University Main Campus has an endowment valued at about $56.9M, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The endowment of Southern Arkansas University Main Campus grew 9% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $6.44M higher than than the median endowment of Masters Colleges and Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs Carnegie Classification grouping.

Salary Expenditure

$28M

2021 Salaries

2.55%

decline from 2020

In 2021, Southern Arkansas University Main Campus paid a median of $28M in salaries, which represents 41.1% of their overall expenditure ($68.2M) and a 2.55% decline from the previous year.

The median for similar Masters Colleges and Universities is 35.1M (41.3% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$10M

Instructional Salaries

151

Number of Employees

In 2021, Southern Arkansas University Main Campus paid a total of $10M to 151 employees working as instructors, which represents 35.7% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $11M (31.3%) for similar Masters Colleges and Universities.

Occupations by Share

Assistant professor

Most Common Instructor

54 Employees

Office and Administrative Support

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

65 Employees

In 2021, the most common positions for instructional staff at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus were Assistant professor with 54 employees, Associate professor with 39 employees, and Instructor with 36 employees.

In 2021, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus were Office and Administrative Support with 65 employees, Management with 38 employees, and Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services with 38 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic (2021)

Male Assistant professor
Female Assistant professor
Female Associate professor

In 2021, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus was Male Assistant professor with 29 employees, Female Assistant professor with 25 employees, and Female Associate professor with 21 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus.