University of Arkansas vs. University of Missouri

A side-by-side comparison of Arkansas and Mizzou — acceptance rates (73.9% vs. 78.5%), SAT scores (1020–1210 vs. 1150–1330), tuition, financial aid, and majors, drawn from each school's official Common Data Set.

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ArkansasFayetteville, AR

Acceptance rate

Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.

Arkansas CDSIn-state vs. out-of-state admit rates from Arkansas CDS (Fall 2025).
73.9%acceptance rate
Applied
32,928
Admitted
24,326
Enrolled
6,956

Admit rate by residency

% admitted
In-state79.2%
7,116 admitted of 8,988 applicants
Out-of-state76.2%
17,028 admitted of 22,358 applicants
International11.5%
182 admitted of 1,578 applicants

Early action

Arkansas offers non-binding Early Action — an earlier decision with no commitment to enroll.

Early Decision
Not offered
Early Action
Non-binding
Restrictive EA
Not offered

Standardized tests

Arkansas is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.

SAT Accepted?

ACT Accepted?

Test Optional?

SAT Scores

4001600
25th Percentile
1020
50th Percentile
1110
75th Percentile
1210

ACT Scores

136
25th Percentile
21
50th Percentile
24
75th Percentile
28

Class rank

Where Arkansas's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.

Top tenth of class25.9%
Top quarter of class79.1%
Top half of class93.7%

Based on the 58% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Arkansas does not publish an average GPA.

Admissions factors

How Arkansas weighs each part of your application.

→ Importance

Rigor of High School Record

Academic GPA

Standardized Test Scores

Application Essay

Recommendations

Extracurricular Activities

Character / Personal Qualities

Talent / Ability

First Generation

Level of Applicant's Interest

Class Rank

Volunteer Work

Work Experience

Geographical Residence

State Residency

Alumni Relation

Racial / Ethnic Status

Religious Affiliation

Cost of attendance

Estimated full-time annual cost from Arkansas's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.

$33,988
In-State
$56,256
Out-of-State
In-StateOut-of-State
Tuition & Fees
$10,916$33,184
Room & Board
$15,694$15,694
Other Expenses
$7,378$7,378
Total
$33,988$56,256

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$14k
$30–48k~$14k
$48–75k~$16k
$75–110k~$21k
$110k+~$22k

Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid, covering in-state students only.

% of undergrads with Pell grants17.8%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.

2024–25 CDSArkansas's 2025-2026 Common Data Set hasn't published this section yet, so this figure is shown from the 2024-2025 edition instead.
Receiving Aid
44%
Avg. Package
$12,543
Avg. Need Met
55%

Popular majors

Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.

Business & Marketing
Health Professions
Engineering
Communication/Journalism
Biological & Life Sciences
Social Sciences
Psychology
Other
Business
31%
Health
10%
Engineering
7%
Comms
7%
Life Sci
6%
Social Sci
6%
Psychology
5%
Other
28%

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.

N/A

Student outcomes

First-years who return86%
Graduate within six years71%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$69k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$22k

Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Programs

Arkansas’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

  • Finance

    382 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$88kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$22k median debt
  • Nursing

    342 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$85kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$20k median debt
  • Business Administration & Management

    332 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$80kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$21k median debt
  • Psychology

    243 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$48kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$22k median debt
  • Biology

    178 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$54kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$22k median debt
Show all 35 programs

Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.

Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET

Campus life

On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.

First-Years On Campus
85%
In Fraternities
24%
In Sororities
47%

Place

How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.

Setting
Midsize city
Location
Fayetteville, AR

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
4825J
5229F
6136M
7045A
7754M
8563J
8967J
8965A
8257S
7145O
5935N
5028D
Snow a year
7 in
Precipitation a year
47 in
Days at 90°F or above
41
Days below 32°F
94

Thirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.

Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, FAYETTEVILLE DRAKE FLD, AR US station, 4.2 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

45%
55%
Male
12,947
Female
16,046

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

White72.7%
Hispanic12.5%
Other7.2%
Black3.5%
Asian and Pacific Islander3.1%
Native American<1%
MizzouColumbia, MO

Acceptance rate

Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.

Mizzou CDSIn-state vs. out-of-state admit rates from Mizzou CDS (Fall 2024).
78.5%acceptance rate
Applied
24,490
Admitted
19,218
Enrolled
5,953

Admit rate by residency

% admitted
In-state81.9%
8,339 admitted of 10,179 applicants
Out-of-state79.8%
10,346 admitted of 12,973 applicants
International39.8%
533 admitted of 1,338 applicants

Early admissions

Mizzou does not offer an Early Decision or Early Action plan; all applicants apply through Regular Decision.

Early Decision
Not offered
Early Action
Not offered
Restrictive EA
Not offered

Standardized tests

Mizzou is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.

SAT Accepted?

ACT Accepted?

Test Optional?

SAT Scores

4001600
25th Percentile
1150
50th Percentile
1230
75th Percentile
1330

ACT Scores

136
25th Percentile
23
50th Percentile
26
75th Percentile
30

Class rank

Where Mizzou's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.

Top tenth of class34%
Top quarter of class65%
Top half of class92%

Based on the 41.9% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Mizzou does not publish an average GPA.

Admissions factors

How Mizzou weighs each part of your application.

→ Importance

Rigor of High School Record

Academic GPA

Standardized Test Scores

Application Essay

Recommendations

Extracurricular Activities

Character / Personal Qualities

Talent / Ability

First Generation

Level of Applicant's Interest

Class Rank

Volunteer Work

Work Experience

Geographical Residence

State Residency

Alumni Relation

Racial / Ethnic Status

Religious Affiliation

Cost of attendance

Estimated full-time annual cost from Mizzou's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.

$34,940
In-State
$57,212
Out-of-State
In-StateOut-of-State
Tuition & Fees
$15,548$37,820
Room & Board
$15,008$15,008
Other Expenses
$4,384$4,384
Total
$34,940$57,212

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$14k
$30–48k~$13k
$48–75k~$14k
$75–110k~$20k
$110k+~$26k

Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid, covering in-state students only.

% of undergrads with Pell grants20.1%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.

Receiving Aid
48%
Avg. Package
$20,421
Avg. Need Met
71%

Popular majors

Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.

Business & Marketing
Health Professions
Communication & Journalism
Engineering
Social Sciences
Biological & Life Sciences
Psychology
Education
Agriculture
Other
Business
19%
Health
16%
Journalism
10%
Engineering
7%
Social Sci
7%
Life Sci
6%
Psychology
6%
Education
5%
Agriculture
4%
Other
20%

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.

17:1

Student outcomes

First-years who return93%
Graduate within six years75%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$70k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$21k

Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Programs

Mizzou’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

  • Journalism

    438 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$69kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$21k median debt
  • Psychology

    344 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$56kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$20k median debt
  • Biology

    263 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$60kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$22k median debt
  • Nursing

    245 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$83kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$22k median debt
  • Computer & Information Sciences

    216 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$100kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$21k median debt
Show all 35 programs

Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.

Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET

Campus life

On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.

First-Years On Campus
94%
In Fraternities
28%
In Sororities
40%

Place

How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.

Setting
Midsize city
Location
Columbia, MO

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
3923J
4527F
5636M
6746A
7656M
8565J
8969J
8867A
8059S
6847O
5537N
4427D
Snow a year
17 in
Precipitation a year
45 in
Days at 90°F or above
41
Days below 32°F
93

Thirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.

Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, COLUMBIA U OF M, MO US station, 0.5 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

45%
55%
Male
11,046
Female
13,403

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

White79.2%
Other6.8%
Hispanic6.2%
Black4.8%
Asian and Pacific Islander2.8%
Native American<1%

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Arkansas vs. Mizzou: frequently asked questions

Arkansas is more selective: it admits about 73.9% of applicants, compared with 78.5% at Mizzou. Both are competitive, and your odds depend on far more than the overall rate.

The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1020–1210 at Arkansas and 1150–1330 at Mizzou on the SAT. Treat the ranges as a benchmark — a score inside or above a school's range keeps you competitive there.

Arkansas has the lower published price for out-of-state students — $33,184 in tuition and fees versus $37,820 at Mizzou, a gap of about $4,636 a year before financial aid.

Mizzou graduates a higher share of its students within six years — 75% versus 71% at Arkansas.

Neither — about equally. Both Common Data Sets rate the application essay considered, so the same draft does the same work in either application.

Source: University of Arkansas Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-10. % of Full-Time First-Years Awarded Need-Based Grant Aid, Average Aid Package, Students With Need Who Received Aid, and Average % of Need Met, Students With Need Who Received Aid are from the 2024-2025 edition. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Arkansas. Banner photo by Michael Barera, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Source: University of Missouri Common Data Set 2024-2025. Figures transcribed 2026-06-10. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Mizzou. Banner photo by VoyagerMU, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).