2026 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Arkansas

[Physical Sciences](/majors/physical-sciences/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong physical sciences education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 18 schools to find the best return on investment for physical sciences students.
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2026 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Arkansas
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in physical sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools
Leading the list is University Of Arkansas Fort Smith, our #1 best value for physical sciences in Arkansas. Located in the city of Fort Smith, University Of Arkansas Fort Smith is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,334, with out-of-state students paying around $12,182. Typical student debt for physical sciences graduates is $20,333. Soon after graduation, physical sciences degree recipients from University Of Arkansas Fort Smith generally make around $22,255. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in physical sciences will find it at Arkansas Tech University, which ranked #2. Arkansas Tech University is a large public school located in the town of Russellville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,674, compared with $14,668 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for physical sciences graduates is $23,257. Physical Sciences graduates of Arkansas Tech University earn a median of $45,115 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in physical sciences, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the town of Magnolia, Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,960, with out-of-state students paying around $15,690. Physical Sciences graduates carry a median of $23,625 in student loans. Early-career physical sciences graduates make about $58,870. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Arkansas At Little Rock is a great value for students pursuing a degree in physical sciences, landing the #4 spot this year. University Of Arkansas At Little Rock is a large public school located in the city of Little Rock. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,911, compared with $22,721 for out-of-state students. Physical Sciences graduates carry a median of $27,093 in student loans. Early-career physical sciences graduates make about $47,170. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 59%.
Students looking for strong value in physical sciences will find it at University Of Central Arkansas, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Conway, University Of Central Arkansas is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,523, with out-of-state students paying around $18,023. Typical student debt for physical sciences graduates is $21,125. Soon after graduation, physical sciences degree recipients from University Of Central Arkansas generally make around $36,946. Set against $21,125 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Central Arkansas admits about 90% of applicants.
University Of Arkansas landed the #6 spot for physical sciences value this year. Set in the city of Fayetteville, University Of Arkansas is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,104 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $29,966. Physical Sciences graduates carry a median of $25,529 in student loans. Early-career physical sciences graduates make about $34,432. Set against $25,529 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 18 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.