2026 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Arkansas
[Social Sciences](/majors/social-sciences/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong social sciences education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 22 schools to find the best return on investment for social sciences students.
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2026 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Arkansas
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in social sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Social Sciences Schools
Leading the list is Arkansas Tech University, our #1 best value for social sciences in Arkansas. Set in the town of Russellville, Arkansas Tech University is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,674, compared with $14,668 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,180 to complete the social sciences program here. Soon after graduation, social sciences degree recipients from Arkansas Tech University generally make around $32,924. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Arkansas Tech University admits about 96% of applicants.
Arkansas State University Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in social sciences, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Jonesboro, Arkansas State University Main Campus is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,090, with out-of-state students paying around $14,522. Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $26,176 in student loans. Soon after graduation, social sciences degree recipients from Arkansas State University Main Campus generally make around $34,358. Set against $26,176 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Arkansas At Little Rock is a great value for students pursuing a degree in social sciences, landing the #3 spot this year. University Of Arkansas At Little Rock is a large public school located in the city of Little Rock. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,911, with out-of-state students paying around $22,721. Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $39,648 in student loans. Soon after graduation, social sciences degree recipients from University Of Arkansas At Little Rock generally make around $47,170. Set against $39,648 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 59%.
A rank of #4 makes University Of Central Arkansas one of the best values for social sciences. Set in the city of Conway, University Of Central Arkansas is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,523, with out-of-state students paying around $18,023. Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $21,601 in student loans. Soon after graduation, social sciences degree recipients from University Of Central Arkansas generally make around $35,565. That is a strong return on a $21,601 median debt. University Of Central Arkansas admits about 90% of applicants.
University Of Arkansas is a great value for students pursuing a degree in social sciences, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the city of Fayetteville, University Of Arkansas is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,104, with out-of-state students paying around $29,966. Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $24,567 in student loans. Soon after graduation, social sciences degree recipients from University Of Arkansas generally make around $31,171. That is a strong return on a $24,567 median debt. University Of Arkansas admits about 74% of applicants.
Harding University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value social sciences schools. Located in the town of Searcy, Harding University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $25,962. Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $26,715 in student loans. Early-career social sciences graduates make about $53,629. That is a strong return on a $26,715 median debt. Harding University admits about 70% of applicants.
Hendrix College earned the #7 position for value in social sciences this year. Hendrix College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Conway. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $38,200. Typical student debt for social sciences graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, social sciences degree recipients from Hendrix College generally make around $40,445. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Hendrix College admits about 56% of applicants.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 22 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
