UALR vs. CSU

Should I go to University of Arkansas at Little Rock or California State University Chico? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UALR or CSU is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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University of Arkansas at Little Rock vs. California State University Chico comparison
University of Arkansas at Little Rock California State University Chico College 3 College 4
University of Arkansas at Little Rock California State University Chico
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Overview

 UALR CSU
Location Little Rock, AR Chico, CA
Setting Midsize City Small City
Enrollment 8,158 14,523
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #782 #660
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ualr.edu csuchico.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UALR CSU
Tuition (In State) $5,818 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $16,573 $17,622
Room & Board $9,352 $16,020
Avg Net Price $11,225 $15,187
Avg Grant Aid $9,968 $10,331
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 65%

Admission

 UALR CSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,661 22,263
Admitted 2,114 20,864
Acceptance Rate 57.7% 93.7%
Enrolled % 22.6% 10.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.37
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 18/23 18/24
SAT Range 890/1170 970/1170
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Aug 17, 2026 Dec 15, 2025

Academics

 UALR CSU
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (21%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (6%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Health Professions (8%)

Outcomes

 UALR CSU
Graduation Rate 21% 59%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $38,000 $52,400
Making Student Loan Payments 51% 70%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,500 $17,000
Median Loan Payment $211 $175

Diversity

 UALR CSU
% Men 12% 3%
% Women 17% 6%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 52% 46%
% Black 27% 2%
% Hispanic 7% 29%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 9% 5%
% International 2% 3%
% Unknown Race 0% 7%

Students

 UALR CSU
% In-State 91% 97%
% Out-of-State 9% 2%

Campus

 UALR CSU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • California State University Chico is larger than than UALR based on total student enrollment (14,523 students vs. 8,158 students)

UALR vs. CSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UALR or CSU?

  • University of Arkansas at Little Rock is 1.3% more expensive to attend than CSU for in-state tuition ($5,818.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 6.3% higher at CSU than University of Arkansas at Little Rock ($17,622.00 vs. $16,573.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Arkansas at Little Rock than CSU ($11,225 vs. $15,187)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Arkansas at Little Rock are 71.3% lower than costs at California State University Chico ($9,352 vs. $16,020)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Arkansas at Little Rock than California State University Chico (96% vs. 65%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Chico students is 3.6% larger than aid received University of Arkansas at Little Rock ($10,331 vs. $9,968)

UALR vs. CSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UALR or CSU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between CSU or UALR .

  • The average SAT score at California State University Chico (1003) is 13 points higher than at UALR (990)
  • Incoming CSU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at UALR (21)
  • Accepted freshman UALR students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at CSU (3.37)
  • CSU has a higher acceptance rate (93.7%) than UALR (57.7%)

UALR vs. CSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UALR or CSU? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between CSU and UALR.

  • The graduation rate at CSU is higher than University of Arkansas at Little Rock (59% vs. 21%)
  • Graduates from California State University Chico earn on average $14,400 more per year than UALR graduates after ten years. ($52,400 vs. $38,000)
  • California State University Chico students graduate with a $3,500 lower median federal student loan debt than UALR graduates. ($17,000 vs. $20,500)
  • CSU graduates are paying $36 less per month on federal student loans than UALR graduates. ($175 vs. $211)
  • More CSU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UALR students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 51%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/