UALR vs. Mississippi State

Should I go to University of Arkansas at Little Rock or Mississippi State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UALR or Mississippi State 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. Mississippi State University comparison
University of Arkansas at Little Rock Mississippi State University College 3 College 4
University of Arkansas at Little Rock Mississippi State University
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Overview

 UALR Mississippi State
Location Little Rock, AR Mississippi State, MS
Setting Midsize City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 8,197 22,649
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #686 #523
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ualr.edu msstate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UALR Mississippi State
Tuition (In State) $5,729 $9,248
Tuition (Out of State) $16,320 $25,294
Room & Board $9,162 $10,964
Avg Net Price $11,173 $15,364
Avg Grant Aid $10,494 $14,252
% Receiving Grant Aid 92% 98%

Admission

 UALR Mississippi State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,568 18,830
Admitted 2,193 14,158
Acceptance Rate 61.5% 75.2%
Enrolled % 25% 23.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.58
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 18/24 21/29
SAT Range 970/1220 1070/1280
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 17, 2025 Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 UALR Mississippi State
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (21%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (6%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (17%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

 UALR Mississippi State
Graduation Rate 21% 60%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $38,000 $47,500
Making Student Loan Payments 51% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,500 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $211 $240

Diversity

 UALR Mississippi State
% Men 39% 49%
% Women 61% 51%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 52% 72%
% Black 27% 20%
% Hispanic 7% 2%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 9% 2%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

 UALR Mississippi State
% In-State 90% 59%
% Out-of-State 10% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Mississippi State University is larger than than UALR based on total student enrollment (22,649 students vs. 8,197 students)

UALR vs. Mississippi State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UALR or Mississippi State?

  • Mississippi State University is 61.4% more expensive to attend than UALR for in-state tuition ($9,248.00 vs. $5,729.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 55% higher at Mississippi State than University of Arkansas at Little Rock ($25,294.00 vs. $16,320.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Arkansas at Little Rock than Mississippi State ($11,173 vs. $15,364)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Arkansas at Little Rock are 19.7% lower than costs at Mississippi State University ($9,162 vs. $10,964)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Mississippi State University than University of Arkansas at Little Rock (98% vs. 92%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Mississippi State University students is 35.8% larger than aid received University of Arkansas at Little Rock ($14,252 vs. $10,494)

UALR vs. Mississippi State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Mississippi State University (1140) is 150 points higher than at UALR (990)
  • Incoming Mississippi State students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at UALR (21)
  • Accepted freshman Mississippi State students have a 0.16 point higher average high school GPA (3.58) than students at UALR (3.42)
  • Mississippi State has a higher acceptance rate (75.2%) than UALR (61.5%)

UALR vs. Mississippi State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UALR or Mississippi State? 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 Mississippi State and UALR.

  • The graduation rate at Mississippi State is higher than University of Arkansas at Little Rock (60% vs. 21%)
  • Graduates from Mississippi State University earn on average $9,500 more per year than UALR graduates after ten years. ($47,500 vs. $38,000)
  • University of Arkansas at Little Rock students graduate with a $2,750 lower median federal student loan debt than Mississippi State graduates. ($20,500 vs. $23,250)
  • UALR graduates are paying $29 less per month on federal student loans than Mississippi State graduates. ($211 vs. $240)
  • More Mississippi State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UALR students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 51%)

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