UALR vs. UTC

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

 UALR UTC
Location Little Rock, AR Chattanooga, TN
Setting Midsize City Midsize City
Enrollment 8,197 11,283
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #686 #788
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ualr.edu utc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UALR UTC
Tuition (In State) $5,729 $7,992
Tuition (Out of State) $16,320 $24,110
Room & Board $9,162 $9,500
Avg Net Price $11,173 $14,417
Avg Grant Aid $10,494 $9,309
% Receiving Grant Aid 92% 94%

Admission

 UALR UTC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,568 8,345
Admitted 2,193 6,897
Acceptance Rate 61.5% 82.6%
Enrolled % 25% 32.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.61
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Moderate
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 18/24 20/26
SAT Range 970/1220 1023/1210
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 17, 2025 May 1, 2025

Academics

 UALR UTC
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 (22%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (6%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)

Outcomes

 UALR UTC
Graduation Rate 21% 39%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $38,000 $40,600
Making Student Loan Payments 51% 56%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,500 $20,792
Median Loan Payment $211 $214

Diversity

 UALR UTC
% Men 39% 42%
% Women 61% 58%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 52% 75%
% Black 27% 11%
% Hispanic 7% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 9% 7%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

 UALR UTC
% In-State 90% 89%
% Out-of-State 10% 11%

Campus

 UALR UTC
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

  • The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is larger than than UALR based on total student enrollment (11,283 students vs. 8,197 students)

UALR vs. UTC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UALR or UTC?

  • The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is 39.5% more expensive to attend than UALR for in-state tuition ($7,992.00 vs. $5,729.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 47.7% higher at UTC than University of Arkansas at Little Rock ($24,110.00 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 UTC ($11,173 vs. $14,417)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Arkansas at Little Rock are 3.7% lower than costs at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga ($9,162 vs. $9,500)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga than University of Arkansas at Little Rock (94% vs. 92%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Arkansas at Little Rock students is 12.7% larger than aid received The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga ($10,494 vs. $9,309)

UALR vs. UTC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (1087) is 97 points higher than at UALR (990)
  • Incoming UTC students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at UALR (21)
  • Accepted freshman UTC students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.61) than students at UALR (3.42)
  • UTC has a higher acceptance rate (82.6%) than UALR (61.5%)

UALR vs. UTC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UALR or UTC? 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 UTC and UALR.

  • The graduation rate at UTC is higher than University of Arkansas at Little Rock (39% vs. 21%)
  • Graduates from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga earn on average $2,600 more per year than UALR graduates after ten years. ($40,600 vs. $38,000)
  • University of Arkansas at Little Rock students graduate with a $292 lower median federal student loan debt than UTC graduates. ($20,500 vs. $20,792)
  • UALR graduates are paying $3 less per month on federal student loans than UTC graduates. ($211 vs. $214)
  • More UTC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UALR students, three years after graduation. (56% vs. 51%)

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