UALR vs. KU

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

UALR KU
Location Little Rock, AR Lawrence, KS
Setting Midsize City Small City
Enrollment 8,197 26,708
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #686 #252
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ualr.edu ku.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UALR KU
Tuition (In State) $5,729 $10,092
Tuition (Out of State) $16,320 $26,960
Room & Board $9,162 $10,136
Avg Net Price $11,173 $18,950
Avg Grant Aid $10,494 $11,140
% Receiving Grant Aid 92% 87%

Admission

UALR KU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,568 16,204
Admitted 2,193 14,234
Acceptance Rate 61.5% 87.8%
Enrolled % 25% 31.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.66
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 18/24 21/28
SAT Range 970/1220 1090/1340
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 15, 2025

Academics

UALR KU
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (21%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (6%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

UALR KU
Graduation Rate 21% 61%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $38,000 $54,600
Making Student Loan Payments 51% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,500 $20,500
Median Loan Payment $211 $211

Diversity

UALR KU
% Men 39% 45%
% Women 61% 55%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 52% 72%
% Black 27% 4%
% Hispanic 7% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 9% 5%
% International 2% 6%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

UALR KU
% In-State 90% 58%
% Out-of-State 10% 39%

Campus

UALR KU
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

  • University of Kansas is larger than than UALR based on total student enrollment (26,708 students vs. 8,197 students)

UALR vs. KU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UALR or KU?

  • University of Kansas is 76.2% more expensive to attend than UALR for in-state tuition ($10,092.00 vs. $5,729.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 65.2% higher at KU than University of Arkansas at Little Rock ($26,960.00 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 KU ($11,173 vs. $18,950)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Arkansas at Little Rock are 10.6% lower than costs at University of Kansas ($9,162 vs. $10,136)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Arkansas at Little Rock than University of Kansas (92% vs. 87%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Kansas students is 6.2% larger than aid received University of Arkansas at Little Rock ($11,140 vs. $10,494)

UALR vs. KU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Kansas (1145) is 155 points higher than at UALR (990)
  • Incoming KU students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at UALR (21)
  • Accepted freshman KU students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.66) than students at UALR (3.42)
  • KU has a higher acceptance rate (87.8%) than UALR (61.5%)

UALR vs. KU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at KU is higher than University of Arkansas at Little Rock (61% vs. 21%)
  • Graduates from University of Kansas earn on average $16,600 more per year than UALR graduates after ten years. ($54,600 vs. $38,000)
  • University of Kansas and UALR graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($20,500 vs. $20,500)
  • University of Kansas and UALR graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($211 vs. $211)
  • More KU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UALR students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 51%)

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