UALR vs. Memphis

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

UALR Memphis
Location Little Rock, AR Memphis, TN
Setting Midsize City Large City
Enrollment 8,197 21,917
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #686 #883
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ualr.edu memphis.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UALR Memphis
Tuition (In State) $5,729 $8,352
Tuition (Out of State) $16,320 $12,576
Room & Board $9,162 $10,126
Avg Net Price $11,173 $13,873
Avg Grant Aid $10,494 $9,625
% Receiving Grant Aid 92% 98%

Admission

UALR Memphis
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,568 15,767
Admitted 2,193 14,916
Acceptance Rate 61.5% 94.6%
Enrolled % 25% 16.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.48
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 18/24 17/24
SAT Range 970/1220 930/1230
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 17, 2025 Jul 1, 2025

Academics

UALR Memphis
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 (21%)
  • General Studies (11%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (6%)

Outcomes

UALR Memphis
Graduation Rate 21% 38%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $38,000 $42,200
Making Student Loan Payments 51% 37%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,500 $25,250
Median Loan Payment $211 $261

Diversity

UALR Memphis
% Men 39% 40%
% Women 61% 60%
Racial Diversity High High
HBCU No No
% White 52% 50%
% Black 27% 37%
% Hispanic 7% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 9% 4%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 0% 0%

Students

UALR Memphis
% In-State 90% 81%
% Out-of-State 10% 17%

Campus

UALR Memphis
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 Memphis is larger than than UALR based on total student enrollment (21,917 students vs. 8,197 students)

UALR vs. Memphis Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UALR or Memphis?

  • University of Memphis is 45.8% more expensive to attend than UALR for in-state tuition ($8,352.00 vs. $5,729.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 29.8% higher at UALR than University of Memphis ($16,320.00 vs. $12,576.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Arkansas at Little Rock than Memphis ($11,173 vs. $13,873)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Arkansas at Little Rock are 10.5% lower than costs at University of Memphis ($9,162 vs. $10,126)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Memphis than University of Arkansas at Little Rock (98% vs. 92%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Arkansas at Little Rock students is 9% larger than aid received University of Memphis ($10,494 vs. $9,625)

UALR vs. Memphis Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Memphis (1029) is 39 points higher than at UALR (990)
  • Incoming Memphis students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at UALR (21)
  • Accepted freshman Memphis students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at UALR (3.42)
  • Memphis has a higher acceptance rate (94.6%) than UALR (61.5%)

UALR vs. Memphis Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Memphis is higher than University of Arkansas at Little Rock (38% vs. 21%)
  • Graduates from University of Memphis earn on average $4,200 more per year than UALR graduates after ten years. ($42,200 vs. $38,000)
  • University of Arkansas at Little Rock students graduate with a $4,750 lower median federal student loan debt than Memphis graduates. ($20,500 vs. $25,250)
  • UALR graduates are paying $50 less per month on federal student loans than Memphis graduates. ($211 vs. $261)
  • More UALR graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Memphis students, three years after graduation. (51% vs. 37%)

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