UAFS vs. Messenger College

Should I go to University of Arkansas Fort Smith or Messenger College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UAFS or Messenger College 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 Fort Smith vs. Messenger College comparison
University of Arkansas Fort Smith Messenger College College 3 College 4
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Overview

 UAFS Messenger College
Location Fort Smith, AR Joplin, TX
Setting Small City Small City
Enrollment 5,506 26
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - Other Protestant - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uafortsmith.edu messengercollege.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UAFS Messenger College
Tuition (In State) $4,512 $9,600
Tuition (Out of State) $11,376 $9,600
Room & Board $9,799 $12,635
Avg Net Price $10,387 $18,221
Avg Grant Aid $7,827 $7,978
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 100%

Admission

 UAFS Messenger College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,677 14
Admitted 2,181 7
Acceptance Rate 81.5% 50%
Enrolled % 40.6% 100%
Avg High School GPA 3.39 2.9
Typical High School Grades B+ B-
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Jul 1, 2026

Academics

 UAFS Messenger College
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
  • Precision Production Trades (10%)
  • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (10%)
  • Theology and Religious Vvocations (83%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (11%)
  • Business (6%)

Outcomes

 UAFS Messenger College
Graduation Rate 23% 10%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $35,000 $24,000
Making Student Loan Payments 47% 40%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,132 N/A
Median Loan Payment $146 N/A

Diversity

 UAFS Messenger College
% Men 0% 19%
% Women 1% 35%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 70% 54%
% Black 4% 18%
% Hispanic 11% 13%
% Native American 2% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 5%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 0% 8%

Students

 UAFS Messenger College
% In-State 86% 50%
% Out-of-State 13% 50%

Campus

 UAFS Messenger College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes No
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Arkansas Fort Smith is larger than than Messenger College based on total student enrollment (5,506 students vs. 26 students)

UAFS vs. Messenger College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UAFS or Messenger College?

  • Messenger College is 112.8% more expensive to attend than UAFS for in-state tuition ($9,600.00 vs. $4,512.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 18.5% higher at UAFS than Messenger College ($11,376.00 vs. $9,600.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Arkansas Fort Smith than Messenger College ($10,387 vs. $18,221)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Arkansas Fort Smith are 28.9% lower than costs at Messenger College ($9,799 vs. $12,635)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Messenger College than University of Arkansas Fort Smith (100% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Messenger College students is 1.9% larger than aid received University of Arkansas Fort Smith ($7,978 vs. $7,827)

UAFS vs. Messenger College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman UAFS students have a 0.49 point higher average high school GPA (3.39) than students at Messenger College (2.9)
  • UAFS has a higher acceptance rate (81.5%) than Messenger College (50%)

UAFS vs. Messenger College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UAFS or Messenger College? 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 Messenger College and UAFS.

  • The graduation rate at UAFS is higher than Messenger College (23% vs. 10%)
  • Graduates from University of Arkansas Fort Smith earn on average $11,000 more per year than Messenger College graduates after ten years. ($35,000 vs. $24,000)
  • More UAFS graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Messenger College students, three years after graduation. (47% vs. 40%)

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