Southern Arkansas University Main Campus
Magnolia, Arkansas · Public · 75.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 30/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Southern Arkansas University-Magnolia, a regional public in southern Arkansas, scores 30 on overall ROI (Below Benchmark tier). In-state tuition is $9,960, out-of-state $15,690, and average net price is $14,027 (~$56,108 over four years) - genuinely affordable. Average earnings six years out are $30,400, climbing to a median $42,386 by year ten. The 26.6-year payback period is the major drag and reflects southern Arkansas's compressed regional wage structure rather than poor education delivery. Median debt of $18,750 is moderate, producing a 0.62 debt-to-earnings ratio. Completion is 49%, mediocre. The 68% three-year repayment rate is acceptable. The program-level story is much stronger: Nursing (B), Physics (B), Teacher Education subject-specific (B+), Agricultural Business (B+), and Accounting (B) all post solid outcomes. SAU is genuinely a defensible value pick for in-state students who select these majors carefully - the institution-wide score under-rates it.
How Southern Arkansas University Main Campus scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score30/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period26.6 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Southern Arkansas University Main Campus
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $9,960/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $15,690/yr |
| Average net price | $14,027/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $56,108 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $42,386 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $30,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $18,750 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $199 |
| Estimated payback period | 26.6 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 48.8% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,708 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $9,960/year ($15,690/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $14,027/year, or roughly $56,108 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $13,187/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $19,244/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $18,750, which works out to about $199 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($30,400) and comes to 0.62, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $13,187 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $12,827 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $13,790 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $15,654 |
| $110,001+ | $19,244 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $13,187 net, and the $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays slightly less at $12,827 - a small inversion. Strong value pick for low-income Arkansas families targeting healthcare, education, or agriculture careers.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $13,790 and $75,001-$110,000 pays $15,654. Across the middle range, four-year cost is roughly $55,000-$63,000. With the strong ROI grades in Nursing, Physics, Teacher Education, and Agricultural Business, the math pencils cleanly for middle-income Arkansas families who select majors carefully.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,001 pay $19,244 - still under $77,000 over four years. For out-of-state families, the math depends on the specific major; for nursing or physics, this can be a defensible out-of-state pick at $15,690 tuition.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education | $40,843 | B |
| Business Administration and Management | $47,979 | C |
| Biology | $44,873 | D |
| Agricultural Business and Management | $55,787 | B+ |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $48,662 | C |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $38,931 | D |
| Registered Nursing | $70,185 | B |
| Psychology | $42,925 | C |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $44,523 | D |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $60,952 | - |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Nursing earns a B ROI grade: $67,213 first-year and $70,185 four-year median earnings against $24,750 median debt produce a 0.37 debt-to-earnings ratio. 32 graduates per cohort feed regional Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas hospital systems.
Physics
Physics is SAU's surprise standout: $58,870 first-year and an exceptional $89,685 four-year median earnings against $23,625 median debt produce a 0.40 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B ROI grade. 23 graduates per cohort - unusually high for a physics program at a regional public, suggesting either strong engineering-pathway draw or a particular pipeline to industry. Excellent ROI by any standard.
Agricultural Business and Management
Agricultural Business earns B+ ROI: $41,325 first-year and $55,787 four-year median earnings against just $13,875 median debt produce a 0.34 debt-to-earnings ratio - one of the best on campus. 35 graduates per cohort feed regional agribusiness, commodities, agricultural lending, and Cooperative Extension careers across the South. Strong fit for rural-business-bound students.
Teacher Education, Subject-Specific
Subject-specific Teacher Education earns B+ ROI: $44,843 first-year and $48,923 four-year median earnings against just $12,000 median debt produce a 0.27 debt-to-earnings ratio - exceptional. 25 graduates per cohort feed regional middle and high school content-area roles. Excellent value at SAU's price point.
Teacher Education
General Teacher Education is SAU's largest reported program at 78 graduates. First-year earnings of $37,590 grow to $40,843 by year four with $16,316 median debt (0.43 debt-to-earnings) - a B ROI grade. Strong fit for elementary education feeding rural Arkansas school districts. Decent value driven by low debt at affordable in-state pricing.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 69.1% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 68.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 52.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 54.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Southern Arkansas University Main Campus’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 75.3% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 425-540 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 450-565 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 17-24 |
| Enrollment | 2,708 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 48.2% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,469 |
SAU admits 75% of applicants. SAT mid-ranges are 425-540 Math and 450-565 Reading, with ACT 17-24. The 49% completion rate is consistent with that academic preparation profile and is a meaningful drag on the score. Selectivity-to-completion correlation is intact: students arriving with stronger preparation, particularly those targeting nursing or physics, see materially better completion outcomes.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Program-level data includes Physics at $89,685 four-year median and Nursing at B grade.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Arkansas University Main Campus (this school) | 30 | $14,027 | $42,386 |
| University of Arkansas | 69 | $18,209 | $58,191 |
| Montana State University Billings | 34 | $16,524 | $44,296 |
| University of Arkansas at Little Rock | 31 | $17,248 | $45,265 |
| Missouri Western State University | 29 | $13,251 | $42,647 |
| Rogers State University | 28 | $15,314 | $43,166 |
Who Thrives Here
With 2,708 students and a 48% Pell rate, SAU serves a working-class southern Arkansas, north Louisiana, and east Texas regional student population with significant first-generation enrollment. The fit profile: students who want an affordable bachelor's degree close to home in the rural South, who target specific high-ROI tracks (nursing, physics, education, agricultural business, accounting), and who plan careers in the Arkansas-Louisiana-Texas tri-state region. Strongest tracks by graduate count and ROI: Teacher Education (78 graduates, B grade), Business Administration (76, C), Biology (47, D), Agricultural Business (35, B+).
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Southern Arkansas University Main Campus scores 30/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $14,027 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $42,386 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 26.6 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 48.8% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 68.2% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $18,750 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $30,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Southern Arkansas University Main Campus: Common Questions
Is Southern Arkansas University Main Campus worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Southern Arkansas University Main Campus scores 30/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $14,027 a year after aid against $42,386 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 26.6 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Southern Arkansas University Main Campus cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $14,027 a year, or roughly $56,108 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Southern Arkansas University Main Campus graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $42,386 ten years after enrolling, roughly $586 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Southern Arkansas University Main Campus?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 26.6 years for Southern Arkansas University Main Campus. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Southern Arkansas University Main Campus graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $18,750, against average earnings of $30,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus?
The six-year graduation rate is 48.8%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.