University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Pine Bluff, Arkansas · Public · 41.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 10/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff earns a CampusROI score of 10 (Below Benchmark tier), despite reasonable program-level data in nursing and industrial production. In-state tuition is $9,412 with a net price of $12,653 - net price exceeds tuition by 34%, signaling minimal grant aid and meaningful fees. Average earnings six years after entry are just $23,900, climbing to a median $35,550 at ten years. The earnings premium subscore of 8 (raw 0.011) shows graduates barely out-earn high-school-only baselines. Median debt of $24,202 against $23,900 in early earnings produces a 1.013 debt-to-earnings ratio - debt exceeds annual income. The 346.6-year payback period signals that earnings effectively never recoup the cost. Completion is 40.4% (subscore 22) and three-year repayment 55.3% (subscore 12), with seven-year repayment falling to 37.2%. UAPB enrolls 1,807 students with a 69.5% Pell rate. The school is an HBCU in southeast Arkansas with deep historical mission; the program-level data shows strong nursing and industrial-production outcomes.
How University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff 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 Score10/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.01 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $9,412/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $17,992/yr |
| Average net price | $12,653/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $50,612 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $35,550 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $23,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $24,202 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $257 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 40.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,807 |
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: $9,412/year ($17,992/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 $12,653/year, or roughly $50,612 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 $12,302/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $17,840/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $24,202, which works out to about $257 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($23,900) and comes to 1.01, 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least 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 | $12,302 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $11,324 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $15,920 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $13,975 |
| $110,001+ | $17,840 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-30,000 pay $12,302 per year, totaling about $49,208 over four years. The 30-48K bracket pays slightly less ($11,324) - a typical pattern. With $23,900 in early-career earnings and 1.013 debt-to-earnings, low-income students face a fundamentally broken math. Pell grants are not closing the gap for this population at UAPB; the net-price-exceeds-tuition dynamic compounds the damage.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-75,000) pay $15,920 per year, about $63,680 over four years - the highest reported net price in any bracket. With $35,550 in ten-year median earnings, no middle-income financing structure recoups this cost.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $17,840 per year, about $71,360 over four years. The bracket structure shows $75,001-110,000 families paying $13,975 (less than the $48-75K bracket above) - a partial inversion worth flagging.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $46,323 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $53,255 | D |
| Biology | $50,141 | D |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $42,902 | D |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | $71,983 | B |
| Teacher Education, Subject-Specific | $39,026 | D |
| Registered Nursing | $67,231 | - |
| Social Work | $38,652 | F |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | $30,057 | D |
| Family and Consumer Sciences | $41,327 | D |
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 is UAPB's standout program with year-one earnings of $67,231 - among the strongest wage outcomes in the school's data. Four-year earnings, debt, and ROI grade are unreported, but the strong entry-level wage signals successful placement into Arkansas hospital networks. With 22 graduates per year, the program is small but consistently produces graduates who can service typical debt loads. For prospective UAPB students, nursing is the clear ROI standout.
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
Industrial Production graduates 26 students per year with year-one earnings of $61,946 climbing to $71,983 at year four. Median debt of $25,262 produces an excellent 0.408 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B ROI grade. This program feeds graduates into Arkansas manufacturing - particularly along the Mississippi River corridor where industrial employers absorb technicians at strong wages.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business is UAPB's largest program with 41 graduates per year. Year-one earnings of $35,490 climb to $46,323 at year four. Median debt of $27,406 produces a 0.772 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D ROI grade. The pattern is consistent with UAPB's broader challenge: modest wage growth combined with heavy debt loads relative to earnings power.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice produces 35 graduates per year - the school's second-largest program - with year-one earnings of $35,532 climbing to $53,255 at year four. Median debt of $27,000 yields a 0.76 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D ROI grade. Arkansas state law enforcement absorbs most graduates with stable wages. This is one of the few programs where mid-career wage growth makes the financing math defensible.
Biology
Biology produces 33 graduates per year with year-one earnings of $26,612 and four-year earnings of $50,141. Median debt of $21,500 yields a 0.808 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D ROI grade. The 88% wage growth from year one to four signals most bio majors continue to medical/PA/pharmacy programs or research roles; the early-career snapshot understates lifetime outcomes for graduate-school-bound students.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 52.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 55.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 33.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 37.2% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’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 | 41.2% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 420-538 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 425-570 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 14-18 |
| Enrollment | 1,807 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 69.5% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,201 |
UAPB admits 41.2% of applicants. SAT 25-75 mid-ranges are 420-538 math and 425-570 reading, with ACT 25-75 of 14-18. The combination of selective admission with low test scores reflects the HBCU mission of serving Arkansas's Black community where standardized-test outcomes correlate with K-12 inequity. The 40.4% completion rate reflects the academic-preparation challenges of the entering class.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (this school) | 10 | $12,653 | $35,550 |
| Alabama A & M University | 10 | $17,621 | $40,628 |
| Philander Smith University | 10 | $14,224 | $38,427 |
| Savannah State University | 10 | $8,172 | $37,981 |
| Lincoln University | 10 | $19,092 | $39,463 |
| Texas Southern University | 10 | $16,590 | $38,924 |
Head-to-Head ROI Comparisons
See University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
UAPB serves primarily Black students from southeastern Arkansas and the lower Mississippi Delta region, with 1,807 students and a 69.5% Pell rate. The HBCU heritage is significant for the region's Black community, and specific programs (nursing, industrial production, agricultural business) produce strong wage outcomes for completers. Strong-fit students would be those committed to UAPB's nursing or technical programs with clear plans for completion. The school's structural challenges around debt accumulation and slow wage growth make it a high-risk bet for students outside these focused tracks.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff scores 10/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $12,653 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $35,550 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 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 40.4% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.01 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 55.3% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $24,202 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $23,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.01. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff: Common Questions
Is University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff scores 10/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $12,653 a year after aid against $35,550 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff 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 $12,653 a year, or roughly $50,612 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 University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $35,550 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at more than 50 years for University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $24,202, against average earnings of $23,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.01. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so how much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff?
The six-year graduation rate is 40.4%. 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.