Ranking

Best Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft Colleges in Arkansas 2026

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith leads this ROI ranking with an B value grade and a 9.72 school-wide ROI proxy. EduGradify ranks 10 eligible colleges here by earnings against net price.

10 eligible Arkansas colleges reporting awards in Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, ranked by EduGradify's school-wide value signal.

Schools ranked: 10
Cheapest net price: $10,574
Top earnings 10y: $60,376
Public / Private: 6 / 4

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith

Fort Smith, AR · Public

ROI proxy: 9.72
Net price: $10,574
Earnings 10y: $41,102
Acceptance: 80.5%

Arkansas State University

Jonesboro, AR · Public

ROI proxy: 8.62
Net price: $12,366
Earnings 10y: $42,617
Acceptance: 82.3%

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, AR · Public

ROI proxy: 7.99
Net price: $18,209
Earnings 10y: $58,191
Acceptance: 74.3%

University of Central Arkansas

Conway, AR · Public

ROI proxy: 6.96
Net price: $16,511
Earnings 10y: $45,938
Acceptance: 89.5%

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Little Rock, AR · Public

ROI proxy: 6.56
Net price: $17,248
Earnings 10y: $45,265
Acceptance: 58.8%

University of the Ozarks

Clarksville, AR · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 6.39
Net price: $17,360
Earnings 10y: $44,384
Acceptance: 59.5%

Hendrix College

Conway, AR · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 6.25
Net price: $24,149
Earnings 10y: $60,376
Acceptance: 55.7%

Harding University

Searcy, AR · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 5.97
Net price: $22,130
Earnings 10y: $52,876
Acceptance: 70.5%

Ouachita Baptist University

Arkadelphia, AR · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 5.76
Net price: $22,409
Earnings 10y: $51,673
Acceptance: 67.5%

#10

Henderson State University

Arkadelphia, AR · Public

ROI proxy: 4.64
Net price: $23,405
Earnings 10y: $43,459
Acceptance: Open / not reported

How we picked this list

This list starts with Arkansas schools reporting awards in Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, excludes low-denominator, very small and incomplete records, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The eligible set's average EduGradify ROI proxy is 6.89 (6 public, 4 private).

ROI lists require average net price of at least $4,600, enrollment of at least 500 and a reported graduation rate so unusually small denominators or incomplete records cannot dominate the public leaderboard.

Source transparency: every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard public data set. See our full methodology for the ROI formula, value grade rules and missing-data handling.

FAQ

Who leads this ranking?

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith in Fort Smith, AR tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is B.

How does EduGradify pick this list?

We rank this set by roi proxy using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.

How many Arkansas colleges are in this list?

10 Arkansas colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.

What does net price mean here?

Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.

Can I use this ranking as a final college decision?

Use it as a shortlist, not a final decision. The ranking compares school-wide federal data; you should still confirm program fit, aid letters, graduation path, transfer policies and current costs with each college.