Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Cost is resident tuition plus required fees, 2023-24.
Bachelor's Degrees in Arkansas
12
Meet the Ranking Threshold
8
Median Resident Tuition and Fees
$9,969
With a Fully Online Option
2
General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in Arkansas
General studies bachelor's degrees in Arkansas are awarded by seven public universities and one private college, Harding University in Searcy, and all 8 of those programs meet the ranking threshold. Four more sit below it at private colleges: John Brown University, the University of the Ozarks, Central Baptist College and Crowley's Ridge College, with 3 to 8 graduates each. Two of the ranked 8 can be completed fully online.
Arkansas State University in Jonesboro leads with its Bachelor of General Studies at 78.8, 3rd on the national bachelor's ranking. The score rests on 205 graduates in the latest year, a 55% graduation rate and $7,754 in resident tuition and fees, and the degree runs online. Harding University is next at 56.4, where a 69% graduation rate offsets tuition and fees of $24,888, then the University of Central Arkansas in Conway at 55 with 42 graduates and a 54% graduation rate at $10,118. The University of Arkansas at Monticello's Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies scores 49.3 at $8,868 and is the other online option.
Tuition and fees across the 8 run from $6,906 at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith to $24,888 at Harding, with the 7 public programs between $6,906 and $10,118. Graduation rates run from 37% at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia to 69% at Harding. Among the programs below the threshold, John Brown University in Siloam Springs graduates 72% at $30,832 on 8 degrees awarded.
The 8 Best General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in Arkansas
The best general studies bachelor's degrees in Arkansas are ranked below by their national score, from the national bachelor's degree ranking. The number on each card is the program's place in Arkansas. Each needed at least 10 graduates in the latest year to be ranked.
1
Arkansas State University
Bachelor of General Studies
Arkansas
78.8- Public
- Fully Online Option
- College graduation rate
- 55%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $7,754 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 205
About the Program
Electives carry this degree. You take 38 credit hours of general education and 9 of major courses, and the other 73 credit hours are electives that include your 2 emphases. Those electives can come from any courses offered, so long as you've met the prerequisites. The two emphases you choose with your advisor, from areas such as technology, communications, criminology, health and physical education, let you shape your Bachelor of General Studies around your interests.
The major courses named for this degree center on the profession. Critical Thinking in the Profession is a required major course. Leadership in the Profession is an independent study of a problem in a professional setting, which you finish by presenting a formal plan of action grounded in leadership theory. The Seminar in Professional Development is the capstone, but it opens at senior standing, so you need 90 or more earned college credits before you can take it.
Up to 90 eligible credit hours of prior college coursework can transfer in, which fits a degree the college says is designed for people with prior coursework or professional experience who need a way to finish. Admission asks for an online application, official transcripts and a 2.0 GPA for transferring credits. If you transfer in more than 12 credit hours, you also skip the Making Connections course.
Paying by the course is how tuition works, at $302 per credit hour or $906 per course. That rate is the same for all U.S. residents and all fees are included, so the per-course figure is the one to plan around wherever you live in the U.S. Watch the calendar in summer, because the Summer 1 and Summer 2 terms run 5 weeks for this degree.
2
Harding University
Arkansas
56.4- Private nonprofit
- College graduation rate
- 69%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $24,888 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 24
About the Program
Harding University is a private nonprofit university in Searcy, Arkansas that enrolls 4,696 students. It conferred 24 bachelor's degrees in the latest reported year, which is more than 34% of the bachelor's programs ranked at this level. Its college-wide graduation rate is 69%, the 94th percentile, because the federal record tracks completion by institution. Residents and nonresidents are both charged $24,888 a year in tuition and fees. Applicants are admitted at a rate of 71%, which leaves room for a rejection. Strongest of its measures is the graduation rate of its college, which lands at the 94th percentile.
3
University of Central Arkansas
Arkansas
55.0- Public
- College graduation rate
- 54%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $10,118 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 42
About the Program
University of Central Arkansas is a public university in Conway, Arkansas that enrolls 10,112 students. It conferred 42 bachelor's degrees in the latest reported year, which is more than 55% of the bachelor's programs ranked at this level. A 54% graduation rate puts the college at the 62nd percentile, though that figure counts every student who started there and not this degree alone. Residents pay $10,118 a year in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay $17,258. Applicants are admitted at a rate of 89%, which leaves room for a rejection. What lifts it most is the graduation rate of its college, where it reaches the 62nd percentile.
4
University of Arkansas at Monticello
Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies
Arkansas
49.3- Public
- Fully Online Option
- College graduation rate
- 49%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $8,868 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 22
About the Program
Themes replace the major in the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies. You complete one primary theme and one secondary theme, and the two must be different, so the degree always spans two subject areas. The primary theme is 36 hours and the secondary theme is 18, which makes one theme the heavier commitment. Your choices include Arts and Humanities, Business Technology, Education, Health Care, Natural Resources, Math and Science, and Social Sciences.
Upper-level work is required inside each theme as well as across the degree. At least 18 of the primary theme's 36 hours and at least 9 of the secondary theme's 18 must be at the 30000 to 40000 level, so neither theme can be filled with introductory courses. Courses completed in any theme can't be used to meet other degree requirements, and Professional Studies can be chosen as a secondary theme, never as a primary one.
Your diploma and transcript will read Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies with no major, minor or theme designation, so the themes you chose won't appear on either document. If you want an employer to know them, you'll have to explain them yourself on a resume or in an interview. UAM is also plain that this degree in itself leads to no specific licensure or certification, which matters if the Education or Health Care theme drew you toward a licensed job.
An advisor helps you select both themes. You need a minimum of 120 hours with at least 40 at the upper level, a 2.00 grade point average in each theme and overall, and a 1-hour capstone, either UNIV 40071 or a discipline-specific one. Electives stop at 30 hours, so credits that fit neither a theme nor a requirement can fill a limited part of the degree.
5
Southern Arkansas University
Arkansas
46.3- Public
- College graduation rate
- 49%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $9,820 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 28
About the Program
Based in Magnolia, Arkansas, Southern Arkansas University is a public university with 4,732 students on its rolls. It conferred 28 bachelor's degrees in the latest reported year, which is more than 40% of the bachelor's programs ranked at this level. Across the whole college, 49% of students finish, which is a higher rate than 48% of the institutions behind this list. Tuition and fees are $9,820 a year for residents and $15,400 for students from out of state, which makes it cheaper than 50% of programs at this level. Getting in is not automatic, because 75% of applicants are admitted. Its strongest mark is price, at the 50th percentile.
6
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
Arkansas
45.9- Public
- College graduation rate
- 38%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $6,906 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 25
About the Program
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith is a public university in Fort Smith, Arkansas that enrolls 5,496 students. During the most recent year on record it awarded 25 bachelor's degrees, a count at the 35th percentile for size. Across the whole college, 38% of students finish, which is a higher rate than 20% of the institutions behind this list. Residents pay $6,906 a year in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay $13,770. About 80% of applicants are admitted, so an application is not a formality. Its strongest mark is price, at the 93rd percentile.
7
Henderson State University
Arkansas
44.5- Public
- College graduation rate
- 37%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $7,572 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 28
About the Program
Arkadelphia, Arkansas is home to Henderson State University, a public university of 2,055 students. The program's last federal report shows 28 bachelor's degrees conferred, so it is larger than 40 in every 100 programs measured here. Its college-wide graduation rate is 37%, the 18th percentile, because the federal record tracks completion by institution. Expect tuition and fees of $7,572 a year as a resident and $9,780 otherwise. On price it does best, reaching the 88th percentile.
8
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Arkansas
43.2- Public
- HBCU
- College graduation rate
- 40%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $9,019 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 40
About the Program
Some 2,005 students attend University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, a historically Black public university in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. It conferred 40 bachelor's degrees in the latest reported year, which is more than 52% of the bachelor's programs ranked at this level. A 40% graduation rate puts the college at the 25th percentile, though that figure counts every student who started there and not this degree alone. Tuition and fees are $9,019 a year for residents and $17,029 for students from out of state, which makes it cheaper than 64% of programs at this level. Getting in is not automatic, because 41% of applicants are admitted. On price it does best, reaching the 64th percentile.
Other General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in Arkansas
The other general studies bachelor's degrees in Arkansas awarded fewer than 10 degrees in the latest year or did not report a figure the ranking uses, so they are listed here without a score. That says something about size and nothing on its own about quality.
| College | Degrees Awarded | Graduation Rate | Tuition and Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Brown University, Siloam Springs | 8 | 72% | $30,832 |
| University of the Ozarks, Clarksville | 8 | 51% | $25,950 |
| Central Baptist College, Conway | 7 | 34% | $19,680 |
| Crowley's Ridge College, Paragould | 3 | 36% | $16,440 |
Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Graduation rate is the college's, for first-time, full-time students.
How Much Does a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Cost in Arkansas?
A general studies bachelor's degree in Arkansas costs a median of $9,969 a year in resident tuition and required fees for 2023-24, and the 12 programs split by sector. The seven public universities run from $6,906 at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith and $7,754 at Arkansas State University up to $10,118 at the University of Central Arkansas. Every private college charges more than every public one: $16,440 at Crowley's Ridge College, $19,680 at Central Baptist College, $24,888 at Harding University, $25,950 at the University of the Ozarks and $30,832 at John Brown University.
The state aid built for a bachelor's finisher is the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship's Non-Traditional category, which covers adults who completed some college without a degree. At a four-year college the schedule that began in 2025-26 pays $2,000 in year one, $4,000 in years two and three and $5,000 in year four. You need a cumulative college GPA of at least 2.5 if you bring prior credit, and you must enroll at least part-time, 6 to 14 credit hours, each fall and spring semester. If you're transferring in with two years done, ask the financial aid office which year of the schedule you enter.
How Does Credit Transfer Into a General Studies Bachelor's Degree in Arkansas?
Credit transfers into a general studies bachelor's degree at an Arkansas public university through the Arkansas Course Transfer System, or ACTS, which guarantees the transfer of applicable credits and their equitable treatment for admission and degree requirements. Run an ACTS report on your transcript: if it lists a course, the course is guaranteed to transfer when the receiving university has a comparable course, and a course marked No Comparable Course carries no guarantee. The system dates from Act 672 of 2005, effective December 1, 2006.
Your general education arrives as a block. Arkansas requires the 35-credit State Minimum General Education Core in every bachelor's degree as well as every transferable associate degree, and each public university must accept and apply the core you completed at another Arkansas public institution toward any undergraduate degree. That settles general education at Arkansas State, Central Arkansas, Monticello or any other public program here. What it doesn't settle is the rest: how your remaining associate credits land in the general studies major, as electives or not at all, is the university's call, so ask for a written degree audit before you enroll.
Harding University, John Brown University, the University of the Ozarks, Central Baptist College and Crowley's Ridge College are private and sit outside ACTS. Each sets its own transfer terms, so get those in writing too.
What Do Jobs With a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Pay in Arkansas?
Jobs open to a general studies bachelor's degree in Arkansas pay the state medians below, from the May 2025 federal wage survey, with the national median beside each for comparison. Each row links to the salary guide for that job.
How to Choose a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Program in Arkansas
To choose a general studies bachelor's degree program in Arkansas, decide how much completion is worth to you, because price and graduation rate pull apart here. The University of Arkansas-Fort Smith charges $6,906 in tuition and fees and graduates 38%, Henderson State University $7,572 and 37%, while Harding graduates 69% at $24,888. In the middle, Arkansas State University and the University of Central Arkansas graduate 55% and 54% at $7,754 and $10,118, and Arkansas State's degree runs online, as does the University of Arkansas at Monticello's Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies at $8,868.
Bring transfer credit with the 35-credit State Minimum General Education Core complete, since every Arkansas public university must accept and apply it, and ask the program how many of your remaining associate credits count toward the general studies degree rather than electives. Ask what concentrations or minors the degree lets you combine, and how many credits must be taken in residence.
If you're starting with an associate degree, the general studies associate degrees in Arkansas have their own page.
Common Questions About General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in Arkansas
What Is the Cheapest Ranked General Studies Bachelor's Degree in Arkansas?
Which General Studies Bachelor's Degree in Arkansas Has the Highest Graduation Rate?
Can You Finish a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Online in Arkansas?
Does an Arkansas Associate Degree Count Toward a General Studies Bachelor's Degree?
How Much Does the Academic Challenge Scholarship Pay Toward a General Studies Bachelor's Degree in Arkansas?
Where Do the Figures on This Arkansas Page Come From?
- Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board Policy on State Minimum Core for General Education
- Transfer Info. for Students
- ACTS Frequently Asked Questions
- Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship
- Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state estimates