Hardest Colleges to Get Into in Arkansas
Arkansas has 18 colleges in the CollegeCalcAI database, and this page ranks every one of them by acceptance rate. The most selective are University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (41%), Philander Smith University (50%), and Hendrix College (56%). No school in the state admits fewer than a quarter of its applicants, the median Arkansas college admits 73%, and 10 are public against 8 private. At the other end, Arkansas Tech University admits 96%. Open any school for its full admissions profile, or check your own odds free.
- University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff41%acceptanceSelectiveAR · SAT 1010
- Philander Smith University50%acceptanceSelectiveAR · SAT 1000
- Hendrix College56%acceptanceModerately selectiveAR · SAT 1230
- University of Arkansas at Little Rock59%acceptanceModerately selectiveAR · SAT 1100
- Central Baptist College63%acceptanceModerately selectiveAR · SAT 1120
- Arkansas Baptist College65%acceptanceModerately selectiveAR · SAT 1120
- Ouachita Baptist University68%acceptanceModerately selectiveAR · SAT 1150
- Harding University71%acceptanceModerately selectiveAR · SAT 1150
- Henderson State University71%acceptanceModerately selectiveAR · SAT 1100
- University of Arkansas74%acceptanceModerately selectiveAR · SAT 1280
- Southern Arkansas University75%acceptanceModerately selectiveAR · SAT 1120
- U of Arkansas Monticello75%acceptanceModerately selectiveAR · SAT 1120
- John Brown University76%acceptanceAccessibleAR · SAT 1250
- U of Arkansas Fort Smith80%acceptanceAccessibleAR · SAT 1120
- Arkansas State University82%acceptanceAccessibleAR · SAT 1150
- Williams Baptist University83%acceptanceAccessibleAR · SAT 1120
- University of Central Arkansas89%acceptanceAccessibleAR · SAT 1150
- Arkansas Tech University96%acceptanceAccessibleAR · SAT 1120
Your chances at these colleges
Estimated chance of admission for three typical students, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA; 2, 4 and 7 AP courses respectively; Regular Decision; no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook.
Which of the Hardest Colleges in Arkansas can I get into with a 3.7 GPA and a 1300 SAT?
By CollegeCalcAI's model, a student with a 3.7 unweighted GPA and a 1300 SAT has a Likely or Safety estimate (45% or higher) at 16 of the 16 colleges here, including University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Philander Smith University and Hendrix College. Estimates assume Regular Decision and no hook; courses, activities and essays move them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities or compare your own list with the free admissions API.
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CollegeCalcAI. "Hardest Colleges to Get Into in Arkansas." 2026. https://collegecalcai.com/data/hardest-colleges-in-arkansas
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<a href="https://collegecalcai.com/data/hardest-colleges-in-arkansas?utm_source=embed&utm_medium=statcard" style="display:inline-block;padding:16px 20px;border:1px solid #E5E9F0;border-radius:14px;text-decoration:none;font-family:system-ui,sans-serif;background:#fff"><span style="display:block;font-size:30px;font-weight:800;color:#0F766E;line-height:1">73%</span><span style="display:block;margin-top:6px;font-size:13px;color:#475569">median acceptance rate, hardest colleges to get into in arkansas (18 schools)</span><span style="display:block;margin-top:8px;font-size:11px;color:#94A3B8">Source: CollegeCalcAI</span></a>
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Acceptance rates and admitted test ranges reflect publicly reported data (U.S. Department of Education / NCES IPEDS / Common Data Sets) and are rounded. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.