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Black River Technical College

#1 Most Affordable Colleges in Arkansas
Public Pocahontas, AR · Town · Southeast · 87% data
A Affordability A Value C Social Mobility
Graduation Rate
43% D+
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$34,818 D+
Below average for college graduates
Net Price
$5,095 A
70% less than the typical college
Enrollment
903
Earnings -15% vs avg
Graduation -24% vs avg
Net Price +-70% vs avg
Mobility Top 48%

Bottom line: A C overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 38.6× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $38.6 over 20 years. Ranked #1 in Most Affordable Colleges in Arkansas.

38.6× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $38.6 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $767,247.

What The Data Says

  1. A C overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.

  2. Graduation of 43% — 24% below the national average.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $38.6 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

About Black River Technical College

Black River Technical College is profiled below with full outcomes data from federal sources.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public College
Carnegie Class
Associate's College
Enrollment
903
Setting
Town
Primary Strengths
Health Professions, Humanities, Precision Production, Mechanic & Repair Tech

Why students choose Black River Technical College

Outstanding value
Low net price against strong graduate earnings
Strength in Health Professions
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C
Top 45% overall
D+
Earnings
$34,818 median
A
Value
6.8× net price
A
Affordability
$5,095/yr net
D+
Graduation
43% graduate
C
Social Mobility
1.5% climb Q1→Q5
F
Diversity
0.26 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

Over 43% of students at Black River Technical College graduate within three years, setting a solid foundation for academic success in Pocahontas, Arkansas. This public college serves 903 students, focusing on practical programs that align with local job markets.

Graduates of Black River Technical College earn a median salary of $34,818 ten years after enrollment. While the college does not have specific data on mobility or economic connectedness, the presence of programs in health professions, humanities, and technical fields suggests a pathway for upward mobility for many students.

With a net price of $5,095 and a median debt of $9,500, Black River Technical College remains an affordable option for students. Those who thrive here are often looking for hands-on training and a direct route to employment in fields like criminal justice and mechanics. The college's commitment to practical education makes it a fitting choice for students ready to enter the workforce.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Black River Technical College is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Black River Technical College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Pocahontas, Arkansas, Black River Technical College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 43%.

Retention Rate
56%
Full-Time Faculty
57%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$5,229
Student–Faculty Ratio
16:1
Diversity Index
0.26
First-Gen Students
48%

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Black River Technical College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Black River Technical College is $7,488, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $5,095. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $3,433 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $9,500 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$4,776
Out-of-State
$7,488
Avg Net Price
$5,095
Median Debt
$9,500
Pell Grant Rate
37%
Federal Loan Rate
11%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$3,433
Family Income $30K–$48K
$2,770
Family Income $48K–$75K
$7,435
Family Income $110K+
$12,977

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Black River Technical College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Black River Technical College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Black River Technical College report median earnings of $34,818, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$31,263
8 Years
$31,569
10 Years
$34,818
Debt-to-Earnings
0.27x
Earning > $25K
41%

Earnings Trajectory

$31,263 6yr $31,569 8yr $34,818 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (80)
26%
100% (80)
26%
100% (80)
26%
100% (80)
26%

How Black Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation43%Earnings 10yr$35KNet Price$5KRetention56%Median Debt$10KPell Grant Rate37%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$3K$0-30K$3K$30-48K$7K$48-75K$13K$110K+

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%25.2%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%6.0%MOBILITY1.51%

College ROI Calculator

Is Black River Technical College Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Black River Technical College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $5,095/year ($20,380 total). Graduates earn $34,818 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $787,627 in total earnings — a net gain of $767,247 (38.6× your investment). The median debt is $9,500, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 43% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$20,380
Projected 20yr Earnings
$787,627
Net Return
$767,247
ROI Multiple
38.6×
Cost Per Year
$5,095
Median Debt
$9,500
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
43%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does Black River Technical College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Black River Technical College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.51%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 25.2% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $41,100, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
1.51%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
6.0%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
25.2%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$55,841
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Black River Technical College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs around the national average at Black River Technical College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.88, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
0.88
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.02
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
7.1%
Support Ratio
0.99
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Endowment
$143,095
Federal Grants
$3,108,521
Investment Income
$54,465

Top Programs

The fields Black River Technical College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Black River Technical College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Pocahontas, Arkansas, Black River Technical College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 43%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Black River Technical College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Black River Technical College is $7,488, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $5,095. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $3,433 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $9,500 in federal student loans.

Is Black River Technical College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Black River Technical College report median earnings of $34,818, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

Does Black River Technical College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Black River Technical College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.51%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 25.2% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $41,100, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Black River Technical College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs around the national average at Black River Technical College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.88, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Black River Technical College.

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys