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Williams Baptist University

#3 Best Education Colleges in Arkansas
Private nonprofit Walnut Ridge, AR · Rural · Southeast · 100% data
C+ Affordability C Social Mobility C Value
Graduation Rate
31% F
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$38,484 C-
Below average for college graduates
Net Price
$15,745 C+
Close to the national average
Acceptance Rate
83% C-
Accessible to most qualified applicants
Earnings -6% vs avg
Graduation -47% vs avg
Net Price +-8% vs avg
Mobility Top 50%

Bottom line: A C- overall grade — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges. 12.4× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $12.4 over 20 years. Ranked #3 in Best Education Colleges in Arkansas.

12.4× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $12.4 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $715,350.

What The Data Says

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

  2. Graduation of 31% — 47% below the national average.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $12.4 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Williams Baptist University Matters

Williams Baptist University is a private college in Walnut Ridge, AR and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: measurable returns for the students it serves.

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

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Private College
Carnegie Class
Baccalaureate College
Enrollment
478
Setting
Rural
Designations
75
Primary Strengths
Business & Marketing, Humanities, Psychology, Education

Why students choose Williams Baptist University

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Close mentorship
A small, undergraduate-focused community
Strength in Business & Marketing
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

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

C-
Top 59% overall
C-
Earnings
$38,484 median
C
Value
2.4× net price
C+
Affordability
$15,745/yr net
F
Graduation
31% graduate
C
Social Mobility
1.5% climb Q1→Q5
C-
Selectivity
83% admit rate
D+
Diversity
0.43 index

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

How we grade →

Overview

Williams Baptist University serves 478 students with an acceptance rate of 83%. This accessibility makes it a viable option for many prospective students seeking a private education in Arkansas. However, the graduation rate sits at only 31%, indicating challenges in student retention and completion.

The outcomes data from Opportunity Insights is not available for this institution. Without specific numbers on economic mobility or success for low-income students, it’s difficult to assess how well Williams Baptist University supports its students in achieving upward mobility. This lack of data raises questions about the long-term value of a degree from this university.

From a practical standpoint, the net price for attending Williams Baptist University is $15,745, with a median debt of $21,820 for graduates. The average earnings ten years after graduation is $38,484. Students in programs like Humanities, Business & Marketing, Education, Psychology, and Biology & Biomedical may find the most success here, particularly those motivated to engage with the university community and utilize available resources.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Williams Baptist University 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 Williams Baptist University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Williams Baptist University, located in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 83%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 980. The graduation rate is roughly 31%.

Acceptance Rate
83%
Retention Rate
70%
SAT Average
980
ACT Midpoint
22
ACT Range
16–21
Full-Time Faculty
100%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$5,570
Student–Faculty Ratio
16:1
Diversity Index
0.43
First-Gen Students
32%
Applicants
951
Admitted
564

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 Williams Baptist University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Williams Baptist University is $21,070, 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 $15,745. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $10,733 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $21,820 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$21,070
Out-of-State
$21,070
Avg Net Price
$15,745
Median Debt
$21,820
Pell Grant Rate
54%
Federal Loan Rate
47%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$10,733
Family Income $30K–$48K
$19,044
Family Income $48K–$75K
$15,655
Family Income $110K+
$24,028

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 Williams Baptist University — 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 Williams Baptist University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Williams Baptist University report median earnings of $38,484, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$38,067
8 Years
$38,828
10 Years
$38,484
Debt-to-Earnings
0.57x
Earning > $25K
55%

Earnings Trajectory

$38,067 6yr $38,828 8yr $38,484 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (48)
29%
100% (48)
29%
100% (48)
29%
100% (48)
29%

How Williams Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation31%Earnings 10yr$38KNet Price$16KRetention70%Median Debt$22KPell Grant Rate54%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$11K$0-30K$19K$30-48K$16K$48-75K$24K$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%14.1%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%10.4%MOBILITY1.46%

College ROI Calculator

Is Williams Baptist University Worth It?

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

Yes — for most students, Williams Baptist University delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $15,745/year ($62,980 total). Graduates earn $38,484 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $778,330 in total earnings — a net gain of $715,350 (12.4× your investment). The median debt is $21,820, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 31% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$62,980
Projected 20yr Earnings
$778,330
Net Return
$715,350
ROI Multiple
12.4×
Cost Per Year
$15,745
Median Debt
$21,820
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
31%

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 Williams Baptist University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Williams Baptist University 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 1.46%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 14.1% 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 10.4% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $53,800, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
1.46%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
10.4%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
14.1%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$73,095
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Williams Baptist University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Williams Baptist University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.41, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.05), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.41
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.05
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
5.8%
Support Ratio
1.00
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

Federal Grants
$708,583
Investment Income
$-1,300,860

Top Programs

The fields Williams Baptist University 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 Williams Baptist University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Williams Baptist University, located in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 83%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 980. The graduation rate is roughly 31%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Williams Baptist University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Williams Baptist University is $21,070, 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 $15,745. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $10,733 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $21,820 in federal student loans.

Is Williams Baptist University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Williams Baptist University report median earnings of $38,484, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

Does Williams Baptist University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Williams Baptist University 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 1.46%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 14.1% 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 10.4% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $53,800, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Williams Baptist University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Williams Baptist University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.41, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.05), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Williams Baptist University.

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