Arkansas Teacher Colleges and Degrees Online Guide

The information below is intended to be an informative guide to the many teacher preparation programs found in Arkansas. For aspiring teachers looking to obtain a teaching degree in Arkansas, the information found on this page focuses on the various options available. Fortunately, there are many teaching schools in Arkansas that prepare aspiring teachers to work in the education sector. Scroll down to find a list of accredited teacher preparation programs as well as student reviews. For anyone looking to become a new teacher or advance in their current educator position, this guide can help you locate the best program that fits your individual career goals.

School Facts

• There are 43 colleges and universities with teacher degree programs in Arkansas.¹
• 12 colleges and universities offer a master’s or advanced degree in education.¹
• Highest graduation rate*: Hendrix College, 72%.¹
• Highest transfer-out rate*: University of Central Arkansas, 33%.¹
• Highest net price per year*: Hendrix College, $20,803.¹
• Lowest net price per year*: University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, $6,624.¹
• Annual undergraduate tuition range for teaching degree programs in Arkansas*: $9,774- $36,200.²
• Four Schools ranked in Forbes Top Colleges List (top 500): Hendrix College (118), University of Arkansas Main Campus (263), Ouchita Baptist University (300), Lyon College (370).
• One School ranked in US News National Universities Rankings in 2013 (top 200): University of Arkansas (134).
• 18 teacher programs are accredited by the NCATE, TEAC, or CAEP (see below).*

*For 4-year colleges and universities with teacher degree programs.

Profiles of Well-Known Schools

Arkansas State University: Arkansas State University is home to the state’s flagship education department which is housed within the College of Education. The College of Education, known as COE, is widely regarded as one of the top teacher preparation programs in the state. The College of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) as well as the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and the Council on Rehabilitative Counseling (CORE). The university’s full-time faculty members are thoroughly engaged in research, but unlike many other academic institutions, they also focus heavily on undergraduate instruction. This ensures undergraduates receive personal instruction from full-time, tenured faculty members that have years of experience and research in the industry. Departments within the COE include the Center for Excellence in Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Special Education, Department of Health and Sports Science, Department of Psychology and Counseling and The Department of Teacher Education.

University of Central Arkansas: Preparing teachers has been a part of the University of Central Arkansas’ (UCA) mission since its founding as the Arkansas Normal School in 1907. The UCA College of Education is dedicated to preparing professional educators in content area and specialist fields including educational leadership, instructional technologies, school counseling, library media, higher education student personnel administration, and other related professional fields. The college offers five distinct undergraduate programs in Elementary Education, Middle Level, Secondary Education, Special Education, and STEMteach as well as 12 graduate programs at the master’s and doctoral levels. Students are supported throughout their academic careers by the College of Education’s Office of Candidate Services, which provides comprehensive advising services as well as licensure application support. UCA graduates routinely score above the state and/or national averages on indicators of candidate success, including licensure exams. According to Arkansas Department of Education surveys, UCA teacher education graduates give higher ratings to their programs than do graduates from any other teacher preparation program in the state.

Top-Rated Teacher Preparation Programs

The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) evaluated 1,100 college programs that prepare aspiring teachers for a professional career as a teacher (Teacher Prep Review 2013 Report). Two programs in Arkansas made the “honor roll” of 3 stars or higher. Read more about the NCTQ Teacher Prep Review 2013 Report.

The following teacher preparation programs in Arkansas received the highest ratings by the National Council on Teacher Quality:

Arkansas Tech University (Undergraduate Secondary)
University of Central Arkansas (Undergraduate Secondary)
University of Arkansas at Monticello (Undergraduate Secondary)
University of Arkansas – Fort Smith (Undergraduate Secondary)
Henderson State University (Undergraduate Secondary)

The following reviewed schools were cited as problematic (no stars):

Southern Arkansas University (Graduate Secondary)

Teacher Preparation Programs Accredited by the NCATE, TEAC, or CAEP

• Arkansas State University
• Arkansas Tech University
• Harding University
• Henderson State University
• Hendrix College
• John Brown University
• Lyon College
• Ouachita Baptist University
• Philander Smith College
• Southern Arkansas University
• University of Arkansas – Fort Smith
• University of Arkansas at Little Rock
• University of Arkansas at Monticello
• University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
• University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
• University of Central Arkansas
• University of the Ozarks
• Williams Baptist College

Read more about the CAEP, NCATE, and TEAC accrediting bodies.

School Programs for Becoming a Teacher in Arkansas

Request free information from the following schools to learn more about your options for choosing a teacher degree program. We recommend you: Request information from one or more of these schools

Schools with Teaching Degree Programs in Arkansas

Arkansas Northeastern College
2501 S Division
Blytheville, AR 72316-1109
(870) 762-1020

Arkansas State University-Beebe
1000 Iowa Street
Beebe, AR 72012-1000
(501) 882-3600
www.asub.edu

Arkansas State University-Main Campus
2105 E. Aggie Road
State University, AR 72467
(870) 972-2100
www.astate.edu

Student Review: “I really enjoy going to Arkansas State University. The campus is bright and very beautiful, and the people are polite and friendly. I think the campus is not too big and not too small, its just right. I also like the diversity of the campus. The mixture of different races and many international students makes everyone feel accepted. Most teachers I’ve taken have been very nice with good flexibility. The class sizes are small so it’s easy to interact with your professor in case you need help. The food and cafeteria are great because you can eat free at the buffet or you can eat in the union which has Chik-Fil-A, pizza, tacos, and more. The only complaint I would have with the school is the Internet service because it is very slow.” -Charles H., student at Arkansas State University

Arkansas Tech University
Administration Bldg 200; 1509 N Boulder Ave
Russellville, AR 72801-2222
(479) 968-0389
www.atu.edu

Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas
183 Hwy 399
De Queen, AR 71832
(870) 584-4471
www.cccua.edu

East Arkansas Community College
1700 Newcastle Rd
Forrest City, AR 72335
(870) 633-4480

Harding University
915 E. Market Ave.
Searcy, AR 72143
(501) 279-4000
www.harding.edu

Henderson State University
1100 Henderson Street
Arkadelphia, AR 71999-0001
(870) 230-5000
www.getreddie.com/

Hot Springs Beauty College
100 Cones Rd
Hot Springs, AR 71901
(501) 624-4258

John Brown University
2000 W University St
Siloam Springs, AR 72761
(479) 524-9500
www.jbu.edu

Margarets Hair Academy Inc
305 East Gaines Street
Monticello, AR 71655
(870) 367-5533

Mid-South Community College
2000 W. Broadway
West Memphis, AR 72301-3829
(870) 733-6722

National Park Community College
101 College Dr
Hot Springs, AR 71913
(501) 760-4222
www.npcc.edu

North Arkansas College
1515 Pioneer Dr
Harrison, AR 72601-5508
(870) 743-3000
www.northark.edu

Ouachita Baptist University
410 Ouachita St
Arkadelphia, AR 71998-0001
(870) 245-5000

Ouachita Technical College
One College Cir
Malvern, AR 72104-0816
(501) 337-5000

Ozarka College
218 College Dr
Melbourne, AR 72556-0010
(870) 368-7371

Pulaski Technical College
3000 W Scenic Dr
North Little Rock, AR 72118-3347
(501) 812-2200

Rich Mountain Community College
1100 College Dr
Mena, AR 71953
(479) 394-7622

South Arkansas Community College
300 S West Ave
El Dorado, AR 71731-7010
(870) 862-8131
www.southark.edu

Southeast Arkansas College
1900 Hazel
Pine Bluff, AR 71603
(870) 543-5900
www.seark.edu

Southern Arkansas University Main Campus
100 E. University
Magnolia, AR 71753
(870) 235-4000
www.saumag.edu

Southern Arkansas University Tech
100 Carr Road
Camden, AR 71701-1906
(870) 574-4500

University of Arkansas Community College – Batesville
2005 White Drive
Batesville, AR 72503-3350
(870) 612-2000

University of Arkansas Community College-Hope
2500 S Main
Hope, AR 71802-0140
(870) 777-5722

University of Arkansas Community College – Morrilton
1537 University Blvd.
Morrilton, AR 72110
(501) 977-2000
www.uaccm.edu

University of Arkansas Main Campus
Administration Bldg 425
Fayetteville, AR 72701
(479) 575-2000
www.uark.edu

Student Review: “The University of Arkansas is a beautiful campus nestled in the hills of the Ozarks. I was very satisfied with the quality of the education. The campus is actively growing with multiple new buildings being erected. The city of Fayetteville is remarkably well cultured due in part to the amount of wealth brought to the area by Wal-Mart, Tyson, and JB Hunt. The student body is active and many opportunities exist to get connected to other students on campus. The on-campus food choices are limited and not the greatest, but multiple off-campus eateries are easily accessible on foot.” -Corey T., student at University of Arkansas

University of Arkansas at Little Rock
2801 S University Ave
Little Rock, AR 72204
(501) 569-3000
www.ualr.edu

University of Arkansas at Monticello
Highway 425 South
Monticello, AR 71656
(870) 367-6811
www.uamont.edu

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
1200 N University Mail Slot 4789
Pine Bluff, AR 71601
(870) 575-8000

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
5210 Grand Ave
Fort Smith, AR 72913-3649
(479) 788-7000
www.uafortsmith.edu

University of Central Arkansas
201 Donaghey Ave
Conway, AR 72035-0001
(501) 450-5000
www.beabear.com

University of the Ozarks
415 N College Ave
Clarksville, AR 72830
(479) 979-1000
www.ozarks.edu

Velvatex College of Beauty Culture
1520 Martin Luther King Dr
Little Rock, AR 72202-5452
(501) 372-9678
www.velvatexcollege.com

Williams Baptist College
60 W Fulbright Avenue
Walnut Ridge, AR 72476
(870) 886-6741
www.wbcoll.edu

References:
1. National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator: https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
2. Niche College Search: https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/best-colleges/