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Harding University

Searcy, AR Β· Private nonprofit Β· 3,382 undergrads (small, town) Β· website β†—

What you'll actually pay

Average net price per year β€” tuition, fees, room & board minus grant and scholarship aid β€” for in-state students by household income.

Household incomeAvg net price / year
Under $30,000$15,418
$30,000 – $48,000$17,430
$48,000 – $75,000$19,832
$75,000 – $110,000$22,017
Over $110,000$26,284
All incomes (average)$22,130

Sticker tuition and fees: $26,262 in-state β€” before aid, from the same earlier College Scorecard release as the net prices above.

These are averages. For an estimate for your family, use Harding University's own net price calculator β€” every college that takes federal student aid must publish one.

Net price calculator β†—

Other costs of attendance, 2025–26

The college's own estimate for a full-time undergraduate for the year, before aid, from the October 2026 College Scorecard. It is a newer year than the tuition and net prices above, so don't add the two together.

Housing and meals, on campus$10,124
Housing and meals, off campus (not with family)$14,656
Books and supplies$688
Other expenses, on campus$6,242
Other expenses, off campus$12,484

Grants and loans for first-year students, 2022–23

What the college reported for its full-time, first-time students (800 of them) in 2022–23; 100% got some kind of aid, loans included. Each average is over the students who received that kind of aid, not over everyone. It is an older year than the 2025–26 costs above.

Type of aidStudents awardedAverage amount
Any grant or scholarshipFederal, state, local and the college's own98%$15,325
Federal Pell GrantNeed-based, from the federal government21%$4,562
The college's own grants and scholarshipsNeed- or merit-based, funded by the college98%$13,739
Federal student loansBorrowed by the student; repaid with interest. No Parent PLUS or private loans44%$5,295

IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education, Student Financial Aid 2022–23 (SFA2223, provisional release); full-time, first-time degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates; public domain.

Admissions & outcomes

Acceptance rate
71%
Average SAT
1182
Median ACT
24
Students with Pell grants
24%
Graduation rate (6yr)
69%
Freshman retention
86%
Median earnings @ 10yr
$52,876
Median debt at graduation
$26,500
International undergrads
172 (4.9%)

For comparison, the median across all 1,596 four-year colleges on this site: graduation rate 56%, earnings ten years after entering $54,869, debt at graduation $23,250.

Admission policy, test scores and teaching

SAT/ACT policy
Required

Required to be considered for admission (fall 2024)

Application fee
$50

undergraduate, 2023–24

Students per faculty member
13 to 1

undergraduates, fall 2024

Faculty who are full-time
66%

fall 2024

Open admission
No

fall 2024

Middle 50% of test scores, fall 2024

25th to 75th percentile of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores. A quarter scored below the first figure and a quarter above the second. Section ranges can't be added together into a total-score range.

SAT Reading and Writing
530–660
SAT Math
520–630
ACT composite
20–29

What the college considers in admission decisions, fall 2023

How the college said it used each item when deciding on first-time, degree- or certificate-seeking applicants for fall 2023. For SAT and ACT scores, see the fall 2024 policy above.

High school GPAConsidered if submitted
High school class rankNot considered
High school recordRequired
Completion of a college-preparatory programConsidered if submitted
RecommendationsRequired
Formal demonstration of competencies (e.g. portfolio)Not considered
English proficiency test (for applicable students)Required
Other test (Wonderlic, WISC-III, etc.)Not considered
Work experienceNot considered
Personal statement or essayNot considered
Legacy statusNot considered
First-time applicants
2,202

fall 2023

Admitted
2,202

fall 2023

Enrolled
864

fall 2023, full and part time

Counts of first-time, degree- or certificate-seeking students, including early decision and early action. The acceptance rate higher up this page comes from a different College Scorecard release, so it may not match these counts.

IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education, Admissions 2023–24 (ADM2023, provisional release), fall 2023; open admission from IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023–24 (revised); public domain.

Most popular fields of study

Share of bachelor's degrees awarded.

Health & Nursing17%
Business15%
Education13%
Computer Science7%
Kinesiology & Sports Science6%
Visual & Performing Arts5%
Psychology5%
Communications & Media5%
Engineering4%
Biology & Life Sciences3%

Earnings and debt by field of study

Median annual earnings of graduates who received federal student aid and were working, not studying: one year after completing (graduates of 2020–21 and 2021–22) and four years after (2017–18 and 2018–19), measured in 2022 and 2023 and shown in 2024 dollars. Median debt is federal Direct and Grad PLUS loans borrowed at this college by 2022–23 and 2023–24 graduates; it leaves out Parent PLUS and private loans. β€œNational” is the median for the same field and credential across all US colleges.

Bachelor's degrees (21)

Field of studyDegrees awarded 2023–24Earnings, 1 yr afterEarnings, 4 yrs afterMedian federal debt
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods60$42,678$41,228national $47,382$27,000
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness46$25,208$54,149national $54,562$27,000
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing46$73,395$71,872national $88,910$27,000
Accounting and Related Services40$58,551$80,311national $76,194$24,472
Computer Science37$66,880$92,014national $107,009$27,375
Bible/Biblical Studies36$44,505$48,762national $44,533β€”
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services30β€”$58,184national $58,928$23,335
Social Work27β€”$48,833national $51,790$25,267
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas26$44,893$51,067national $51,389$26,091
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities24$35,866$41,328national $53,072$28,125
Psychology, General23$35,171$45,814national $50,706$27,000
Marketing23$43,475$62,558national $69,303$22,500
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication22$48,954$51,434national $63,560$23,989
Finance and Financial Management Services21$50,668$71,203national $83,343$22,500
English Language and Literature, General17β€”$37,384national $48,590β€”
Design and Applied Arts17$37,709$60,567national $51,490β€”
Business Administration, Management and Operations15$53,002$62,025national $68,257β€”
Computer and Information Sciences, General14$72,039β€”national $92,374β€”
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics14β€”$58,843national $55,000β€”
Criminal Justice and Corrections14β€”$48,992national $55,378$27,000
Mechanical Engineering11$69,978$73,601national $92,135β€”
Master's degrees (13)
Field of studyDegrees awarded 2023–24Earnings, 1 yr afterEarnings, 4 yrs afterMedian federal debt
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods104$47,308$50,418national $59,916$27,139
Business Administration, Management and Operations78$67,184$110,206national $103,485$20,500
Information Science/Studies51$76,630β€”national $112,705β€”
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions33$110,819$119,507national $127,347$131,453
Special Education and Teaching32$47,198β€”national $64,397$34,186
Student Counseling and Personnel Services28$49,522$52,869national $60,111β€”
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions25β€”β€”national $90,984$34,689
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services21$57,394$61,215national $67,030$54,600
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing19$106,033$124,272national $120,193$57,129
Theological and Ministerial Studies14$79,289β€”national $61,300β€”
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions13β€”$45,988national $59,571β€”
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas8$47,942$48,014national $63,707β€”
Educational Administration and Supervision7β€”$76,668national $71,685β€”
First professional degrees (2)
Field of studyDegrees awarded 2023–24Earnings, 1 yr afterEarnings, 4 yrs afterMedian federal debt
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration29$115,516β€”national $138,348$221,587
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions25$76,367$79,976national $81,641$181,827
Doctoral degrees (1)
Field of studyDegrees awarded 2023–24Earnings, 1 yr afterEarnings, 4 yrs afterMedian federal debt
Educational Administration and Supervision9$81,717β€”national $100,573β€”
Graduate certificates (1)
Field of studyDegrees awarded 2023–24Earnings, 1 yr afterEarnings, 4 yrs afterMedian federal debt
Student Counseling and Personnel Servicesβ€”$45,736β€”national $64,774β€”

A dash means the Department of Education suppressed the figure because too few graduates were measured β€” not zero. 81 more programmes at this college have every figure suppressed and are not listed.

Contact and accreditation

Address
915 E. Market Ave., Searcy, AR 72149-5615
Phone
(501) 279-4000
Institutional accreditor
Higher Learning Commission

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts) and IPEDS Fall Enrolment for international student counts. College Scorecard, October 2026 release: net price calculator link, mission flags and religious affiliation (2025–26), enrolment shares, test policy, SAT/ACT ranges and student-to-faculty ratio (fall 2024), cost-of-attendance components (2025–26), and earnings and debt by field of study. IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023–24 for the application fee and the IPEDS 2024 directory for the phone number. IPEDS Admissions 2023–24 (ADM2023, provisional release) for admission requirements and first-time applicants, admits and enrolments (fall 2023). IPEDS Student Financial Aid 2022–23 (SFA2223, provisional release) for grants and loans to full-time, first-time students. All are U.S. Department of Education data in the public domain. Verify current costs and requirements with the school.

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