NurseSavvy ranking · Arkansas · updated October 10, 2026

Best Nursing Schools in Arkansas (2026): The NurseSavvy Top 10

We ranked all 36 RN programs in Arkansas that publish a first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, on the four things that decide whether a program gets you to a nursing license you can afford: passing the NCLEX, actually finishing, the cost next to what nurses earn in Arkansas, and what graduates earn a year out.

University of Arkansas at Fort Smith comes out on top. Here are the top 10, with every number’s source — and you can re-rank them by what matters to you.

No school can pay for placement. Public data only — see the full methodology.

Rank it your way

Rank Arkansas’s 36 RN programs on what matters to you

NCLEX pass rate, students who finish, cost vs nurse pay, grads’ early pay — compare in-state, by region, or nationwide.

The top 10 nursing programs in Arkansas

Scores are out of 100 under the default NurseSavvy weights. A school with two programs (say, an ADN and a BSN) can appear twice.

1
University of Arkansas at Fort Smith
Fort SmithBaccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing Program· Public
77score
A 97.5% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
NCLEX strength
97.5%
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$10,574/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$69,618 1 yr out
2
Arkansas Tech University
RussellvilleBaccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing Program· Public
76score
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 55 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
100% of 55
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$12,970/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$68,794 1 yr out
3
Southern Arkansas University
MagnoliaBaccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing Program· Public
74score
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 34 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
100% of 34
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$14,027/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$67,213 1 yr out
4
Arkansas State University
State UniversityBaccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing Program· Public
73score
A 93.4% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 138 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
93.4% of 138
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$12,366/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$73,423 1 yr out
5
University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton
MorriltonAssociate Degree Registered Nursing Program· Public
69score
A 96.5% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
NCLEX strength
96.5%
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$8,725/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$67,748 1 yr out
6
Harding University
SearcyBaccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing Program· Private nonprofit
66score
A 93.6% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
NCLEX strength
93.6%
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$22,130/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$69,743 1 yr out
7
Ouachita Baptist University
ArkadelphiaBaccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing Program· Private nonprofit
65score
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 20 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
100% of 20
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$22,409/yr net price
Early-career earnings
Not publishedfill-in
8
Arkansas Tech University-Ozark
OzarkAssociate Degree Registered Nursing Program
64score
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 31 test-takers carries its score.
NCLEX strength
100% of 31
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
Not publishedfill-in
Early-career earnings
Not publishedfill-in
9
University of Central Arkansas
ConwayBaccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing Program· Public
64score
A 88.7% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
NCLEX strength
88.7%
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$16,511/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$70,636 1 yr out
10
University of Arkansas at Monticello
MonticelloBaccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing Program· Public
64score
A 90% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate carries its score.
NCLEX strength
90%
Students who finish
Not publishedfill-in
Cost-to-pay value
$14,287/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$63,323 1 yr out

Fill-in: a figure the program hasn’t published is scored at the 33rd percentile of programs that publish it (same degree type) — not its own number.

All 83 approved programs in Arkansas Full rankings table

The Arkansas leaders on each measure

Different students weigh these differently — here is who leads on each one alone, among programs that publish it.

Highest NCLEX pass rate: Arkansas Tech University (Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing Program), 100% first-time.
Lowest average net price: Ozarka College, $4,543/yr.
Highest graduates’ pay: Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas, $78,213 one year out.
Top ADN vs top BSN: University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton (#5 overall) and University of Arkansas at Fort Smith (#1 overall).

No Arkansas RN program in our data has published its own completion rate yet, so every program here scores the completion fill-in.

How we ranked Arkansas’s nursing schools

NCLEX pass rate (33%). The 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN rate from the Arkansas board of nursing, steadied for small cohorts.
Students who finish (33%). The program’s own on-time completion rate, where a board or the program publishes it.
Cost vs nurse pay (20%). Average net price per year next to Arkansas’s median RN pay (College Scorecard + BLS).
Graduates’ early pay (14%). What the program’s nursing graduates earn one year out, next to the state’s RN median.

A missing figure is a labeled 33rd-percentile fill-in, never a guess. Programs without a published NCLEX rate, and direct-entry master’s programs, are not ranked. Every formula and source →

Frequently asked questions

What is the best nursing school in Arkansas?

Under the NurseSavvy ranking, University of Arkansas at Fort Smith (Baccalaureate Degree Registered Nursing Program, Fort Smith) ranks #1 of 36 RN programs in Arkansas with a score of 77 out of 100 and a 97.5% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate. "Best" depends on what you weigh most — re-rank the list on this page by your own priorities.

How did NurseSavvy rank Arkansas nursing schools?

Every RN program with a published 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate is scored 0–100 on four public measures: NCLEX pass rate (33%), students who finish (33%), cost next to local RN pay (20%), and graduates’ pay one year out (14%). Pass rates come from the Arkansas board of nursing; cost and pay from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

What does “fill-in” mean on this list?

When a program has not published a figure, we do not guess it. It is scored at the 33rd percentile of programs (same degree type) that do publish it — below typical — and labeled “fill-in” wherever it appears. Publishing its real number can only help a program that performs well.

Can a school pay to rank higher?

No. Schools cannot pay, partner, sponsor, or advertise their way to a better rank. Every input is public data, and the same formula applies to every program.