UAFS vs. MSU

Deciding between University of Arkansas Fort Smith and Midwestern State University? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Midwestern State University

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • UAFS Fort Smith, AR
  • MSU Wichita Falls, TX
  • Setting
  • UAFS Small City
  • MSU Midsize City
  • Total enrollment
  • UAFS 5,496
  • MSU 5,324
  • Type
  • UAFS Public 4 Year
  • MSU Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • UAFS
  • MSU #878
  • Religious Affiliation
  • UAFS -
  • MSU -
  • Status
  • UAFS Non-profit
  • MSU Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • UAFS
  • MSU

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • UAFS $7,334
  • MSU $10,580
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • UAFS $12,182
  • MSU $12,530
  • Room & Board
  • UAFS $10,082
  • MSU $11,124
  • Average Net Price
  • UAFS $11,159
  • MSU $11,215
  • Average Grant Aid
  • UAFS $7,715
  • MSU $11,037
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • UAFS 95%
  • MSU 92%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • UAFS 2,769
  • MSU 7,803
  • Admitted
  • UAFS 2,228
  • MSU 7,297
  • Acceptance Rate
  • UAFS 80.5%
  • MSU 93.5%
  • Enrolled
  • UAFS 40.2%
  • MSU 12.9%
  • Typical SAT score
  • UAFS
  • MSU 1010
  • Typical ACT score
  • UAFS
  • MSU 19
  • Average High School GPA
  • UAFS 3.39
  • MSU 3.2
  • Typical High School Grades
  • UAFS B+
  • MSU B+
  • Admissions Standards
  • UAFS Unavailable
  • MSU Extremely Easy
  • Applicant Competition
  • UAFS
  • MSU
  • ACT Range
  • UAFS
  • MSU 16/22
  • SAT Range
  • UAFS
  • MSU 910/1100
  • Submit Test Scores
  • UAFS Required
  • MSU Test-free
  • Application Deadline
  • UAFS
  • MSU

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • UAFS 18:1
  • MSU 18:1
  • Popular Majors
  • UAFS
    • Business (17%)
    • Health Professions (14%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
    • Precision Production Trades (10%)
    • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (10%)
  • MSU
    • Health Professions (32%)
    • Business (22%)
    • General Studies (15%)
    • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (5%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (3%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • UAFS 23%
  • MSU 34%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • UAFS $35,000
  • MSU $44,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • UAFS 47%
  • MSU 56%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • UAFS $14,132
  • MSU $22,299
  • Median Loan Payment
  • UAFS $146
  • MSU $230

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • UAFS 40%
  • MSU 36%
  • % Women
  • UAFS 60%
  • MSU 64%
  • Racial Diversity
  • UAFS Medium
  • MSU High
  • HBCU
  • UAFS No
  • MSU No
  • % White
  • UAFS 70%
  • MSU 52%
  • % Asian
  • UAFS 5%
  • MSU 3%
  • % Black
  • UAFS 4%
  • MSU 14%
  • % Hispanic
  • UAFS 11%
  • MSU 17%
  • % Native American
  • UAFS 2%
  • MSU 1%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • UAFS 0%
  • MSU 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • UAFS 6%
  • MSU 4%
  • % International
  • UAFS 1%
  • MSU 9%
  • % Unknown Race
  • UAFS 0%
  • MSU 1%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • UAFS 86%
  • MSU 87%
  • % Out-of-State
  • UAFS 13%
  • MSU 3%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • UAFS Yes
  • MSU Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • UAFS No
  • MSU No
  • Meal Plan
  • UAFS Yes
  • MSU Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • UAFS Yes
  • MSU No
  • Daycare Facility
  • UAFS No
  • MSU No

Comparable Facts

Compare University of Arkansas Fort Smith in Fort Smith, AR with Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, TX on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

University of Arkansas Fort Smith is larger than MSU based on total student enrollment (5,496 students vs. 5,324 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • University of Arkansas Fort Smith is located in Fort Smith, AR (Small City setting); Midwestern State University is in Wichita Falls, TX (Midsize City setting).
  • University of Arkansas Fort Smith is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Midwestern State University is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: University of Arkansas Fort Smith 18:1; Midwestern State University 18:1.

UAFS vs. MSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UAFS or MSU? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Arkansas Fort Smith than MSU ($11,159 vs. $11,215).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Arkansas Fort Smith are 9.4% lower than at Midwestern State University ($10,082 vs. $11,124).
  • Midwestern State University is 44.3% more expensive for in-state tuition than UAFS (about $3,246 more per year; $10,580.00 vs. $7,334.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 2.9% higher at MSU than at University of Arkansas Fort Smith (about $348 more per year; $12,530.00 vs. $12,182.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of Arkansas Fort Smith than at Midwestern State University (95% vs. 92%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Midwestern State University students is 43.1% larger than aid received by University of Arkansas Fort Smith students ($11,037 vs. $7,715).

UAFS vs. MSU Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UAFS or MSU? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between MSU and UAFS.

  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scoresMidwestern State University 910/1100.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scoresMidwestern State University 16/22.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: UAFS - Required; MSU - Test-free.
  • Enrolled freshman UAFS students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.39) than students at MSU (3.2).
  • MSU has a higher acceptance rate (93.5%) than UAFS (80.5%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 40.2% at UAFS vs. 12.9% at MSU.

UAFS vs. MSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for UAFS and MSU? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

  • Midwestern State University's six-year graduation rate (34%) is higher than University of Arkansas Fort Smith's (23%).
  • Graduates from Midwestern State University earn a median of about $9,300 more per year than UAFS graduates about ten years after starting college ($44,300 vs. $35,000), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, University of Arkansas Fort Smith graduates have a $8,167 lower median loan debt than MSU graduates ($14,132 vs. $22,299).
  • Among borrowers, UAFS graduates have an estimated $84 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than MSU graduates ($146 vs. $230).
  • More MSU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UAFS students, three years after graduation. (56% vs. 47%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.