UAFS vs. SHSU

Deciding between University of Arkansas Fort Smith and Sam Houston 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.

Sam Houston State University

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • UAFS Fort Smith, AR
  • SHSU Huntsville, TX
  • Setting
  • UAFS Small City
  • SHSU Remote Town
  • Total enrollment
  • UAFS 5,496
  • SHSU 21,039
  • Type
  • UAFS Public 4 Year
  • SHSU Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • UAFS
  • SHSU #794
  • Religious Affiliation
  • UAFS -
  • SHSU -
  • Status
  • UAFS Non-profit
  • SHSU Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • UAFS
  • SHSU

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • UAFS $7,334
  • SHSU $9,228
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • UAFS $12,182
  • SHSU $19,068
  • Room & Board
  • UAFS $10,082
  • SHSU $11,720
  • Average Net Price
  • UAFS $11,159
  • SHSU $14,737
  • Average Grant Aid
  • UAFS $7,715
  • SHSU $10,669
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • UAFS 95%
  • SHSU 66%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • UAFS 2,769
  • SHSU 17,179
  • Admitted
  • UAFS 2,228
  • SHSU 15,506
  • Acceptance Rate
  • UAFS 80.5%
  • SHSU 90.3%
  • Enrolled
  • UAFS 40.2%
  • SHSU 21.1%
  • Typical SAT score
  • UAFS
  • SHSU 1030
  • Typical ACT score
  • UAFS
  • SHSU 20
  • Average High School GPA
  • UAFS 3.39
  • SHSU 3.25
  • Typical High School Grades
  • UAFS B+
  • SHSU B+
  • Admissions Standards
  • UAFS Unavailable
  • SHSU Very Easy
  • Applicant Competition
  • UAFS
  • SHSU
  • ACT Range
  • UAFS
  • SHSU 17/24
  • SAT Range
  • UAFS
  • SHSU 930/1120
  • Submit Test Scores
  • UAFS Required
  • SHSU Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • UAFS
  • SHSU Aug 1, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • UAFS 18:1
  • SHSU 19:1
  • Popular Majors
  • UAFS
    • Business (17%)
    • Health Professions (14%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
    • Precision Production Trades (10%)
    • Mechanic and Repair Technologies (10%)
  • SHSU
    • Business (27%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (16%)
    • General Studies (12%)
    • Psychology (6%)
    • Communication (5%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • UAFS 23%
  • SHSU 50%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • UAFS $35,000
  • SHSU $47,800
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • UAFS 47%
  • SHSU 57%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • UAFS $14,132
  • SHSU $21,500
  • Median Loan Payment
  • UAFS $146
  • SHSU $222

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • UAFS 40%
  • SHSU 37%
  • % Women
  • UAFS 60%
  • SHSU 63%
  • Racial Diversity
  • UAFS Medium
  • SHSU High
  • HBCU
  • UAFS No
  • SHSU No
  • % White
  • UAFS 70%
  • SHSU 53%
  • % Asian
  • UAFS 5%
  • SHSU 1%
  • % Black
  • UAFS 4%
  • SHSU 19%
  • % Hispanic
  • UAFS 11%
  • SHSU 20%
  • % Native American
  • UAFS 2%
  • SHSU 1%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • UAFS 0%
  • SHSU 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • UAFS 6%
  • SHSU 3%
  • % International
  • UAFS 1%
  • SHSU 1%
  • % Unknown Race
  • UAFS 0%
  • SHSU 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • UAFS 86%
  • SHSU 98%
  • % Out-of-State
  • UAFS 13%
  • SHSU 1%

  • Campus

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

Comparable Facts

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

Sam Houston State University is larger than UAFS based on total student enrollment (21,039 students vs. 5,496 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • University of Arkansas Fort Smith is located in Fort Smith, AR (Small City setting); Sam Houston State University is in Huntsville, TX (Remote Town setting).
  • University of Arkansas Fort Smith is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Sam Houston State University is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: University of Arkansas Fort Smith 18:1; Sam Houston State University 19:1.

UAFS vs. SHSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UAFS or SHSU? 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 SHSU ($11,159 vs. $14,737).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Arkansas Fort Smith are 14% lower than at Sam Houston State University ($10,082 vs. $11,720).
  • Sam Houston State University is 25.8% more expensive for in-state tuition than UAFS (about $1,894 more per year; $9,228.00 vs. $7,334.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 56.5% higher at SHSU than at University of Arkansas Fort Smith (about $6,886 more per year; $19,068.00 vs. $12,182.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of Arkansas Fort Smith than at Sam Houston State University (95% vs. 66%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Sam Houston State University students is 38.3% larger than aid received by University of Arkansas Fort Smith students ($10,669 vs. $7,715).

UAFS vs. SHSU Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UAFS or SHSU? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between SHSU and UAFS.

  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted studentsSam Houston State University 930/1120.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted studentsSam Houston State University 17/24.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: UAFS - Required; SHSU - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: SHSU Aug 1, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman UAFS students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.39) than students at SHSU (3.25).
  • SHSU has a higher acceptance rate (90.3%) than UAFS (80.5%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 40.2% at UAFS vs. 21.1% at SHSU.

UAFS vs. SHSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for UAFS and SHSU? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Sam Houston State University's six-year graduation rate (50%) is higher than University of Arkansas Fort Smith's (23%).
  • Graduates from Sam Houston State University earn a median of about $12,800 more per year than UAFS graduates about ten years after starting college ($47,800 vs. $35,000), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, University of Arkansas Fort Smith graduates have a $7,368 lower median loan debt than SHSU graduates ($14,132 vs. $21,500).
  • Among borrowers, UAFS graduates have an estimated $76 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than SHSU graduates ($146 vs. $222).
  • More SHSU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UAFS students, three years after graduation. (57% 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.