Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Arkansas State University, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Middle Tennessee State University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Arkansas StateJonesboro, AR | Louisiana at LafayetteLafayette, LA | Middle TennesseeMurfreesboro, TN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 82.3% | 87.0% | 69.1% |
| SAT middle 50% | 970–1190 | 1120–1240 | 1010–1230 |
| Average net price | $12,36638.4% on Pell grants | $13,53041.5% on Pell grants | $13,35931.8% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $8,090 in-state · $14,522 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $10,418 in-state · $24,146 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $10,266 in-state · $31,574 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 55.4% | 52.6% | 53.7% |
| First-year retention | 78.1% | 74.3% | 79.5% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 38.4% | 41.5% | 31.8% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $42,617 | $47,089 | $48,541 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $20,500 | $22,902 | $20,000 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 15:1 | 18:1 | 17:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 9,110 | 12,428 | 16,301 |
| Consensus percentile | 65Lower is better | 65Lower is better | 64Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 79 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 76 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 73 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Arkansas State | Louisiana at Lafayette | Middle Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #352 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #373 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #257 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #467 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| WSJ | #486 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #465 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #425 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #475 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #445 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #529 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Listed |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Arkansas State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing University of Louisiana at Lafayette on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Middle Tennessee State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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