BaccalaureatePrivate nonprofit

Ouachita Baptist University

Arkadelphia, Arkansas·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Southeast·obu.edu
6-yr Graduation
61%
-5.5pp vs Baccalaureate
Total enrollment
1,858
peer median 1,771
Avg net price
$22,409
+$1.4k vs Baccalaureate
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AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR Office

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
2,155
2,155 candidates competed
Admitted
1,455
67.5% acceptance rate
Enrolled
421
28.9% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
61%-5.5pp vs Baccalaureate
4-year graduation
57%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
64%
Full-time retention
83%

Pell equity

15.1pp gap
Pell recipients
51%69 of 136
Non-Pell (all)
66%203 of 307
Subsidized loan, no Pell
60%42 of 70
No Federal Aid
68%161 of 237

Non-Pell students graduate at a 15.1-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 67 Title IV programs, 11 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 55 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
67
Passing
11
16.4% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
1
1.5% of portfolio
Fail rate
1.5%
+0.9pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

67programs
  • Passing11 · 16.4%
  • No Data55 · 82.1%
  • Failing1 · 1.5%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
1
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
11
No data
55

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

12
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-1.5%
$31,155 vs $31,625
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
+40.8%
$44,525 vs $31,625
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+58.0%
$49,954 vs $31,625
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+59.3%
$50,369 vs $31,625
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+59.9%
$50,553 vs $31,625
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+69.5%
$53,597 vs $31,625
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+98.8%
$62,886 vs $31,625
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+109.2%
$66,175 vs $31,625

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-1.5%
−$470

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

9
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
52%
$23,229 debt · $44,525 earn
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
48%
$24,375 debt · $50,553 earn
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
48%
$24,143 debt · $50,369 earn
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
43%
$21,500 debt · $49,954 earn
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
40%
$21,500 debt · $53,597 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
34%
$22,625 debt · $66,175 earn
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
33%
$23,125 debt · $69,747 earn
Marketing
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
32%
$21,750 debt · $67,705 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1953Next review Aug 2028

Programmatic accreditations · 6

Action history · 5

  1. Jan 2024Initial Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIETI) - Dietetic Internship
  2. Jan 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
  3. Feb 2018Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission
  4. Jan 2015Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
  5. Aug 2014Change in Agency recognition
    National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation · Music (MUS) - Institutions and units within institutions offering degree-granting and/or non-degree-granting programs

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$15,207
$30–48k$15,954
$48–75k$18,007
$75–110k$19,151
$110k+$26,281

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$22,409
+$1,367vs Baccalaureate median $21,043
Federal loans
45.9%
In-state tuition
$34,500
Out-of-state
$34,500

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 506 students received $2.9M in Pell grants, alongside $6.3M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
506
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$2.9M
$2,906,917 total
Direct Loans
$6.3M
1,058 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
’20
0k
’21
0k
’22
0k
’23
1k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$1.5M
374 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$1.8M
497 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$1.2M
87 loan awards
Parent PLUS$1.8M
100 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 316 borrowers who entered repayment, 7 (2.2%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
2.2%
-0.1pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
316
Defaulted
7
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
7.3%
2017
5.8%
2018
6.1%
2019
2.2%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Ouachita Baptist

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs74
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

457 total completions
01Business
10523.0%
02Health Professions
5912.9%
03Biological Sciences
5010.9%
04Parks/Recreation
4610.1%
05Education
459.8%
06Psychology
419.0%
07Communication
388.3%
08Visual/Performing Arts
296.3%
09Theology
255.5%
10Philosophy/Religion
194.2%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
1,858
12-mo unduplicated
2,044
Undergraduate
1,886
Graduate
158

Gender split

Men
43%874
Women
57%1,170

Race / ethnicity composition

White
80.5%
Hispanic
6.3%
Black
5.6%
Two or more
3.9%
Non-resident
2.2%
Asian
1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.4%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
577
325 M · 252 W
Women athletes
43.7%
Athletic aid
$4.3M
Total student aid
Budget
$9.7M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$3.0M
$1.3M
Recruiting expense
$75K
$30K
Head-coach salaries
$67K
$51K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 12

Football
125 M · —
$2.7M
Track and Field (Outdoor)
25 M · 65 W
$274K
Cross Country
29 M · 37 W
$823K
Soccer
28 M · 33 W
$806K
Track and Field (Indoor)
— · 60 W
$130K
Swimming and Diving (combined)
35 M · 21 W
$642K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.10
2 offenses · 1,815 students

3-year trend

1.132 yrs ago1.681 yr ago1.10Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
7
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
10
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Fondling
2

By location

2total
  • On campus1
  • Public property1

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
2
Dating violence
2
Stalking
4 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs00
Liquor120

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
14.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
110

Ouachita Baptist vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Ouachita Baptist selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectOuachita Baptist University
61%—1,858$22,409Baccalaureate
Hendrix College
72%55.6%1,110$24,149Baccalaureate
Wofford College
84%51.9%1,817$18,732Baccalaureate
The University of the South
80%56.9%1,724$27,872Baccalaureate
Virginia Wesleyan University
42%72.9%1,853$19,676Baccalaureate
Lyon College
47%62.8%659$19,616Baccalaureate
Peer group median67%56.9%1,771$21,043

Institutions like Ouachita Baptist

Explore the federal data for institutions in Ouachita Baptist's comparison group.

IPEDS

Ouachita Baptist Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Team
1 member
  • Deborah Root
    Director of Assessment and Institutional Research

Frequently asked questions about Ouachita Baptist University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Ouachita Baptist.

What is the graduation rate at Ouachita Baptist University?

Ouachita Baptist University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 61% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Ouachita Baptist University?

Ouachita Baptist University reports a total enrollment of 1,858 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Ouachita Baptist University?

The average net price at Ouachita Baptist University is $22,409 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Ouachita Baptist University?

Ouachita Baptist University's yield rate is 28.9%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Ouachita Baptist University located?

Ouachita Baptist University is located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas 71998-0001.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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