THE WORLD AWAITS

The University of Arkansas is breaking records. Discover what keeps us on the move.

Content sponsored and provided by University of Arkansas

Words by Suzanne McCray, dean of admissions at the University of Arkansas

At the University of Arkansas, our students have the world on their doorstep. With access to outstanding resources, special learning opportunities and mentorship from distinguished faculty and leading industry partners, our students can chart their paths to success in Fayetteville and from there pursue ambitions around the globe. The University of Arkansas is setting records aligned to our land-grant mission – enrolling more students (and more Arkansans) than ever, reaching new levels of research and forging new partnerships across our state and nation. At the same time, our students demonstrate the value of studying at a flagship university, where they can use their talents to create new knowledge, realize amazing achievements and serve their communities in meaningful and important ways.

As the university’s dean of admissions, I support the University of Arkansas’s academic, research and service mission by engaging and enrolling students who will thrive in their academic programs, benefit from extracurricular learning activities like undergraduate research, study abroad and internships, and give back to our local and global communities in extraordinary ways.

Suzanne McCray, dean of admissions at the University of Arkansas

Suzanne McCray, dean of admissions at the University of Arkansas

Words by Suzanne McCray, dean of admissions at the University of Arkansas

At the University of Arkansas, our students have the world on their doorstep. With access to outstanding resources, special learning opportunities and mentorship from distinguished faculty and leading industry partners, our students can chart their paths to success in Fayetteville and from there pursue ambitions around the globe. The University of Arkansas is setting records aligned to our land-grant mission – enrolling more students (and more Arkansans) than ever, reaching new levels of research and forging new partnerships across our state and nation. At the same time, our students demonstrate the value of studying at a flagship university, where they can use their talents to create new knowledge, realize amazing achievements and serve their communities in meaningful and important ways.

As the university’s dean of admissions, I support the University of Arkansas’s academic, research and service mission by engaging and enrolling students who will thrive in their academic programs, benefit from extracurricular learning activities like undergraduate research, study abroad and internships, and give back to our local and global communities in extraordinary ways.

WITH HONORS (AND MORE)

Students looking for an intellectually vibrant community will feel at home at the University of Arkansas. Across campus, our students engage deeply with challenging ideas and pursue meaningful inquiry across disciplines, working side by side with professors who are leaders in their fields. In the Honors College – backed by a $200 million gift from the Walton Family Foundation – ambitious students participate in undergraduate research, service learning and international education, while benefitting from competitive funding opportunities that support and enhance those experiences. In the School of Art and Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, students push the limits of their creativity in modern, immersive facilities. And in our award-winning Sam M. Walton College of Business, students engage with industry leaders, participate in career-shaping internships and create solutions to pressing real-world problems in the McMillon Innovation Studio. With these resources and support from dedicated faculty, top students push their own limits and go on to pursue their academic and professional dreams at the highest level.

John Samuel Sooter, a 2026 graduate of the university, is one such example. Sooter was recently named a Churchill Scholar – one of just 18 students nationwide selected for the scholarship, which supports a fully funded year of graduate study at the University of Cambridge in the UK. Sooter will pursue his master’s degree at Cambridge, where he plans to conduct research at the intersection of physics, mathematics and neuroscience, applying advanced computational and theoretical tools to better understand how large networks of brain cells coordinate behavior. Sooter’s work has resulted in peer-reviewed publications, including a co-first-author paper in Science Advances, international conference presentations and a pending U.S. patent.

RECOGNITIONS AND RESEARCH

The University of Arkansas consistently ranks in the top 10 public institutions for Truman Scholars, top 20 public institutions for Goldwater Scholars and top 40 public institutions for Rhodes Scholars. We have had 174 graduate research fellows recognized by the National Science Foundation, and three of our students or alumni were recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for 2026.

This success is, in part, due to the research taking place on the university’s campus. With world-class faculty experts in power and energy research, state-of-the-art facilities and some of the top-cited researchers in the world, the university is achieving the highest level of research activity in its history. In the last two years alone, the university opened three cutting-edge research facilities, including a one-of-a-kind semiconductor fabrication facility, one of the top mass-timber buildings in the nation and a public research institute advancing health sciences and technology. Here again, our students benefit from working with professors who are passionate about their fields of study and dedicated to teaching the next generation.

*Ngan Le, an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Arkansas*

*Ngan Le, an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Arkansas*

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Beyond the outstanding resources available on campus, the University of Arkansas’s community creates opportunities for students to make the most of their time in college. The university’s location in Northwest Arkansas gives it a unique proximity to industry, as the surrounding area is home to three Fortune 500 companies and ranked 40^th on a 2023 Forbes list of the best places for business and careers. The region also ranked 10^th in job growth in a 2018 Forbes list. Our students benefit from this sense of place long before they graduate, given the experiences and connections waiting just beyond campus. After graduation, there are numerous career opportunities available to them, prompting many students who initially enrolled from out of state to remain in Arkansas.

Adding to the burgeoning job market, Arkansas offers an inviting natural environment where students can enjoy the outdoors. We are, after all, known as the Natural State. The university is situated within the mountain biking capital of the world, giving students access to a safe and sustainable way to explore the region. Students can even take a scenic route as they navigate campus by utilizing an 18-mile nature trail that weaves its way through the core of campus, connects to existing community trails and creates an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to mix and match commuting with recreation.

LAND OF OPPORTUNITY

The University of Arkansas also benefits from the support of a generous and dedicated community. Beginning in 2026, students with financial need have access to the university’s most ambitious scholarship initiative in its history: the Land of Opportunity Scholarships. The Land of Opportunity Scholarships Campaign will expand access to education, continue to boost graduation rates, increase engagement with Arkansas businesses and advance the university’s land-grant mission. This $200-million initiative will create scholarships to close the financial gap students often face by covering tuition, mandatory fees and housing for those with the greatest need, while also providing every scholar with personal mentorship, guidance and career coaching. At the University of Arkansas, the Land of Opportunity Scholarships will be more than just aid – the awards will provide wraparound support, helping students achieve post-graduate successes.

These scholarships will add to a growing assortment of support provided to our students. In fiscal year 2025, the university awarded over $137 million in need-based and non-need-based scholarships and grants to undergraduate students. Scholarship funding for Arkansas students, in particular, has grown by $6.5 million since 2019. In fact, 98 percent of freshman students from Arkansas who applied for scholarships in our most recent academic year received an award. Access and affordability continue to be a priority of the University of Arkansas. A major fundraising campaign was launched in 2024 to reach students in all 75 counties in Arkansas.

REACHING RURAL COMMUNITIES

In a similar vein, the University of Arkansas is ensuring students from rural and small-town America have the information and support they need to enroll and graduate from the college or university of their choice, thanks to our involvement with the Small Town and Rural Students (STARS) College Network. The network includes 32 of the nation’s most prominent institutions and underscores the university’s focus on enrollment efforts in rural communities. This program helps expand the university’s ability to engage with rural students about the importance of a college degree, ways to fund it and the exciting career opportunities that can follow.

DISCOVER ARKANSAS

With all the opportunities available at Arkansas, it is no wonder students are attending the University of Arkansas in record numbers and, from here, pursue ambitious post-graduate study and professional career options wherever they choose. The world awaits them, and they are ready to shine.

Discover even more about the University of Arkansas.

This content is sponsored by University of Arkansas and developed by Inside Higher Ed's sponsored content team. The editorial staff of Inside Higher Ed had no role in its creation.