The University of Arkansas boasts a tradition unique among the nation’s universities: Senior Walk, consisting of more than three miles of sidewalks crisscrossing campus that are engraved with the names of more than 175,000 graduates, dating back nearly 140 years. It’s concrete proof of the university’s commitment to our students.

ounded in 1871 as a land-grant college and state university, the University of Arkansas established its campus on a hilltop overlooking the Ozark Mountains. There were few facilities and little money that first academic year, but the eight students and three faculty members who gathered for classes in 1872 showed the same dedication to learning and commitment to excellence that has carried the University of Arkansas into the 21st century.

More than 140 years later, the university’s enrollment is more than 27,000 and its students represent all 50 states and 120 countries. The university is the state’s foremost partner and resource for education and economic development. It serves as the major provider of graduate-level instruction in Arkansas. And its public service activities reach every county in Arkansas, throughout the nation, and around the world.

QUICK FACTS

Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas
Founded: 1871
Chancellor: Joseph E. Steinmetz
Endowment market value: $898.9 million (end of FY 2016)
Research expenditures: $153 million (FY 2017)

STUDENTS

Enrollment: 27,558 (Fall 2017)
Student-to-faculty ratio: 19:1
Average ACT: 26
Average high school GPA: 3.69
Six-year graduation rate: 64.5 percent (2010 cohort)