College costs include tuition and fees.

College is never an inexpensive venture. According to American School Search, colleges in Arkansas have more affordable average tuition and fees compared to other states. While there are some expensive college options in Arkansas, there are also ways to save money while attending school in the state.

Average Costs
o The average cost of schools in Arkansas is the median price when all of the schools and tuition costs are considered, including for in-state and out-of-state students. As of February 2011, American School Search states that the average cost of schools in Arkansas ranges between $5000 and $11,000 a year. The main variable that changes the cost is in-state students, who pay less for tuition, versus out-of-state students, who pay higher tuition costs.

Low Cost Tuition
o The state of Arkansas has low cost college options available. College Stats points out that, as of February 2011, it is possible for in-state students to pay as little as $1,680 a semester at Mid-South Community College. The website also mentions that out-of-state students attending East Arkansas Community College are able to get their education for as little as $2,370 as of February 2011. For four-year colleges, in-state students can pay as little as $1,872 a semester at Arkansas State University in Newport, and out-of-state students attending the same university can pay as little as $3,144, according to College Stats.

High Tuition Costs
o Some schools in Arkansas have high costs for students. Schools like Hendrix, which costs around $25,000 a year in 2011 according to College Stats, are among the most expensive schools. The variation between out-of-state and in-state students for high tuition colleges can range from no difference in cost to several thousand dollars.

Community College vs. Four-Year College
o The community colleges in Arkansas are the least expensive college options for both in- and out-of-state students.
Community colleges do not grant a four-year degrees, limiting students to two-year degrees or transferring credits to other schools later. It should be noted that many schools have fees on top of tuition costs that bring total costs higher when they are totaled.