This is the first of an ongoing series answering the question, "Why Arkansas State?" We will cover a broad range of subjects from campus technology to alumni success stories.
If you are a student, a parent, an alumnus wanting to reconnect, or someone just looking at this website, you might wonder why our 70,000-plus alumni have chosen Arkansas State as their university.
Dr. Tim Hudson, A-State chancellor, has been a part of the Jonesboro campus just about a year. He said he’s made some observations about Jonesboro and Northeast Arkansas and their communities that might begin to provide an answer.
“This part of the country is beautiful,” he said. “It’s welcoming. People embrace their roots but are willing to try new things. This puts Arkansas State in a position that’s poised for growth.”
“One of the most remarkable things I’ve noticed is this community’s willingness to serve; people ‘roll up their sleeves’ to help … to teach … to lead,” Hudson continued, “I believe that willingness is what makes this community special and what differentiates Arkansas State from other institutions.”
To begin, here’s a brief update on Arkansas State—
A-State profile
This past fall, nearly 14,000 students were on the Jonesboro campus. More than 80 percent of our undergraduate class is from Arkansas; 21 percent of our students are minorities.
Increased Admission Standards
We continue to grow, despite raising our admissions standards three times in the past three years; in fact, this year’s freshman class was the most-academically prepared class that has ever entered Arkansas State. We continue to attract a high percentage of first-generation students who want to better themselves so they can better their communities. Here’s a comparison of our admission standards with a couple of other state schools:
- Arkansas State University: 21 ACT score, 2.3 GPA
- University of Arkansas: 20 ACT score, 3.0 GPA
- University of Central Arkansas: 19 ACT score, 2.5 GPA
Graduating the Leaders of Tomorrow
A-State’s six-year graduation rate is 41.6 percent. In 2012, 4,100 men and women graduated during the May, August and December commencements.
Our alumni live in every state in the union and in countries all across the globe.
