2026 Best Value Health & Physical Education Schools in Arkansas
[Health & Physical Education](/majors/parks-recreation-fitness/health-and-physical-education/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong health & physical education education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 18 schools to find the best return on investment for health & physical education students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Health & Physical Education Schools in Arkansas
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in health & physical education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Health & Physical Education Schools
Leading the list is Arkansas Tech University, our #1 best value for health & physical education in Arkansas. Arkansas Tech University is a large public school located in the town of Russellville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,674, while out-of-state students pay about $14,668. Health & Physical Education graduates carry a median of $23,257 in student loans. Health & Physical Education graduates of Arkansas Tech University earn a median of $45,115 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Arkansas Tech University admits about 96% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in health & physical education will find it at Arkansas State University Main Campus, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Jonesboro, Arkansas State University Main Campus is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,090 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $14,522. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the health & physical education program here. Early-career health & physical education graduates make about $43,319. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Arkansas At Monticello is a great value for students pursuing a degree in health & physical education, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the town of Monticello, University Of Arkansas At Monticello is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,292, with out-of-state students paying around $14,857. Students borrow a median of $22,000 to complete the health & physical education program here. Soon after graduation, health & physical education degree recipients from University Of Arkansas At Monticello generally make around $29,213. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Williams Baptist College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in health & physical education, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the rural area of Walnut Ridge, Williams Baptist College is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $21,070. Students borrow a median of $18,933 to complete the health & physical education program here. Early-career health & physical education graduates make about $31,309. That is a strong return on a $18,933 median debt. Williams Baptist College admits about 83% of applicants.
Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in health & physical education, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the town of Magnolia, Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,960 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $15,690. Students borrow a median of $20,169 to complete the health & physical education program here. Health & Physical Education graduates of Southern Arkansas University Main Campus earn a median of $38,612 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,169 median debt. The acceptance rate is 75%.
University Of Central Arkansas ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value health & physical education schools. Located in the city of Conway, University Of Central Arkansas is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $10,523 in tuition and fees, compared with $18,023 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for health & physical education graduates is $25,000. Soon after graduation, health & physical education degree recipients from University Of Central Arkansas generally make around $38,372. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Central Arkansas admits about 90% of applicants.
Central Baptist College placed #7 among the best values for health & physical education. Central Baptist College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Conway. Students from in state pay about $21,330 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $46,694 to complete the health & physical education program here. Early-career health & physical education graduates make about $44,780. Set against $46,694 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 64% of applicants are accepted.
Henderson State University earned the #8 position for value in health & physical education this year. Henderson State University is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Arkadelphia. Students from in state pay about $8,244 in tuition and fees, compared with $10,620 for out-of-state students. Health & Physical Education graduates carry a median of $23,234 in student loans. Health & Physical Education graduates of Henderson State University earn a median of $40,629 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Harding University came in at #9 for value in health & physical education this year. Harding University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Searcy. Students from in state pay about $25,962 in tuition and fees. Health & Physical Education graduates carry a median of $26,054 in student loans. Early-career health & physical education graduates make about $29,178. That is a strong return on a $26,054 median debt. Roughly 70% of applicants are accepted.
John Brown University placed #10 among the best values for health & physical education. John Brown University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Siloam Springs. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $31,756. Health & Physical Education graduates carry a median of $25,216 in student loans. Soon after graduation, health & physical education degree recipients from John Brown University generally make around $50,420. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. John Brown University admits about 76% of applicants.
Ouachita Baptist University earned the #11 position for value in health & physical education this year. Set in the town of Arkadelphia, Ouachita Baptist University is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $34,500. Students borrow a median of $19,672 to complete the health & physical education program here. Health & Physical Education graduates of Ouachita Baptist University earn a median of $31,385 early in their careers. Set against $19,672 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 68% of applicants are accepted.
Lyon College came in at #12 for value in health & physical education this year. Lyon College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Batesville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $31,000. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $44,232. Roughly 63% of applicants are accepted.
More Health & Physical Education Rankings
View All Health & Physical Education Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 18 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
