Harding University

Harding University is a private non-profit institution located in Searcy, Arkansas, with an enrollment of approximately 3,382 students. The acceptance rate is 70.5%, meaning that most applicants who apply are admitted. The university offers programs across several fields; among those relevant to career-focused students are Biomedical Engineering and Postsecondary/College Instruction.

Tuition is $26,262 per year for both in-state and out-of-state students. The average annual net price — the total estimated cost of attendance, including tuition, fees, and living expenses, after grant and scholarship aid is applied — is $22,130. This figure represents what students pay on average once aid is factored in, and may differ significantly from what an individual student pays depending on their financial circumstances. About 23.8% of students receive Pell Grants, an indicator of the share of lower-income students enrolled.

Among all students enrolled — not only those who borrow — 43.8% take out federal student loans. Among students who completed a credential, the median federal loan debt is $26,500. Of borrowers entering repayment, 72.8% are making progress in reducing their loan balance within three years, suggesting that most borrowers are managing their debt obligations after leaving the school.

Harding's first-year retention rate is 86.4%, meaning that proportion of first-year students return for a second year. The graduation rate is 68.8%. Median earnings stand at $52,876 per year, measured approximately ten years after initial enrollment. This figure covers all federally-aided students who enrolled at the institution, including those who did not complete a degree, so it reflects outcomes across a broad range of student experiences rather than graduates alone.