There are many reasons why Northwest Arkansas is among the nation’s fastest-growing
areas, and the University of Central Arkansas is one of them. As a long-standing pipeline of professional talent for Fayetteville, Springdale, Bentonville and Rogers, UCA is uniquely positioned to shape business, communities and culture in NWA. We serve as the anchor institution for every corner of the state — all within easy reach of the one driving so much progress.
Is UCA Arkansas’ largest institution of higher education? Not by a long shot (woo pig!). But we punch much higher than our weight, combining academic excellence, D1 athletics, a thriving campus and more. UCA is also committed to removing barriers and attracting a diverse student body with built-in resourcefulness and work ethic, which explains why 40% of our freshman class is currently blazing trails as first-gen college students.
MORE EXPERIENCE: Our students continue to thrive with an intentional combination of high-quality learning and hands-on doing. We connect them to real-world techniques and technology. Internships. Research opportunities, even at the undergrad level. Bears are known for both talent and grit, and they take the workforce by storm — especially in NWA, where growing businesses are hungry for highly skilled college graduates. UCA students have a multitude of opportunities to get real-world, industry specific experience through internships, research and experiential learning.
CAREER DEMAND: UCA is also proactive in investing resources and building a curriculum around Arkansas’ current and future industry needs. In 2024 alone, we launched the UCA Aviation Academy, a highly certified pilot training program, and established the College of Science and Engineering with ABET accreditation for the engineering physics program. As you can imagine, leading NWA employers are already waiting for those graduates.
HEALTHY FUTURES: Health care is another timely example. In 2021, we opened our 80,000-square-foot Integrated Health Sciences Building, adding 50 more nursing students to our program and an Interprofessional Teaching Center —the first of its kind in the region — that fosters collaboration to instill a modern approach to medicine. About 90% of our healthcare graduates stay in the state, so your future providers are in our classes now. Beyond health care, Arkansas depends on us for well-qualified professionals in education, computer science, business, accounting, insurance and more.
HOME ADVANTAGE: UCA educates Arkansans, and most of that talent stays here. Many of our grads actually return home to — or put down new roots in — Northwest Arkansas, attracted by business prospects that come with beautiful scenery, outdoor adventure and a high quality of life. In fact, outside of Central Arkansas, NWA has the second-largest population of Bears, with even more on the horizon. This is economic development and reinvestment in action, and it’s happening every day.
STRATEGIC INVESTMENT: Of course, as you know, UCA’s sterling reputation exceeds our tuition. Affordability matters to our students, and it will always be a priority for us. However, intentional planning and sound stewardship, along with critical donor support, enable our university to operate from a position of strength and be ready to pursue the most ambitious opportunities. Here are just a few UCA highlights from the last five years:
- 2021: Launched UCA NOW, our incredibly ambitious $100 million capital campaign, to expand the margin of excellence across a range of key initiatives; thanks to our passionate community of supporters, we exceeded that goal, raising $109 million nearly a year ahead of schedule
- 2023: Opened the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts, a truly impressive venue that makes the arts more accessible
- 2024: Welcomed 765 freshmen under the UCA Commitment, covering fees and tuition for Arkansas students with a household income up to $100,000
As you can see, UCA is more than Northwest Arkansas’ community and collegiate neighbor, and our alumni are more than weekend visitors.
Bears are central to NWA!