Philander Smith University
Little Rock, AR · Private four-year · City: Midsize
848undergraduates
$14,986average net price per year
32%graduate in 6 years
67%return for year two
Admissions
Open admission: everyone with a high school diploma or equivalent is admitted.
Majors
14 undergraduate programs that awarded a degree or certificate last year, grouped by field. Numbers are how many were awarded.
Business, management, marketing, and related support services (1)
- Business Administration and Management, General Bachelor's (35 awarded)
Biological and biomedical sciences (1)
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General Bachelor's (14 awarded)
Homeland security, law enforcement, firefighting and related protective services (1)
- Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration Bachelor's (13 awarded)
Psychology (1)
- Psychology, General Bachelor's (12 awarded)
Education (1)
- Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching Bachelor's (7 awarded)
Public administration and social service professions (1)
- Social Work Bachelor's (6 awarded)
Computer and information sciences and support services (1)
- Computer Science Bachelor's (5 awarded)
Parks, recreation, leisure, fitness, and kinesiology (1)
- Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General Bachelor's (5 awarded)
Liberal arts and sciences, general studies and humanities (1)
- Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies Bachelor's (3 awarded)
Social sciences (2)
- Political Science and Government, General Bachelor's (1 awarded)
- Sociology, General Bachelor's (2 awarded)
Mathematics and statistics (1)
- Mathematics, General Bachelor's (2 awarded)
Physical sciences (1)
- Chemistry, General Bachelor's (1 awarded)
Visual and performing arts (1)
- Visual and Performing Arts, General Bachelor's (1 awarded)
Graduate programs (1)
- Business Administration and Management, General Master's
Cost and aid
- Tuition and fees, in-state
- $13,014
- Housing and food on campus
- $10,000
- Books and supplies
- $1,200
- Other on-campus costs
- $4,312
- Total cost on campus, in-state
- $28,526
- Total cost on campus, out-of-state
- $28,526
- Total cost living at home
- $19,992
Published prices for 2023-24.
| Family income | Per year |
|---|---|
| $0-30,000 | $15,661 |
| $30,001-48,000 | $14,460 |
| $48,001-75,000 | $15,092 |
| $75,001-110,000 | $20,335 |
Net price is the full cost minus grants and scholarships, for full-time first-year students who got aid in 2022-23.
- First-year students who got any aid
- 90%
- Got grants or scholarships
- 89%
- Average grant or scholarship
- $11,788
- Got a grant from the college
- 60%
- Average grant from the college
- $8,729
- Undergraduates with a Pell grant
- 71%
- First-year students who borrowed
- 53%
- Average amount borrowed
- $6,221
Graduation
- Bachelor's in 4 years
- 19%
- Bachelor's in 5 years
- 30%
- Bachelor's in 6 years
- 32%
- Bachelor's in 8 years
- 31%
- Any degree in 6 years (all students)
- 32%
- Came back for year two
- 67%
| Pell grant students | 31% |
|---|---|
| Subsidized loan, no Pell | 38% |
| Neither | 39% |
| Group | Students | Graduated |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 213 | 38% |
| Men | 112 | 22% |
| Black | 312 | 31% |
| Hispanic | 3 | 0% (small group) |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 1 | 100% (small group) |
| Two or more races | 4 | 50% (small group) |
| International | 5 | 80% (small group) |
| Started | Students | Earned a degree or certificate here | Enrolled at another college |
|---|---|---|---|
| Started here, full-time | 186 | 30% | 12% |
| Started here, part-time | 5 | 0% (small group) | 0% |
| Transferred in, full-time | 69 | 46% | 4% |
| Transferred in, part-time | 8 | 0% (small group) | 0% |
Graduation rates follow students who started full-time for the first time in fall 2017. Groups under 20 students are marked because a few students change the rate a lot.
Students
- Total students
- 866
- Undergraduates
- 848
- Full-time undergraduates
- 669
- Part-time undergraduates
- 179
- Graduate students
- 18
- Students per faculty member
- 12 to 1
- Undergraduates age 25 and up
- 23%
- Undergraduates taking all classes online
- 3%
| Women | 52% |
|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Black | 79% |
| Hispanic | 4% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 2% |
| White | 4% |
| Two or more races | 1% |
| Race unknown | 2% |
| International | 8% |
Campus life
- Setting
- City: Midsize
- Address
- 900 W. Daisy Bates Drive, Little Rock, AR, 72202-3799
- County
- Pulaski County
- Type
- Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields
- Highest degree
- Master's degree
- Academic calendar
- Semester
- Religious affiliation
- United Methodist
- Historically Black college or university
- Yes
- Athletics
- NAIA
- Teams include
- basketball, baseball, cross country and track
- Offers
- Army ROTC, Study abroad, Teacher certification, Weekend or evening classes, Online programs, Credit for AP exams
- Open admission
- Yes
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS (2022-23 to 2024-25 surveys), and the College Scorecard.