Benton Times

College tuition fees rose 5% in Benton County in the 2022-23 school year, according to the latest disclosure from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Data shows that students paid $9,398 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $446 more than the previous school year.

Among the four institutions in the county, John Brown University stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $29,720. Ecclesia College followed with an average of $16,850 per year. NorthWest Arkansas Community College students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $4,482.

At the time, a total of $8.6 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started at the Benton County universities in the 2022-23 school year. Additionally, federal student loans reached $1.4 million.

Currently there are four higher education institutions in Benton County, including NorthWest Arkansas Community College, Academy of Professional Cosmetology, and Ecclesia College.

Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.

According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.

Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.

Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.

Institution	Number of Students Receiving Grants	Total Amount of Grants Received	Average Amount of Grant Per Student	Number of Students Receiving Loans	Total Amount of Loans Received	Average Amount of Loans Per Student
Ecclesia College	37	$248,769	$6,723	21	$115,993	$5,523
NorthWest Arkansas Community College	459	$1,729,439	$3,768	95	$444,346	$4,677
John Brown University	302	$6,582,254	$21,796	134	$777,298	$5,801
Academy of Professional Cosmetology	10	$27,525	$2,753	8	$44,823	$5,603