Harding University

Searcy, AR · Private

Official website

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Admission rate

Harding University admitted 70.5% of applicants university-wide (1,914 of 2,714).

CohortAdmit rateAdmittedApplicants
University-wide70.5%1,9142,714
Men71.5%9091,271
Women69.7%1,0051,442

Also offers Early Action (closes Nov 1) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.

Of 1,914 admitted students, 854 enrolled (44.6% yield).

Harding University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.

Test scores and GPA of admitted students

SAT (mid-50%)
1050–1290
ACT (mid-50%)
20–29
GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
3.00–3.74

Testing policy: Required

Harding University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.

Cost and financial aid

Published cost of attendance: $35,920/yr.

Out-of-state tuition$26,262
Fees, housing, food, books & other$9,658
Sticker cost of attendance$35,920/yr

Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)

Under $30k$15,418
$30k–48k$17,430
$48k–75k$19,832
$75k–110k$22,017
Over $110k$26,284

U.S. Dept. of Education · College Scorecard — average net price by family income (Title IV, from IPEDS) · 2023

US applicants

Need- and merit-based aid available.

  • Academic Achievement Scholarship — $7,000 to $11,000 per year (Merit)
  • Church Leadership — Discounted Counseling Skills Certificate — First class $250, remaining classes 50% off (Other)
  • National Merit Finalist — Varies (Merit)
  • National Merit Semifinalist — full undergraduate tuition (Merit)
  • Orphan Discount — 25% tuition (Other)
  • Trustee Scholar Award — full tuition (Full Tuition)
  • Veterans Benefits and Yellow Ribbon Program — full tuition and fees (after veteran benefits and Harding contribution) (Full Tuition)

International applicants

No need-based aid reported for internationals.

  • Academic Achievement Scholarship — $7,000 to $11,000 per year (Merit)
  • Church Leadership — Discounted Counseling Skills Certificate — First class $250, remaining classes 50% off (Other)
  • National Merit Finalist — Varies (Merit)
  • National Merit Semifinalist — full undergraduate tuition (Merit)
  • Orphan Discount — 25% tuition (Other)
  • Trustee Scholar Award — full tuition (Full Tuition)

Harding University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024

Application requirements

US applicants

  • Online Application
  • Official High School Transcript
  • Confidential Reference
  • Official SAT, ACT, or CLT Scores
  • Application fee

International applicants

  • Online Application
  • Official High School Transcript
  • Confidential Reference
  • Official SAT, ACT, or CLT Scores
  • Application fee
  • English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
  • GPA credential conversion
  • Predicted Class XII marksheet
  • Financial documentation (I-20)

Harding University · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025

Essay prompts

Harding University requires no supplemental essays.

Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026

Graduate outcomes

Median earnings
$52,876
Median earnings · 10 years after entry
Graduation rate
68.8%
Within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
86%
Return for year two · CDS Section B
Median debt
$26,500
At graduation

Harding University · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.

Published rankings

  • U.S. News National: #301
  • WSJ: #415
  • Niche: #166

Deadlines

  • 2026-11-01Early Action — Non-binding early round

Harding University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C21–C22 · 2024

Academics and campus

Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (15%), Computer & information sciences (7%), Visual & performing arts (5%).

Student–faculty ratio: 13:1 · 49% of class sections have under 20 students.

Harding University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.

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