Shorter College
N Little Rock, AR 72114
About Shorter College
Shorter College is a private two-year college in N Little Rock, Arkansas, enrolling about 287 students. The college offers associate degrees, career certificates, and transfer pathways to four-year universities. Typical net price after grant aid is about $14,060 for students who receive it, compared with published tuition near $6,246. Student demographics in federal data include Black or African American (61.3%) and White (33.1%) among the largest enrollment groups.
Key findings
- Shorter College charges about 0.2× the national private non-profit median tuition ($6,246).
- Versus the Arkansas median, sticker tuition is 15% below.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 12.50%.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shorter College | $6,246 | $14,060 | 1 |
| Private Non-profit (national median) | $29,325 | — | 1,444 |
| Arkansas (state median) | $7,334 | $9,144 | 51 |
| Town (locale median) | $9,600 | $14,971 | 1,517 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
How expensive is Shorter College really?
Key findings
- Shorter College charges about 0.2× the national private non-profit median tuition ($6,246).
- Versus the Arkansas median, sticker tuition is 15% below.
Shorter College tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $6,246
Finding Shorter College charges about 0.2× the national private non-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $6,246. That is about 0.2× the national private non-profit median ($29,325). Versus the Arkansas median ($7,334), sticker tuition is 15% below. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is about 0.5×.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private non-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Shorter College versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Shorter College versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Shorter College is $14,060.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $14,060 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $4,916 above the Arkansas median net price. Versus town campuses, net price runs $911 below the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway At Shorter College, average net price exceeds published tuition alone because net price uses a fuller cost-of-attendance base.
Shorter College: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Shorter College—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
High completion indicates students finish programs at scale; it does not alone measure instructional quality or labor-market fit.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$6,246
Avg. net price
$14,060
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $13,844 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $10,243 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $18,089 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $24,984. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Shorter College is known for
Top program completions
- Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies22
- General Studies10
- Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration5
- Christian Studies3
- Child Development1
See earnings & programs for more.
Is Shorter College a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Shorter College is a good school for those looking for high program completion rates.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Shorter College.
Campus
Location
N Little Rock, AR
City / state
- ZIP
- 72114
- NCES locale
- Town
Compared with Town campuses nationally, net price is 6% below the median for Town campuses ($14,971 median).
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- Southeast
- Carnegie
- Associate's Colleges: High Transfer-High Traditional
Size
Enrollment
287
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 420
- Full-time share
- 94%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$29,500
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 74.83%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Shorter College.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Shorter College was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Shorter College in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $2,100 | $2,100 | $4,883 |
| 2014 | $4,200 | $4,200 | $12,253 |
| 2015 | $4,904 | $4,904 | $16,833 |
| 2016 | $4,904 | $4,904 | $15,321 |
| 2017 | $4,904 | $4,904 | $15,773 |
| 2018 | $5,500 | $5,500 | $16,044 |
| 2019 | $5,596 | $5,596 | $13,747 |
| 2020 | $5,596 | $5,596 | $15,709 |
| 2021 | $5,596 | $5,596 | $13,760 |
| 2022 | $6,246 | $6,246 | $13,614 |
| 2023 | $6,246 | $6,246 | $12,993 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
Acceptance rate data is not available for this institution.
Admissions funnel data is not available for this institution.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Shorter College reported total enrollment of about 287 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 44% male and 56% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes Black or African American (61.3%), White (33.1%), and Hispanic or Latino (2.8%). About 74.83% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 55.7% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
94.1% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Shorter College in 2024 is 287 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 420 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
38.7%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
8.93% 100% Completion Time
12.50% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 8.93% of students graduating from Shorter College completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies: 73% male / 27% female
- General Studies: 20% male / 80% female
- Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration: 20% male / 80% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
What do Shorter College graduates earn—and in which programs?
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Shorter College.
Evidence Median federal loan debt: $29,500. Average net price used in cost models: $14,060.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Shorter College.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 5 programs by IPEDS completions (6 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Shorter College.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Shorter College graduates.
Institutional resources
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Shorter College—instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 15.0%
- Arkansas median 47.8 pp below median (62.8%)
- Southeast median 44.4 pp below median (59.4%)
- U.S. median 43.0 pp below median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $4,765
- Arkansas median 0.86× the median ($5,571)
- Southeast median 0.70× the median ($6,825)
- U.S. median 0.63× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $28,161
- Arkansas median 4.5× the median ($6,294)
- Southeast median 4.3× the median ($6,602)
- U.S. median 3.9× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Scorecard instructional metrics where reported.
Shorter College at a glance
Shorter College
Shorter College is a private non-profit institution in N Little Rock, AR, classified as Associate's Colleges: High Transfer-High Traditional.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial StudiesGeneral StudiesCriminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration
- Largest enrollment groups
- Black or African American61.3%White or Caucasian33.1%Hispanic or Latino2.8%
Schools near Shorter College
Other campuses in N Little Rock, AR when available, plus nearby institutions in Arkansas.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade F) within Arkansas, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Shorter College located?
Shorter College is located in N Little Rock, AR.
What is Shorter College's tuition?
Shorter College tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $6,246 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $14,060 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Shorter College cost?
Reported tuition is $6,246 and average net price is $14,060 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $9,744 annually.
What is the student body demographics at Shorter College?
Shorter College reports undergraduate enrollment of about 420 students, Black or African American (61.3%), White (33.1%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Shorter College?
About 55.7% of students at Shorter College are first-generation college students.
What is the graduation rate at Shorter College?
The 150%-time completion rate is 12.5% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Shorter College students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $29,500.
Is Shorter College public or private?
Shorter College is a private nonprofit institution located in N Little Rock, AR.
Is Shorter College an HBCU?
Yes. Shorter College is flagged as a historically Black college or university (HBCU) in IPEDS.
Is Shorter College a tribal college?
No. Shorter College is not flagged as a tribal college in IPEDS.
Is Shorter College a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI)?
Using a 25% Hispanic enrollment threshold on College Scorecard demographics, Shorter College does not meet that proxy (reported share 2.8%).
Is Shorter College religiously affiliated?
Yes. IPEDS reports a religious affiliation for Shorter College: African Methodist Episcopal.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.