NorthWest Arkansas Community College
Bentonville, Arkansas · Also known as NWACC · Website
$43,505
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$43,505
median earnings, 10 years after starting
NorthWest Arkansas Community College is a public 2-year college in Bentonville, Arkansas with 4,953 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $7,196 a year (tuition and fees $3,342 in-state, $5,238 out-of-state). 31% of students finish within 3 years. Former students earn a median $43,505 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $9,506 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$7,196
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$3,342
Out-of-state $5,238
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
31%
Within 3 years, US 58%
Median debt
$9,506
About $101 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$43,505
Rank 2,160 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $7,196
- Tuition in-state
- $3,342
- Tuition out-of-state
- $5,238
- Cost of attendance
- $12,157
- Students with a need-based grant
- 23%
- Students with federal loans
- 11%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $5,722
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $5,751
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $8,300
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $10,231
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $11,719
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $3,208 in 2015-16 to $3,342 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- Open admission
- Undergraduates
- 4,953
- Part-time students
- 65%
- Women
- 60%
- Students per teacher
- 13
- Completion rate
- 31%
- Retention rate
- 62%
- Highest degree
- Associate's degree
- Programs
- 56
- Endowment
- $11.1M
- Other
- Open admission
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 2,160 of 5,094 US colleges and 16 of 72 in Arkansas (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | AR median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $7,196 | $14,044 | $7,702 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $3,342 | $7,334 | $4,656 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 74% | 79% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 31% | 50% | 38% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 62% | 66% | 64% | 75% |
| Median debt | $9,506 | $12,000 | $10,417 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $35,242 | $30,343 | $33,563 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $43,505 | $34,688 | $38,555 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 2-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 43% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 60% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
56 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 858 | $8,000 | $30,703 | $43,192 | $44,125 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 207 | $8,500 | $31,922 | $51,796 | $44,906 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 201 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralCertificate | Certificate | 169 | $10,875 | $52,580 | $53,283 | $43,833 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 99 | Withheld | Withheld | $44,173 | $48,733 |
| Culinary Arts and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 71 | Withheld | $25,996 | Withheld | $30,572 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 71 | $13,938 | $67,192 | $68,866 | $80,813 |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing AssistantsCertificate | Certificate | 63 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $56,073 |
| Design and Applied ArtsCertificate | Certificate | 29 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $36,116 |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 29 | $10,374 | $31,888 | $64,778 | $49,927 |
| Construction Engineering Technology/TechnicianCertificate | Certificate | 28 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $57,671 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 28 | Withheld | Withheld | $32,971 | $31,135 |
| Culinary Arts and Related ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 21 | Withheld | $26,025 | $36,169 | $39,605 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 18 | Withheld | $28,819 | Withheld | $33,673 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $57,584 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 18 | Withheld | $59,189 | $60,422 | $65,389 |
| Design and Applied ArtsAssociate's | Associate's | 17 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $38,127 |
| Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields, OtherAssociate's | Associate's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $41,835 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsCertificate | Certificate | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $34,631 |
| Construction Engineering Technology/TechnicianAssociate's | Associate's | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $71,367 |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $53,359 |
| Legal Support ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,669 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsAssociate's | Associate's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $37,656 |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralCertificate | Certificate | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $60,097 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | $54,737 | $54,246 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Bentonville and Arkansas on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Arkansas
- Homes: Homes for sale in Arkansas
Questions and answers
How much does NorthWest Arkansas Community College cost?
$7,196 a year is the average net price at NorthWest Arkansas Community College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $3,342 for in-state students and $5,238 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $12,157. Families earning under $30,000 pay $5,722 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at NorthWest Arkansas Community College?
NorthWest Arkansas Community College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do NorthWest Arkansas Community College graduates earn?
$43,505 a year is the median pay of former NorthWest Arkansas Community College students who work, 10 years after they started ($35,242 after 6 years). That ranks 2,160 of 5,094 US colleges and 16 of 72 in Arkansas. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's) at $67,192.
How much student debt do NorthWest Arkansas Community College graduates have?
$9,506 is the median federal student loan debt of NorthWest Arkansas Community College graduates, about $101 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 11% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at NorthWest Arkansas Community College?
31% of first-time, full-time students at NorthWest Arkansas Community College finish within 3 years. 62% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 2-year colleges is 38%.
What are the most popular majors at NorthWest Arkansas Community College?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (858 associate's graduates), Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (207 certificate graduates), Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (201 certificate graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 56 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.