Best Online Biology Programs in Jacksonville, AR (2026)

Jacksonville, Arkansas has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs, with tuition ranging from $9,748 to $22,519 per year for indexed programs. Jacksonville has a population of about 29,285. Median household income is $46,947 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro area, the top-earning biology-related role is Medical Scientist at a median $82,720 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Biology Schools to Jacksonville

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer biology programs near Jacksonville, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Jacksonville city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Jacksonville. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Philander Smith University

Little Rock, AR 12.9 miles from Jacksonville BOC Score 36.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,427
Avg net price $14,224/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Little Rock, AR 16.1 miles from Jacksonville BOC Score 42.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 59%
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,265
Avg net price $17,248/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,748
Out‑of‑state$22,158
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Central Baptist College

Conway, AR 22.8 miles from Jacksonville BOC Score 41.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,789
Avg net price $12,287/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Central Arkansas

Conway, AR 23.0 miles from Jacksonville BOC Score 45.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,938
Avg net price $16,511/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Hendrix College

Conway, AR 23.3 miles from Jacksonville BOC Score 54.1
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,376
Avg net price $24,149/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Harding University

Searcy, AR 34.0 miles from Jacksonville BOC Score 63.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,876
Avg net price $22,130/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

Pine Bluff, AR 43.9 miles from Jacksonville BOC Score 38.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 41%
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,550
Avg net price $12,653/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,412
Out‑of‑state$17,992
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Arkansas Tech University

Russellville, AR 63.6 miles from Jacksonville BOC Score 58.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,766
Avg net price $12,970/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,674
Out‑of‑state$14,668
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 96

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Arkansas schools on the Arkansas biology page.


Biology Wages Near Jacksonville

Jacksonville is part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro area (BLS area code 30780). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Arkansas statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Medical Scientist$82,720Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR$92,528
Biological Technician$42,630Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR$47,685
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$66,790Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR$74,709
Soil and Plant ScientistN/AAR statewide

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Jacksonville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population29,285Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$46,947Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+23.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)89.4 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Jacksonville-Area Cities With Biology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited biology schools are near Jacksonville, AR?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs near Jacksonville. The closest is Philander Smith University in Little Rock, AR (12.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Hendrix College (23.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying biology roles near Jacksonville?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying biology-related roles near Jacksonville are: Medical Scientist ($82,720), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($66,790), Biological Technician ($42,630). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Arkansas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Sherwood instead of Jacksonville?

Sherwood, AR is 4.6 miles from Jacksonville and has its own set of local biology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Jacksonville an affordable place to study biology?

Jacksonville’s median household income of $46,947 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Jacksonville while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Arkansas public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Biology Programs

Other Programs Available in Jacksonville

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Jacksonville:

Data verified: July 30, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.