Best General Studies Schools Near Benton, AR (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Benton, Arkansas has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $8,760 to $23,060 per year for indexed programs. Benton has a population of about 35,954. Median household income is $69,638 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $76,080 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to Benton

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer general studies programs near Benton, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Benton 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 Benton. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Little Rock, AR 16.6 miles from Benton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
42.7 BOC Score
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: 84

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Arkansas Grantham

LIttle Rock, AR 18.9 miles from Benton
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
49.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,496
Avg net price $8,370/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 28%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Arkansas Baptist College

Little Rock, AR 19.3 miles from Benton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
29.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 8%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $28,418
Avg net price $10,627/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,760
Out‑of‑state$8,760
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 22%
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Philander Smith University

Little Rock, AR 19.8 miles from Benton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
36.5 BOC Score
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: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Champion Christian College

Hot Springs, AR 28.6 miles from Benton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
Avg net price $17,002/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 42%
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Central Arkansas

Conway, AR 35.2 miles from Benton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.8 BOC Score
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: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Central Baptist College

Conway, AR 35.8 miles from Benton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
41.0 BOC Score
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: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Hendrix College

Conway, AR 37.0 miles from Benton
  • 4 year
54.1 BOC Score
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: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

General Studies Wages Near Benton

Benton 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.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
General and Operations Managers $76,080 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR $85,101
Management Analysts $75,750 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR $84,732
Human Resources Specialists $57,640 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR $64,474
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $62,790 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR $70,235
Writers and Authors $47,210 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR $52,808
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $60,480 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR $67,651
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $58,720 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR $65,682
Social and Community Service Managers $60,430 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR $67,595

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.

Benton at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 35,954 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $69,638 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 28.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 89.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Benton-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near Benton, AR?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Benton. The closest is University of Arkansas at Little Rock in Little Rock, AR (16.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Philander Smith University (19.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying general studies roles near Benton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Benton are: General and Operations Managers ($76,080), Management Analysts ($75,750), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($62,790). 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 Bryant instead of Benton?

Bryant, AR is 5.3 miles from Benton and has its own set of local general studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Benton an affordable place to study general studies?

Benton’s median household income of $69,638 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Benton 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 General Studies Programs

Other Programs Available in Benton

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

Data verified: September 5, 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.

Back to Best General Studies Schools in Arkansas (2026)