| Location: | Southeast |
| Setting: | Small Town Setting |
| Type: | Public |
| Size: | Medium (2,000 to 5,000 Undergrad) |
| Mascot: | Muleriders |
The mission of Southern Arkansas University is to educate students for productive and fulfilling lives in a global environment by providing opportunities for intellectual growth, individual enrichment, skill development, and meaningful career preparation. The University believes in the worth of the individual and accepts its responsibility for developing in its students those values and competencies essential for effective citizenship in an ever-changing, free, and democratic society. Further, the University encourages and supports excellence in teaching, scholarly and creative endeavors, and service.
< CollapseSouthern Arkansas University, formerly the Third District Agricultural School serves as a public four-year institution. It is located in Magnolia, Arkansas.
Southern Arkansas University was founded as the Third District Agricultural School in 1909. One of four such schools established by the Arkansas Legislature in that year. It officially opened in January 1911 as a district secondary school for southwest Arkansas. In 1925, the State Legislature authorized the school to add two years of college work to its curriculum and to change its name to Agricultural and Mechanical College, Third District.
It carried both high school and junior college courses until 1937, at which time the high school courses were discontinued. In the fall of 1949, the Board of Trustees, exercising authority vested in it by the State Legislature, decided to make the college into a four-year, degree-granting institution. The Board authorized the adding of third-year college courses to begin with the fall semester of 1950, and fourth-year or senior courses to begin with the fall semester of 1951. By Act Eleven, January 24, 1951, the State Legislature changed the name of the institution to Southern State College. In 1975, the college was approved and accredited to offer a master of education degree in selected academic areas. The name was changed to Southern Arkansas University on July 9, 1976. Southwest Technical Institute in Camden, Arkansas, joined the SAU system as Southern Arkansas University Tech in 1975.
Southern Arkansas University is in the NCAA Division II as a member of the West Division of the Gulf South Conference.
The university's athletic nicknames are Muleriders and Lady Muleriders. The Muleriders take their name from the legend that the football team in the early 1900s had to ride mules from the college's agricultural department to catch the nearest train 6 miles north of the college in order to reach out-of-town football games. The teams are the only sports team in the US with the nickname and are often listed in top 10 lists of the most unusual or unique mascot names.
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| Percent of Students International: | 4% |
| On-Campus Housing Available: | Yes |
| Percent of Students Living On-Campus: | 45% |
| Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: | Yes |
| Member of: | NAA, NCAA |
| Sports Include: |
Football (Gulf South Conference) Basketball (Gulf South Conference) Baseball (Gulf South Conference) Track (Gulf South Conference) |
| Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) | In-State | Out-of-State | |
Published Tuition and Fees: |
$ 4,290 | $ 6,300 | |
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 3,900 | $ 5,910 | |
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 318 | $ 318 | |
| Financial Aid | Avg. Amount Received | % of Students Receiving Aid | |
Federal Grants: |
$ 4,063 | 31% | |
State and Local Grants: |
$ 1,844 | 11% | |
Institutional Grants: |
$ 3,527 | 42% | |
Student Loans: |
$ 3,431 | 26% | |
Any Aid: |
83% |
| Acceptance Rate: | 82% (Selective) |
| Test Scores | |
| SAT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting SAT Scores: | 6% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Verbal: 390, Math: 430 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Verbal: 530, Math: 640 |
| ACT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting ACT Scores: | 98% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Composite: 17, Verbal: 17, Math: 17 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Composite: 24, Verbal: 25, Math: 23 |
| Formal Demonstration of Competencies: | Not Required |
| High School Diploma or Equivalent: | Recommended |
| High School GPA: | Recommended |
| High School Rank: | Recommended |
| High School Record: | Required |
| Recommendations: | Not Required |
| TOEFL: | Required |
| Test Scores: | Required |
