Head-to-head comparison
Arkansas State University-Mountain Home vs Central Baptist College: which has better ROI?
Option A Mountain Home, AR
Arkansas State University-Mountain Home
- Net price / year
- $8,847
- Earnings, 10 years
- $34,238
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Conway, AR
Central Baptist College
- Net price / year
- $12,287
- Earnings, 10 years
- $46,789
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Central Baptist College comes closer — median earnings $46,789 against a $49,148 total, vs $34,238 at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Arkansas State University-Mountain Home | Central Baptist College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $8,847 | $12,287 |
| Total net cost | $35,388 | $49,148 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $34,238 | $46,789 |
| Median debt | $10,500 | $22,250 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$317,828 | -$80,568 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Arkansas State University-Mountain Home or Central Baptist College?
Arkansas State University-Mountain Home, at $8,847 a year after aid versus $12,287 — a gap of $3,440 a year, or $13,760 across the full degree. These are net prices after grants and scholarships, not sticker prices, so they reflect what an aided student pays.
The short answer
Do Arkansas State University-Mountain Home or Central Baptist College graduates earn more?
Central Baptist College graduates report a median $46,789 ten years after entry, $12,551 more than the $34,238 at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home. Both are institution-wide medians from federal tax records, so a high-paying major at the lower school can beat the average at the higher one.
The short answer
Which leaves students with less debt, Arkansas State University-Mountain Home or Central Baptist College?
Arkansas State University-Mountain Home: its completers carry a median $10,500 in federal loans versus $22,250 at Central Baptist College, a difference of $11,750. The figure counts students who finished; it excludes private loans and anyone who left before graduating.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
44% of students finish at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home, against 34% at Central Baptist College. Completion matters to the ROI arithmetic because a degree that is never finished still carries its cost and its debt, but earns none of the graduate premium above the $48,360 high-school baseline.