Southern Arkansas University Tech Photo #9 - Housing residents enjoy dayroom.

Southern Arkansas University Tech

6415 Spellman Road
Camden, AR 71701
Top Ranked (2025): View Rankings
  • Southern Arkansas University Tech, a comprehensive two-year college of the Southern Arkansas University system. SAU Tech offers a variety of associate degree and certificate programs designed for students who plan to enter the workforce, transfer to a university, or upgrade their skills in a specific area. Classes are conveniently scheduled and many of the courses are offered via the Internet, allowing even more flexibility in scheduling.

School Highlights

Southern Arkansas University Tech serves 1,437 students (38% of students are full-time).
The college's student:teacher ratio of 12:1 is lower than the state community college average of 13:1.
Minority enrollment is 44% of the student body (majority Black), which is more than the state average of 39%.

Quick Stats (2025)

  • Enrollment: 1,437 students
  • In-state tuition: $4,677
  • Out-state tuition: $6,117
  • Student:teacher ratio: 12:1
  • Minority enrollment: 44%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Top Rankings

Southern Arkansas University Tech ranks among the top 20% of public schools in Arkansas for:

Category
Attribute
Completion Rates

School Overview

The teacher population of 123 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five years.
Southern Arkansas University Tech
(AR) Community College Avg.
Carnegie Classification
Associate's Colleges: High Career & Technical-Mixed Traditional/Nontraditional
Associate's Colleges: Mixed Transfer/Career & Technical-High Traditional
Institution Level
At least 2 but less than 4 years
At least 2 but less than 4 years
Institution Control
Public
Public
Total Faculty
123 staff
162 staff
This chart displays total faculty of Southern Arkansas University Tech and community college average number of faculty in Arkansas by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.

Student Body

The student population of Southern Arkansas University Tech has grown by 30% over five years.
The student:teacher ratio of 12:1 has increased from 6:1 over five years.
The Southern Arkansas University Tech diversity score of 0.57 is less than the state average of 0.58. The school's diversity has declined by 6% over five years.
Total Enrollment
1,437 students
1,611 students
This chart displays the total enrollment of Southern Arkansas University Tech and community college average number of enrollment of Arkansas by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
Student : Teacher Ratio
12:1
13:1
This chart displays the student staff ratio of Southern Arkansas University Tech and community college average student staff ratio of Arkansas by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
# Full-Time Students
544 students
595 students
This chart displays the total number of Full-time students enrollment of Southern Arkansas University Tech and average number of community college Full-time students enrollment of Arkansas by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
# Part-Time Students
893 students
1,058 students
This chart displays the total number of Part-time students enrollment of Southern Arkansas University Tech and average number of community college Part-time students enrollment of Arkansas by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
This chart displays the Full-time students and Part-time students enrollment breakdown of Southern Arkansas University Tech.
This chart displays community college average Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of Arkansas.
# Enrollment Undergraduate
143 students
217 students
# Full-Time Undergraduate Students
544 students
595 students
This chart displays the total number of Full-time undergraduate students enrollment of Southern Arkansas University Tech and average number of community college Full-time undergraduate  students enrollment of Arkansas by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
# Full-Time Graduate Students
n/a
15 students
# Part-Time Undergraduate Students
893 students
1,058 students
# Part-Time Graduate Students
n/a
38 students
Total Dormitory Capacity
160 students
160 students
This chart displays the dormitory capacity of Southern Arkansas University Tech and the community college average dormitory capacity of Arkansas by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% American Indian/Alaskan
n/a
1%
This chart displays the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan students in Southern Arkansas University Tech and the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan community college students in Arkansas by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
% Asian
n/a
2%
This chart displays the percentage of Asian students in Southern Arkansas University Tech and the percentage of Asian community college students in Arkansas by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Hispanic
6%
11%
This chart displays the percentage of Hispanic students in Southern Arkansas University Tech and the percentage of Hispanic community college students in Arkansas by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
% Black
33%
18%
This chart displays the percentage of Black students in Southern Arkansas University Tech and the percentage of Black community college students in Arkansas by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% White
56%
61%
This chart displays the percentage of White students in Southern Arkansas University Tech and the percentage of White community college students in Arkansas by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Hawaiian
n/a
1%
This chart displays the percentage of Hawaiian students in Southern Arkansas University Tech and the percentage of Hawaiian community college students in Arkansas by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
% Two or more races
4%
4%
This chart displays the percentage of Two or more races students in Southern Arkansas University Tech and the percentage of Two or more races community college students in Arkansas by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
% Non Resident races
n/a
1%
This chart displays the percentage of Non Resident students in Southern Arkansas University Tech and the percentage of Non Resident community college students in Arkansas by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
% Unknown races
1%
1%
This chart displays the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in Southern Arkansas University Tech.
This chart displays the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in Arkansas.
Diversity Score
0.57
0.58
This chart displays the diversity score of Southern Arkansas University Tech and the community college average diversity score of Arkansas by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in less than 4 years)
0.6307%
0.3818%
This chart displays completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of Southern Arkansas University Tech and community college average completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of Arkansas by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in 4 years or more than 4 years)
n/a
0.3095%
Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years)
$31,300
$28,600
This chart displays average graduate earnings (10 Years) of Southern Arkansas University Tech and community college average graduate earnings (10 Years) of Arkansas by year, disaggregated by student subgroups with the latest 2012-13 school year data.

Tuition and Acceptance Rate

The public in-state tuition of $4,677 is more than the state average of $2,994. The in-state tuition has stayed relatively flat over four years.
The public out-state tuition of $6,117 is more than the state average of $4,750. The out-state tuition has stayed relatively flat over four years.
In-State Tuition Fees
$4,677
$2,994
This chart displays tuition fees for an in-state student of Southern Arkansas University Tech and the public community college average tuition fees for an in-state student of Arkansas by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
Out-State Tuition Fees
$6,117
$4,750
This chart displays tuition fees for an out-of-state student of Southern Arkansas University Tech and the public community college average tuition fees for an out-of-state student of Arkansas by year, with the latest 2023-24 school year data.
% Students Receiving Some Financial Aid
93%
94%
This chart displays the percent of students who is receiving some financial aid in Southern Arkansas University Tech and the percent of community college students who is receiving some financial aid in Arkansas by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Median Debt for Graduates
$5,500
$9,750
This chart displays median debt for students who have completed a certificate or degree in Southern Arkansas University Tech and average median debt for community college students who have completed a certificate or degree in Arkansas by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Median Debt for Dropouts
$3,500
$5,300
This chart displays median debt for students who have not completed a certificate or degree in Southern Arkansas University Tech and average median debt for community college students who have not completed a certificate or degree in Arkansas by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Acceptance Rate
n/a
100%
SAT Reading
n/a
540
SAT Math
n/a
520
SAT Writing
n/a
515
ACT Composite
n/a
22
ACT English
n/a
22
ACT Math
n/a
21
Source: 2024 (or latest year available) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) , School Administrators

School Notes

  • Southern Arkansas University Tech is a two-year college specializing in technical training and offers the first two years of a university transfer program. In addition to offering traditional classroom courses, SAU Tech offers a number of internet courses. The college has a large enrollment in its high school dual credit program. The college also operates the SAU Tech Career Academy, the Ouachita & Calhoun County Adult Education Centers, the Arkansas Fire Training Academy, and the Arkansas Environmental Academy. Southern Arkansas University Tech, Camden was created on April 5, 1967, as Southwest Technical Institute by Act 534 of the General Assembly of Arkansas. The purpose of the institute was to provide a technically trained workforce for the growing Highland Industrial Park where it was located. Seventy acres of land and six buildings were donated by the Brown Foundation of Houston, Texas which had purchased the Schumacher Naval Ammunition Depot for use as Highland Industrial Park. SAU Tech operates the Arkansas Fire Training Academy providing training to firefighters throughout the state as well as the Arkansas Environmental Academy, which also has a statewide mission of training individuals in the fields of wastewater and solid waste issues. The SAU Tech Career Academy provides a variety of career-technical education programs to high school students in our area and operates in conjunction with our high school concurrent credit programs. SAU Tech provides adult basic education and GED preparation through Ouachita & Calhoun County's Adult Education Center. Our Business and Industry Training Department provides customized training for the area companies. Southern Arkansas University Tech is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Southern Arkansas University Tech cost?
Southern Arkansas University Tech's tuition is approximately $4,677 for In-State students and $6,117 for Out-State students.
What is Southern Arkansas University Tech's ranking?
Southern Arkansas University Tech ranks among the top 20% of community college in Arkansas for: Highest completion rates and Least debt for graduating students.

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Quick Stats (2025)

  • Enrollment: 1,437 students
  • In-state tuition: $4,677
  • Out-state tuition: $6,117
  • Student:teacher ratio: 12:1
  • Minority enrollment: 44%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Related School Videos

Did You Know?

For Arkansas public community colleges, the average tuition is approximately $2,994 per year for in-state students and $4,750 for out-of-state students. For private community colleges, the average yearly tuition is approximately $11,533 per year. Read more about average community college tuition costs across the country.

The average community college acceptance rate in Arkansas is 91%. Read more about national community college acceptance rates.

Arkansas community colleges have a diversity score of 0.58, which is higher than the national average of 0.00. The most diverse community college in Arkansas is Bryan University. Read more about community college diversity statistics in the USA.

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