Business/Commerce at University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College

For a community college serving a predominantly working-class population, Pulaski Technical College's business program delivers modest but workable outcomes. While graduates earn about $4,000 less than the national median for associate-level business programs, they're actually performing slightly above Arkansas's state median—ranking in the 60th percentile among the 23 business programs statewide. The debt load of $13,750 is manageable, translating to a 0.42 debt-to-earnings ratio that most financial advisors would consider reasonable for a two-year degree.

The caveat here matters: with fewer than 30 graduates in the sample, these numbers could shift significantly year to year. That said, the program falls squarely in the middle of Arkansas's community college landscape—noticeably behind schools like Cossatot ($36,808) and NorthWest Arkansas ($31,888), but well ahead of weaker programs like Arkansas State-Beebe. For families seeking an affordable entry point into business careers without leaving the Little Rock area, this represents a practical choice rather than an optimal one. The economics work, but students should understand they're not getting a standout credential that will command premium wages in their first year out.