As a land-grant institution, the University of Arkansas' highest priority is to prepare every student for lifelong success — helping them develop the knowledge and skills needed to achieve their goals, thrive throughout their lives and make meaningful contributions in their communities. For the second consecutive year, the U of A has proven to be a top college in developing tomorrow's leaders, according to a recent ranking from TIME Magazine.

TIME  named the U of A one of the Best Colleges for Future Leaders in the United States, including it in a list of 125 prestigious public and private colleges. The university landed in the top 40 of public institutions featured, and one of 12 fellow SEC schools included, ahead of Auburn, LSU, OU and University of Mississippi.  

For this year's rankings, TIME and Statista greatly expanded the scope of leadership and analyzed the resumes of 4,000 of the most influential leaders in the U.S., twice the number used to produce last year's list. The ranking includes all educational institutions in the U.S. that played a part in shaping today's leaders along their paths to the top positions that they now hold. The fields of these leaders span across a diverse range of industries such as business, government, sports, science, the arts, nonprofits and more. 

With over 7,000 degrees and certificates awarded in the 2024 academic year, more U of A graduates are entering the workforce than ever before. The university currently has a record 70.52 percent six-year graduation rate and maintains above an 86 percent first-year retention rate. 

The university's focus on student success expands to more than the development of the student while on campus. It's also the mission of the university to make education more affordable, particularly for Arkansans with financial need. 

This fall, the university welcomed the highest number of Arkansans ever enrolled and announced a $200 million fundraising initiative to support its new Land of Opportunity Scholarship campaign. This is a three-year goal to create educational access opportunities for students from all 75 counties in Arkansas. Additionally, the program creates a two-way street between the university and businesses throughout the state, continuing to fulfill the institution's land-grant mission to uplift Arkansas. 

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About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.