Colleges & Universities

Colleges in Paragould

Black River Technical College

Black River Technical College Website

Black River Technical College (BRTC), with campuses located in Pocahontas and Paragould, offers quality technical and academic programs at one of the most competitive rates in Arkansas. BRTC faculty and staff strive to individually support students in their journey to earn a degree or certificate and improve their quality of life while also working with the local community to make it a better place to live.

Crowley’s Ridge College

Crowley’s Ridge College WebsiteCrowley’s Ridge College Sports Website

The 150 acre campus of Crowley’s Ridge College is located on Highway 412 West within the city limits of Paragould. The college, which was founded in 1964, has provided a quality educational experience for more than 6,000 students. The pine tree covered rolling hills and centrally located lake on the CRC campus provide a picturesque setting for a great collegiate experience. Crowley’s Ridge College offers associate and bachelor degrees. CRC also offers online classes and is the only Paragould college to offer intercollegiate sports. Intercollegiate sports at CRC include men’s basketball, men’s baseball, women’s volleyball, women’s basketball, women’s softball, men’s golf, men’s cross country, and women’s cross country. CRC competes in NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics). College Residence Halls and Honor Apartments provide on-campus housing opportunity for students who traditionally come from as many as 15 states and 35 Arkansas Counties. Crowley’s Ridge College is “the college that feels like home” and promotes the ideals of scholarship, spiritual life, and service.

Colleges and Universities within 100 miles of Paragould

Arkansas State University – Jonesboro

Arkansas State University Website

Arkansas State University, located 20 minutes from Paragould, enjoys a reputation as a quality regional institution of higher education and is recognized for offering special services to the people of the Arkansas Delta. It is the only comprehensive public university located in this region. The institution was founded in Jonesboro in 1909 by the Arkansas Legislature as a regional agricultural training school, and grew to university status in 1967. Today, the institution has more than 70,000 alumni.

ASU offers four doctoral degree programs, plus a wide range of programs at the specialist’s, master’s, bachelor’s and associate’s degree levels through the various colleges: agriculture, business, communications, education, engineering, fine arts, humanities and social sciences, nursing and health professions, sciences and mathematics, and university college. Classes also are offered through The Honors College and the independent Department of Military Science.

Today, because of the close partnerships between the campuses, ASU reports a combined enrollment for its system of campuses. Total system enrollment in the fall of 2015 was 13,410. For information about educational opportunities at ASU, contact the Office of Admissions, admissions@astate.edu or call (870) 972-3024 or (800) 382-3030.

Lyon College

Lyon College Website

Located in Batesville, AR, less than 2 hours from Paragould, Lyon College has been recognized by The Princeton Review, Washington Monthly, and U.S. News and World Report as one of the best liberal arts colleges in the nation. Lyon has an enrollment of approximately 700 students, allowing for an average student-faculty ratio of 14:1. Lyon College gives students the opportunity to choose from 13 different majors and 20 minors, or design their own individualized course of study. The oldest independent college in Arkansas, Lyon was founded in 1872 and is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA).

University of Memphis

University of Memphis Website

The University of Memphis is located in Memphis, TN, about an hour and a half from Paragould. The University of Memphis has an enrollment of about 21,000 total students, including graduate and law students, and is fully accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The University of Memphis offers 15 bachelor’s degrees in more than 50 majors and 70 concentrations, master’s degrees in over 45 subjects, doctoral degrees in 21 disciplines, a specialist degree in education, juris doctor (law degree), and an online degree program.

Williams Baptist University

Williams Baptist University Website

Williams Baptist University is a four-year, liberal arts college in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, about a 30-minute drive from Paragould. Williams has long been known for its academic excellence and its caring, Christian environment. Average fall enrollment on WBC’s main campus is a little over 500 students. The college’s 13-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio ensures personal attention in the classroom, and with over 25 majors to choose from, Williams prepares students for a wide array of career options.For more information, contact the WBC Office of Admissions at (800) 722-4434 or by e-mail at admissions@wbcoll.edu .