Arkansas State University

Carl R. Reng Student Union Dean B. Ellis Library. A-State was founded as the First District Agricultural School in Jonesboro in 1909 by the Arkansas Legislature as a regional agricultural training school. Robert W. Glover , a Missionary Baptist pastor who served in both houses of the Arkansas Legislature from Sheridan (1905–1912), introduced in 1909 the resolution calling for the establishment of four state agricultural colleges, including the future ASU. [ 11 ] In 1918, ASU began offering a two-year college program. In 1925, it became First District Agricultural and Mechanical College . A four-year degree program was begun in 1930. A & M College became Arkansas State College in 1933. In 1967, the Arkansas Legislature elevated the college to university status and changed the name to Arkansas State University.

Quick facts Academic rankings, Master's ... Academic rankings Master's Washington Monthly [ 12 ] 134 Regional U.S. News & World Report [ 13 ] 61 (South) National U.S. News & World Report [ 14 ] 352 (tie) Close The university has more than 100,000 alumni and offers programs at the doctoral, specialist's, master's, bachelor's, and associate degree levels. They are organized into several colleges: Agriculture, Engineering & Technology, Business, Education & Behavioral Science, Liberal Arts & Communication, Nursing & Health Professions, Sciences & Mathematics, and Undergraduate Studies. In 2018, Arkansas State was classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". [ 15 ] [ 10 ] The university nevertheless maintains a focus on undergraduate instruction and small class sizes, with a student-faculty ratio of 16:1, ranked #76 in undergraduate teaching nationwide as of 2020 [ update ] . [ 16 ] The university was ranked #1013 (UniRank 2024-2025), [ 17 ] #1119 (SCImago Rankings 2018), [ 18 ] and #1645 (URAP Rankings 2020-2021) [ 19 ] in the global university rankings. Master's degree graduate programs were initiated in 1955 and ASU began offering its first doctoral degree, in educational leadership, in the fall of 1992. A second doctoral program, in environmental science, was begun in the fall of 1997 and the doctoral program in heritage studies began in the fall of 2001. Newer doctoral programs are in environmental science, molecular biosciences, and physical therapy. In the fall of 2016, Arkansas State enrolled the first class of approximately 115 students to its branch of the New York Institute of Technology 's medical school. The medical school is located on campus in the historic Wilson Hall.

A-State's journalism program reorganized into the College of Media and Communication for fall 2013. The College of Media and Communication is home to three student-led media outlets and a NPR affiliate radio station. The Herald , a weekly student newspaper, was founded in 1921 and has a circulation of 5,000. ASU-TV , a program under the Department of Radio-Television, gives students hands-on experience in the field of television broadcasting. Starting in fall 2013, an Internet-based student radio station, Red Wolf Radio , was added to the student media. Arkansas State is also home to KASU , a 100,000-watt FM station, which is the oldest NPR affiliate west of the Mississippi River. Centennial Bank Stadium (formerly known as Indian Stadium)

Activism Julia Butterfly Hill – environmental activist [ 21 ]