John Brown University

Private · Moderately Selective · AR

Photo: Valis55 (CC BY-SA 3.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationAR · South

SettingRural

Undergrads1,471

Student:faculty15:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate66.8%

6-yr grad rate71.8%

Drop-out rate18.5%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$32k

Out-of-state tuition$32k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity34.2%

Gender diversity55.3%

International10.1%

Identity—

Overview

John Brown University is a private interdenominational Christian university in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, in the Ozark foothills near the Oklahoma line, organized around a "Head, Heart, Hand" ethos that deliberately combines academics, faith, and practical skill rather than treating them as separate tracks.

Academics

Engineering and construction management are unusually strong for a Christian college this size, giving John Brown a reputation among evangelical families specifically for rigorous technical and applied programs rather than only humanities or ministry tracks. A graduate counseling program extends the university's reach past the undergraduate engineering and business core.

Campus & student life

The Ozark foothills setting is genuinely rural and scenic, and campus culture integrates faith practice into daily life without the university being a ministry-training school in the way ministry-focused colleges are — most students pursue standard secular career paths within a Christian framework. Community and hands-on service are emphasized consistent with the "Hand" piece of the university's ethos.

Getting in

Admission is holistic, with an expectation of Christian faith commitment as part of the university's interdenominational identity, alongside academic review that especially rewards demonstrated interest in the engineering and construction management programs the university is known for among Christian colleges.

After graduation

Engineering and construction management graduates place well with regional and national employers, and the university's reputation within evangelical Christian higher education circles specifically for technical rigor is a genuine differentiator from peer Christian colleges.

jbu.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate76.1%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1070–1340 · ACT 21–28

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Applying