Education
Adults Pursuing Further Education
Source: Arkansas Department of Higher Education
Adults Pursuing Further Education
2022
Arkansas County2.5%
Ashley County1.9%
Baxter County1.7%
Benton County1.4%
Boone County1.6%
Bradley County1.8%
Calhoun County1.4%
Carroll County0.9%
Chicot County1.6%
Clark County2.3%
Clay County1.1%
Cleburne County1.2%
Cleveland County1.8%
Columbia County2.8%
Conway County1.7%
Craighead County2.0%
Crawford County1.4%
Crittenden County2.5%
Cross County2.1%
Dallas County1.8%
Desha County2.8%
Drew County2.2%
Faulkner County2.4%
Franklin County2.0%
Fulton County1.3%
Garland County1.8%
Grant County1.6%
Greene County1.7%
Hempstead County2.2%
Hot Spring County1.6%
Howard County2.3%
Independence County2.1%
Izard County1.7%
Jackson County2.5%
Jefferson County2.8%
Johnson County1.6%
Lafayette County1.5%
Lawrence County1.9%
Lee County1.4%
Lincoln County1.1%
Little River County1.6%
Logan County1.7%
Lonoke County2.2%
Madison County1.1%
Marion County1.2%
Miller County1.4%
Mississippi County3.1%
Monroe County2.0%
Montgomery County1.2%
Nevada County1.6%
Newton County1.3%
Ouachita County2.3%
Perry County1.4%
Phillips County3.1%
Pike County1.4%
Poinsett County1.6%
Polk County1.6%
Pope County2.1%
Prairie County1.5%
Pulaski County2.5%
Randolph County1.7%
Saline County1.7%
Scott County1.4%
Searcy County1.2%
Sebastian County1.5%
Sevier County2.2%
Sharp County1.8%
Stone County1.2%
Union County2.2%
Van Buren County1.2%
Washington County1.8%
White County1.9%
Woodruff County1.8%
Yell County1.5%

Source: Arkansas Department of Higher Education
Notes: Working age adults are people 25 to 64.




Number of Adults Pursuing Further Education
2022
Arkansas County286
Ashley County240
Baxter County547
Benton County2,758
Boone County440
Bradley County124
Calhoun County49
Carroll County174
Chicot County108
Clark County282
Clay County114
Cleburne County224
Cleveland County97
Columbia County384
Conway County252
Craighead County1,458
Crawford County597
Crittenden County765
Cross County239
Dallas County82
Desha County201
Drew County244
Faulkner County1,917
Franklin County236
Fulton County117
Garland County1,343
Grant County201
Greene County525
Hempstead County283
Hot Spring County386
Howard County191
Independence County522
Izard County178
Jackson County295
Jefferson County1,228
Johnson County283
Lafayette County68
Lawrence County206
Lee County84
Lincoln County107
Little River County130
Logan County263
Lonoke County1,134
Madison County136
Marion County158
Miller County392
Mississippi County774
Monroe County94
Montgomery County74
Nevada County92
Newton County66
Ouachita County357
Perry County101
Phillips County318
Pike County102
Poinsett County247
Polk County214
Pope County869
Prairie County86
Pulaski County6,918
Randolph County220
Saline County1,533
Scott County93
Searcy County69
Sebastian County1,280
Sevier County212
Sharp County236
Stone County112
Union County572
Van Buren County139
Washington County2,840
White County985
Woodruff County77
Yell County205

Source: Arkansas Department of Higher Education
Notes: Working age adults are people 25 to 64.



STATE TREND

Decreasing


2.6%

2022
1% = 20,583

What does this measure?

The share of working-age adults (25-64) who are pursuing post-secondary education (including certificates of proficiency, technical certificates, associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, and graduate study) in Arkansas universities.

Why is this important?

Adults engaged in post-secondary training or retraining are acquiring knowledge and skills which can enhance opportunities to employability and productivity for their families and communities. Adults' choices about whether to pursue further education are often shaped by the general availability of job prospects at their current education level.

How is Arkansas doing?

In 2022, 2.6% of Arkansas' working-age adults were enrolled in further education, part of a steady decline from 5.1% in 2012 (a decrease of roughly 26,300 adults in terms of enrollment). Across regional counties, the share was lowest in Carroll County (0.9%), followed by Clay, Lincoln and Madison counties (all 1.1%) and highest in Phillips and Mississippi (both at 3.1%).

Rates are uneven across racial and ethnic groups, with 4.7% of working-age Blacks enrolled in further education compared to 3.0% of whites and 2.2% of Hispanics. While the Black rate was the highest in 2019, it has also fallen the most since 2011 (decreasing nearly 4 percentage points).

A higher share of women (4.5%) were enrolled in further education than men (at 2.2%). The female rate decreased by 2 points from 2011, when female enrollment rates were almost double that of males.

The larger changes in educational enrollment for women and Blacks may be a signal that they, in particular, have seen their job prospects in the economy improve, making further education less attractive.

Notes about the data

Working age adults are people age 25 to 64. Counts reflect only those adults enrolled in Arkansas. The data includes students at in-state and some private institutions. Enrollees are assigned to counties based on their listed county of origin at time of enrollment. Counts of 10 or less are suppressed in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).




Source: Arkansas Department of Higher Education


Adults Pursuing Further Education
201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022
Arkansas5.1%5.1%4.9%4.6%4.3%4.0%3.9%3.7%3.6%3.5%3.4%2.6%

Source: Arkansas Department of Higher Education
Notes: Working age adults are people 25 to 64.






Source: Arkansas Department of Higher Education


Adults Pursuing Further Education, by Race/Ethnicity
AsianBlack or African AmericanHispanic or LatinoWhite
Arkansas3.7%4.7%2.3%2.7%

Source: Arkansas Department of Higher Education
Notes: Working age adults are people 25 to 64.




Number of Adults Pursuing Further Education, by Race/Ethnicity
AsianBlack or African AmericanHispanic or LatinoWhite
Arkansas1,15910,9792,78732,516

Source: Arkansas Department of Higher Education
Notes: Working age adults are people 25 to 64.





Source: Arkansas Department of Higher Education


Adults Pursuing Further Education, by Gender
FemaleMale
Arkansas4.5%2.2%

Source: Arkansas Department of Higher Education
Notes: Working age adults are people 25 to 64.




Number of Adults Pursuing Further Education, by Gender
FemaleMale
Arkansas35,36117,297

Source: Arkansas Department of Higher Education
Notes: Working age adults are people 25 to 64.









INDICATORS TREND | STATE
Education: Access to Quality Slots for Infants and Toddlers Not Applicable
Education: Access to Quality Child Care Slots for Preschoolers Not Applicable
Education: Grade 3 Reading Decreasing
Education: Grade 8 Math Maintaining
Education: Graduation Rate Increasing
Education: Remediation Rate Maintaining
Education: Adults with a High School Degree Increasing
Education: Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher Increasing
Education: Adults Pursuing Further Education Decreasing
Education: Imagination Libraries Increasing
Health: Low Birth Weight Babies Not Applicable
Health: Early Prenatal Care Increasing
Health: Overweight or Obese Students Increasing
Health: Overweight or Obese Adults Increasing
Health: Physically Inactive Adults Maintaining
Health: Smoking Rate Decreasing
Health: Insurance Coverage Rates Increasing
Health: Oral Health Increasing
Health: Life Expectancy Decreasing
Health: Routine Check-ups Increasing
Health: Overdose Deaths Increasing
Families: Teen Births Decreasing
Families: Children Living in Poverty Maintaining
Families: People Living in Poverty Maintaining
Families: Elderly Living in Poverty Maintaining
Families: Median Household Income Maintaining
Families: Unemployment Rate Decreasing
Families: Homeownership Rate Decreasing
Families: Child Abuse and Neglect Decreasing
Families: Access to Financial Services Decreasing
Families: Food Insecurity Decreasing
Families: Food Deserts Not Applicable
Families: Homelessness Decreasing
Families: Change in Total Jobs Increasing
Families: Cost of Homeownership Maintaining
Families: Households Below ALICE Threshold Not Applicable
Families: Overall Housing Cost Burden Decreasing
Families: Child Care Costs for Toddlers Not Applicable
Families: Medical Debt Not Applicable
Families: Households Receiving SNAP Decreasing
Families: Incarceration Rate Increasing
Community: Voter Participation Rate Decreasing
Community: Charitable Giving Increasing
Community: Volunteering Increasing
Community: Group Participation Increasing
Community: Connection to Neighbors Decreasing
Community: Local Voting Not Applicable
Demographics: Change in Population Increasing
Demographics: Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Demographics: Change in Population by Age Not Applicable
Racial Equity: Remediation Rate Maintaining
Racial Equity: Adults with a High School Degree Increasing
Racial Equity: Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher Increasing
Racial Equity: Adults Pursuing Further Education Decreasing
Racial Equity: Low Birth Weight Babies Not Applicable
Racial Equity: Early Prenatal Care Increasing
Racial Equity: Overweight or Obese Students Increasing
Racial Equity: Overweight or Obese Adults Increasing
Racial Equity: Physically Inactive Adults Maintaining
Racial Equity: Smoking Rate Decreasing
Racial Equity: Insurance Coverage Rates Increasing
Racial Equity: Oral Health Increasing
Racial Equity: Life Expectancy Decreasing
Racial Equity: Routine Check-ups Increasing
Racial Equity: Teen Births Decreasing
Racial Equity: Children Living in Poverty Maintaining
Racial Equity: People Living in Poverty Maintaining
Racial Equity: Elderly Living in Poverty Maintaining
Racial Equity: Median Household Income Maintaining
Racial Equity: Unemployment Rate Decreasing
Racial Equity: Homeownership Rate Decreasing
Racial Equity: Child Abuse and Neglect Decreasing
Racial Equity: Food Insecurity Decreasing
Racial Equity: Homelessness Decreasing
Racial Equity: Cost of Homeownership Maintaining
Racial Equity: Medical Debt Not Applicable
Racial Equity: Households Receiving SNAP Decreasing
Racial Equity: Incarceration Rate Increasing
Racial Equity: Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable








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