2019 | |
---|---|
Arkansas County | 4.5% |
Ashley County | 3.1% |
Baxter County | 3.7% |
Benton County | 2.3% |
Boone County | 2.8% |
Bowie County, Texas | 0.4% |
Bradley County | 2.9% |
Calhoun County | 2.3% |
Carroll County | 1.6% |
Chicot County | 2.1% |
Clark County | 4.2% |
Clay County | 2.2% |
Cleburne County | 2.5% |
Cleveland County | 2.2% |
Columbia County | 4.4% |
Conway County | 3.1% |
Craighead County | 3.1% |
Crawford County | 2.4% |
Crittenden County | 3.7% |
Cross County | 3.9% |
Dallas County | 2.7% |
Desha County | 4.2% |
Drew County | 3.5% |
Faulkner County | 3.9% |
Franklin County | 3.7% |
Fulton County | 3.0% |
Garland County | 4.1% |
Grant County | 2.7% |
Greene County | 3.0% |
Hempstead County | 3.4% |
Hot Spring County | 2.9% |
Howard County | 3.5% |
Independence County | 3.3% |
Izard County | 3.2% |
Jackson County | 2.8% |
Jefferson County | 4.5% |
Johnson County | 3.0% |
Lafayette County | 2.3% |
Lawrence County | 3.2% |
Lee County | 2.7% |
Lincoln County | 2.0% |
Little River County | 2.8% |
Logan County | 2.9% |
Lonoke County | 3.5% |
Madison County | 1.7% |
Marion County | 2.3% |
Miller County | 2.2% |
Mississippi County | 4.5% |
Monroe County | 3.1% |
Montgomery County | 2.0% |
Nevada County | 3.0% |
Newton County | 2.5% |
Ouachita County | 3.9% |
Perry County | 2.3% |
Phillips County | 4.5% |
Pike County | 2.5% |
Poinsett County | 2.4% |
Polk County | 3.5% |
Pope County | 3.6% |
Prairie County | 2.4% |
Pulaski County | 4.3% |
Randolph County | 3.5% |
Saline County | 3.0% |
Scott County | 2.5% |
Searcy County | 2.3% |
Sebastian County | 2.5% |
Sevier County | 2.9% |
Sharp County | 3.4% |
Stone County | 2.8% |
Union County | 3.7% |
Van Buren County | 2.1% |
Washington County | 2.8% |
White County | 2.9% |
Woodruff County | 2.0% |
Yell County | 2.6% |
Notes: Working age adults are people 25 to 64.
2019 | |
---|---|
Arkansas County | 391 |
Ashley County | 303 |
Baxter County | 707 |
Benton County | 3,292 |
Boone County | 516 |
Bowie County, Texas | 195 |
Bradley County | 154 |
Calhoun County | 63 |
Carroll County | 212 |
Chicot County | 106 |
Clark County | 397 |
Clay County | 158 |
Cleburne County | 302 |
Cleveland County | 87 |
Columbia County | 458 |
Conway County | 326 |
Craighead County | 1,701 |
Crawford County | 764 |
Crittenden County | 891 |
Cross County | 318 |
Dallas County | 91 |
Desha County | 227 |
Drew County | 294 |
Faulkner County | 2,410 |
Franklin County | 327 |
Fulton County | 172 |
Garland County | 1,987 |
Grant County | 256 |
Greene County | 687 |
Hempstead County | 353 |
Hot Spring County | 507 |
Howard County | 222 |
Independence County | 610 |
Izard County | 216 |
Jackson County | 251 |
Jefferson County | 1,494 |
Johnson County | 389 |
Lafayette County | 75 |
Lawrence County | 255 |
Lee County | 129 |
Lincoln County | 148 |
Little River County | 172 |
Logan County | 320 |
Lonoke County | 1,343 |
Madison County | 142 |
Marion County | 180 |
Miller County | 489 |
Mississippi County | 917 |
Monroe County | 99 |
Montgomery County | 87 |
Nevada County | 121 |
Newton County | 92 |
Ouachita County | 445 |
Perry County | 119 |
Phillips County | 371 |
Pike County | 135 |
Poinsett County | 287 |
Polk County | 323 |
Pope County | 1,127 |
Prairie County | 96 |
Pulaski County | 8,838 |
Randolph County | 305 |
Saline County | 1,898 |
Scott County | 127 |
Searcy County | 86 |
Sebastian County | 1,601 |
Sevier County | 230 |
Sharp County | 272 |
Stone County | 163 |
Union County | 723 |
Van Buren County | 166 |
Washington County | 3,334 |
White County | 1,141 |
Woodruff County | 62 |
Yell County | 276 |
Notes: Working age adults are people 25 to 64.
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 2019, 3.2% of Arkansas' working-age adults were enrolled in further education, part of a steady decline from 6.2% in 2011 (a decrease of roughly 46,093 adults in terms of enrollment). This trend was likely due to improving economic and job market conditions in this time period that made pursuing education and training less attractive. Across regional counties, the share was lowest in Bowie County, TX (0.4%), followed by Carroll and Madison counties (1.6% and 1.7%) and highest in Jefferson, Arkansas, Phillips and Mississippi (all at 4.5%).
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 (4.2%) were enrolled in further education than men (at 2.2%). The female rate decreased by nearly 4 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).
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arkansas | 6.2% | 6.3% | 5.8% | 5.4% | 5.0% | 4.7% | 4.6% | 4.4% | 3.2% |
Notes: Working age adults are people 25 to 64.
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arkansas | 94,264 | 95,226 | 87,693 | 80,994 | 76,083 | 70,919 | 69,768 | 66,516 | 48,171 |
Notes: Working age adults are people 25 to 64.
Female | Male | |
---|---|---|
Arkansas | 4.2% | 2.2% |
Notes: Working age adults are people 25 to 64.
Female | Male | |
---|---|---|
Arkansas | 31,937 | 16,160 |
Notes: Working age adults are people 25 to 64.
INDICATORS | TREND | STATE |
---|---|
Access to Quality Seats for Infants and Toddlers | Not Applicable |
Access to Quality Childcare Seats for Preschoolers | Not Applicable |
Grade 3 Reading | Not Applicable |
Grade 8 Math | Not Applicable |
Graduation Rate | Not Applicable |
Remediation Rate | Not Applicable |
Adults with a High School Degree | Not Applicable |
Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher | Not Applicable |
Adults Pursuing Further Education | Not Applicable |