Education
Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher
2018-22
Arkansas County16%
Ashley County12%
Baxter County18%
Benton County36%
Boone County17%
Bowie County, Texas22%
Bradley County13%
Calhoun County13%**
Carroll County21%
Chicot County18%
Clark County26%
Clay County15%
Cleburne County17%
Cleveland County16%**
Columbia County19%
Conway County19%
Craighead County28%
Crawford County20%
Crittenden County18%
Cross County16%
Dallas County13%**
Desha County13%
Drew County25%
Faulkner County32%
Franklin County12%
Fulton County14%**
Garland County25%
Grant County19%
Greene County17%
Hempstead County16%
Hot Spring County16%
Howard County15%
Independence County17%
Izard County19%
Jackson County12%
Jefferson County20%
Johnson County15%
Lafayette County11%**
Lawrence County13%
Lee County8%**
Lincoln County8%
Little River County16%
Logan County14%
Lonoke County20%
Madison County12%
Marion County15%
Miller County16%
Mississippi County15%
Monroe County14%**
Montgomery County16%
Nevada County11%**
Newton County15%
Ouachita County15%
Perry County15%
Phillips County15%
Pike County19%
Poinsett County12%
Polk County16%
Pope County24%
Prairie County16%
Pulaski County37%
Randolph County16%
Saline County28%
Scott County12%**
Searcy County15%
Sebastian County24%
Sevier County12%
Sharp County12%
St. Francis County13%
Stone County14%
Union County18%
Van Buren County17%
Washington County34%
White County20%
Woodruff County17%**
Yell County14%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau




Number of adults with Bachelor's Degree or Higher
2018-22
Arkansas County1,876
Ashley County1,531
Baxter County5,808
Benton County66,960
Boone County4,367
Bowie County, Texas13,951
Bradley County891
Calhoun County434**
Carroll County4,327
Chicot County1,245
Clark County3,286
Clay County1,591
Cleburne County3,199
Cleveland County859**
Columbia County2,694
Conway County2,773
Craighead County20,052
Crawford County8,349
Crittenden County5,389
Cross County1,858
Dallas County609**
Desha County1,005
Drew County2,729
Faulkner County25,063
Franklin County1,479
Fulton County1,253**
Garland County18,407
Grant County2,368
Greene County5,125
Hempstead County2,100
Hot Spring County3,724
Howard County1,274
Independence County4,342
Izard County1,979
Jackson County1,414
Jefferson County9,210
Johnson County2,592
Lafayette County479**
Lawrence County1,418
Lee County477**
Lincoln County814
Little River County1,340
Logan County2,179
Lonoke County9,916
Madison County1,435
Marion County1,961
Miller County4,517
Mississippi County3,882
Monroe County677**
Montgomery County1,060
Nevada County619**
Newton County774
Ouachita County2,356
Perry County1,087
Phillips County1,626
Pike County1,320
Poinsett County1,804
Polk County2,199
Pope County9,801
Prairie County958
Pulaski County100,335
Randolph County1,989
Saline County24,525
Scott County832**
Searcy County857
Sebastian County20,542
Sevier County1,145
Sharp County1,452
St. Francis County2,161
Stone County1,311
Union County4,894
Van Buren County1,972
Washington County52,115
White County10,351
Woodruff County724**
Yell County1,913

Source: U.S. Census Bureau



NATIONAL RANKING
49

OUT OF 51
2018-22

STATE TREND

Increasing


25%

2018-22
1% = 20,318
Adults

What does this measure?

The percentage of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Why is this important?

An educated population makes a more attractive workforce. Well-educated workers likely have access to more economic opportunities than workers with less education. High educational attainment represents a region's investment in human capital and preparation for long-term growth.

How is Arkansas doing?

In 2018-22, 25% of adults had a bachelor's or higher degree, up 3 percentage points from 2013-17 and up 8 points from 2000. This makes Arkansas 49th in the nation on this indicator (including Washington, D.C.), and only slightly higher than West Virginia and Mississippi. The rate was far higher among Asian adults (50%) than white (26%), African American (18%), or Hispanic (12%) adults. Rates were similar for men (23%) and women (26%).

Pulaski and Benton counties had the highest rates of 37% and 36% respectively, while Lee and Lincoln counties had rates at 8%. Since 2000, Benton had the largest increase in its rate (16 percentage points).

What contributes to racial and ethnic disparities?

There are a variety of factors believed to contribute to disparities in educational attainment. School systems in the United States are highly segregated, and students of color disproportionately attend schools with high proportions of low-income students who may not have benefited from early learning opportunities at the same rate as other students. Schools also have different levels of resources ranging from qualified/experienced teachers to advanced courses to facilities and technology, and schools with large Black and Latino populations often have lower levels. In addition, teachers across all school systems tend to be disproportionately white, and teaching practices and curriculum may not be culturally relevant to students of color Low staff expectations at racially and economically segregated schools also contribute disparities in educational attainment. The accumulation of inequities leads to lower graduation rates and college matriculation, with college affordability acting as another barrier. When Black and Latino students enter higher education institutions, they are less likely to attain a college a degree given weaker academic preparation and financial hardship.

Notes about the data

Adults are people 25 and older. The multi-year figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined five years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. However, because the information came from a survey, the samples responding to the survey were not always large enough to produce reliable results, especially in small geographic areas. CGR has noted on data tables the estimates with relatively large margins of error. Estimates with three asterisks have the largest margins, plus or minus 50% or more of the estimate. Two asterisks mean plus or minus 35%-50%, and one asterisk means plus or minus 20%-35%. For all estimates, the confidence level is 90%, meaning there is 90% probability the true value (if the whole population were surveyed) would be within the margin of error (or confidence interval). The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census. Data for this indicator is expected to be released annually in December.




Source: U.S. Census Bureau


Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher
20002008-122013-172018-22
Arkansas17%20%22%25%
United States24%28%31%34%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau






Source: U.S. Census Bureau


Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher by Race/Ethnicity
American Indian and Native AlaskanAsianBlack or African AmericanHispanicNative Hawaiian and Other Pacific IslanderSome Other RaceTwo or More RacesWhite
Arkansas16%50%18%12%7%****11%21%26%
Benton County15%**71%48%15%12%******18%****26%36%
Craighead County12%******52%**17%**19%**0%******39%****26%****30%
Crittenden County32%******44%****11%**7%******0%******0%******13%****24%
Faulkner County7%******64%**28%20%**100%******15%******32%**33%
Jefferson County18%******27%****23%4%******87%******2%******22%****16%
Miller County18%******100%******9%**9%******0%******9%******12%******18%
Mississippi County0%******49%******10%**6%******0%******12%******7%******18%
Phillips County0%******100%******10%**0%******0%******0%******7%******22%
Pulaski County24%****60%25%15%58%******11%**37%44%
Saline County15%******46%**29%14%****0%******25%****17%****29%
Sebastian County26%****25%**13%****11%**0%******7%****23%**26%
St. Francis County0%******64%******14%**8%******0%******19%******6%******13%
Union County0%******45%******10%**5%******0%******19%******16%******22%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau




Number of Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher, by Race/Ethnicity
American Indian and Native AlaskanAsianBlack or African AmericanHispanicNative Hawaiian and Other Pacific IslanderSome Other RaceTwo or More RacesWhite
Arkansas1,71815,89251,28415,366402****5,18522,232405,266
Benton County311**5,7891,5473,918116******1,125****6,78751,285
Craighead County29******406**1,547**553**0******516****553****17,001
Crittenden County7******121****1,506**50******0******0******244****3,511
Faulkner County18******490**2,291517**13******172******627**21,452
Jefferson County14******103****5,54537******124******13******166****3,245
Miller County43******12******621**86******0******53******77******3,711
Mississippi County0******53******797**56******0******39******78******2,915
Phillips County0******93******596**0******0******0******11******926
Pulaski County200****3,80423,3301,95360******588**3,00369,350
Saline County33******514**1,861450****0******293****393****21,431
Sebastian County220****1,015**596****1,087**0******439****1,157**17,115
St. Francis County0******16******1,122**76******0******78******28******917
Union County0******91******825**40******0******27******86******3,865

Source: U.S. Census Bureau





Source: U.S. Census Bureau


Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher by Gender
FemaleMale
Arkansas26%23%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau




Number of Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher, by Gender
FemaleMale
Arkansas272,710229,269

Source: U.S. Census Bureau









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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