Arkansas
Student Access & Success
Arkansas’ four-year institutions score well on the percentage of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants, but the state is in the bottom 10 nationally in terms of credentials produced per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates as well as completion and retention rates. The state’s two-year institutions fare slightly better, resulting in Arkansas’ placement in the top 10 states for credentials produced per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates and the percentage of Pell recipients, but with a retention rate that lags behind the national median.
Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness
Arkansas’ four-year institutions, despite low cost per completion ($60,301), have state and local funding per completion ($53,984) that places the state among the bottom 10 nationally. Arkansas’ two-year institutions fare slightly better, with a cost per completion ($44,843) and state and local funding ($30,981) below the national medians at $57,210 and $35,476, respectively.
Meeting Labor Market Demand
The median wage of an Arkansas bachelor’s degree holder is approximately $15,700 (or 56%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate for a bachelor’s degree holder is about 5 points lower. The median wage of an associate’s degree holder is $6,800 (or 24%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate is about 2 points lower.
Transparency & Accountability
Arkansas’ consumer information site and public accountability report contain limited information on student outcomes. The state does not measure student learning outcomes, but the Arkansas Education to Employment Report 2011 reports employment and wages in both four- and two-year institutions by degree level.
Policy Environment
Arkansas does not have a formal set of postsecondary system goals. The Arkansas Course Transfer System is a simple portal that shows which courses transfer from one Arkansas public institution to another, though a full associate’s degree is not guaranteed to transfer. Beginning in the 2013–2014 academic year, 5% of funding for all higher education institutions will be based on outcomes metrics building to 25% by 2017.
Innovation
Arkansas offers an associate’s degree through the University of Arkansas Online, but its online learning resources are otherwise limited. Regarding regulating new providers, it has a highly burdensome approval process and asserts jurisdiction over any provider that enrolls students in the state.
Report Card
Compare with
Four-Year Institutions
AR Nat'l| Student Access & Success | D |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 47.1 | 30.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 71.2 | 77.9 |
| Completion Rate | 40.3 | 54.5 |
| Completions per 100 FTE Students | 17.7 | 19.7 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Complete College America | * |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | C |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $60,301 | $68,140 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $53,984 | $41,198 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $82,006 | $76,932 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined Measure (5-point scale) | 3 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | B |
|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $15,705 | $17,881 |
|---|---|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 156.1 | 156.0 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $11,878 | $12,703 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 148.7 | 149.9 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 4.9 | 4.0 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 2.6 | 2.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 3.1 | 2.9 |
| Transparency & Accountability | F |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | true | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 1 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
Two-Year Institutions
AR Nat'l| Student Access & Success | C |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 65.3 | 46.9 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 56.6 | 58.6 |
| Completion Rate | 22.0 | 20.5 |
| Completions Per 100 FTE Undergraduates | 21.9 | 16.8 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 3 |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | B |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $44,843 | $57,210 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $30,981 | $35,476 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $39,800 | $52,512 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined MeasureCombined Measure (5-point Scale) | 4 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | F |
|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $6,800 | $8,545 |
|---|---|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 124.3 | 126.1 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $2,951 | $6,595 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 112.1 | 125.0 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 2.2 | 2.7 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 2.8 | 4.9 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 1.36 | 1.84 |
| Transparency & Accountability | D |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | true | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 1 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
State
AR Nat'l| Policy Environment | B |
|---|
| State Goals (6-point Scale) | 0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Does the State Have Outcomes-Based Funding? | true | |
| Four-Year Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Two-Years Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Does the State Have a Credit Transfer Policy? | true | |
| Credit Transfer Policy (5-point Scale) | 4 |
| Innovation: Openness to Providers | F |
|---|
| Numerical Openness to New Providers Grade | 57% | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Jurisdiction | 40% | |
| Financial Burden | 80% | |
| Approval Process Burden | 50% |
| Innovation: Online Learning | F |
|---|
| Numerical Online Learning Grade | 14.3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Online Learning Score (7-point Scale) | 1 |
State Facts at a Glance
- Number of Public Four-Year Institutions 8
- Number of Public Two-Year Institutions 24
- Number of Students Served by Public Four-Year Institutions 57,107
- Number of Students Served by Public Two-Year Institutions 52,698