Best Community Colleges in Arkansas

Why Attend Community College in Arkansas?

When considering the opportunities available in Arkansas, attending one of the state's community colleges is a great idea. Cost is an important factor, and attending a community college in the state will provide a much more affordable option than many of the universities or private colleges - the Arkansas Community College system has tuition around $4,000 for two semesters, which is about half the cost of the average student attending a four-year public university. Additionally, students will be able to take advantage of the state's healthy economy which includes a robust career ready workforce and job opportunities in agriculture, advanced manufacturing, and technology.

What Career Pathways Are Available in Arkansas?

Arkansas has 675 different job types which puts it at 35th in the nation for job variety. This is slightly lower than the national median of 722 job types, but there is still an impressive variety of career opportunities in the state. Overall, the state of Arkansas employs 0.85% of the nation's labor force, putting it in the 34th percentile. The state is particularly strong in advanced manufacturing and agriculture, as well as technology and recreation activities.

What Are The Most Common Jobs in Arkansas?

The most common jobs in Arkansas are Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand, Registered Nurses and Office Clerks, General. There are 27,070 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand in Arkansas who are paid an average salary of $29,730. Registered Nurses who totaled 26,320 made an average of $61,530 and the 25,310 Office Clerks, General made an average of $29,960.

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand

In Arkansas, Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand are the most plentiful job option, with 27,070 positions available, which is the 31st most of any state. However, the leader, California, boasts 366,180, leaving Arkansas short of their total by a whopping 93% - a total of 339,110 difference. Unfortunately, Arkansas' salary of $29,730 for this position is lower than 90% of other states and ranks them at 46th of the nation.

Registered Nurses

The second most common occupation type in Arkansas is Registered Nurses, totaling 26,320 and making up 0.86% of the nation’s total - with a national quantity of 3,047,550. The compensation for this position averages $61,530 - ranking them at 48th in the nation, making them just 6% better than the national average. Arkansas lags far behind the leader of the nation, California, which employs 324,400 of Nurse Professionals and provides a more competitive salary.

Office Clerks, General

The ever-in-demand Office Clerk, General, is the 3rd most common occupation type in Arkansas, with 25,310 positions available in the state. The pay is lower than the typical Registered Nurse, with an average salary of $29,960. This puts Arkansas at the 42nd spot when looking at state salary ranks - 82% of the states pay better than Arkansas. Despite the position usually carrying a lower salary, the bonus potential for an Office Clerk, General is about 58%, which can act as a perk to the otherwise hum-drum salary. The nation's median for this position is $37,010 in Virginia, a difference of 19%.