Best Online Colleges in Arkansas

Benefits of Studying Online in Arkansas

Arkansas is the 33rd largest state in the nation by population, containing just over 3 million people. Known as the Natural state, it borders 6 American states, including Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma. It also houses the capitol city of Little Rock, as well as 53,179 square miles of land, making it the 29th largest state when it comes to land area. The combination of a relatively large land area, lower costs of living and booming agricultural industry has made Arkansas an attractive place to begin a career.

Employment Stats

From an employment standpoint, Arkansas appears to be an decent investment in terms of job growth. As of October 2022, the Natural state boasted 1,324,900 non-farm employees, making it the nation’s 34th largest employer (accounting for 0.86%). Over the period of a single year, approximately 29,000 new positions were added, including those in finance, agribusiness and technology - bolstering the state’s labor force by 2.25%. This increase puts Arkansas just below the nation’s median growth rate (40th place overall).

That being said, in terms of relative numbers, Arkansas sits around 652,000 fewer people employed than the national median (for a diff of -33%), making it a slightly below-average play when it comes to employment opportunities. Out of the 33 states that ranked above Arkansas in terms of population, it narrowly beat out Mississippi, which had 1,153,000 people employed (giving Arkansas the advantage of around 172,000 people, or 14.94%). However, it lost out to Kansas, which recorded 1,414,000 employed persons (resulting in a deficit of 89,000, or 6.3%). Even so, the Natural state still ranks 93% below the nation leader (California).

Job Opportunities

Arkansas is home to a number of high ranking universities, so if that’s a priority factor in finding a place to study, Arkansas could be a great fit. The state has a number of academic institutions, including the University of Arkansas (which is ranked among the top 5 public universities in the US). Fayetteville is the location of the main campus, and the university has a total enrollment of around 28,000 students.

In terms of unique job pathways, Arkansas offers 675 unique occupations, which is a -6.5% difference when compared to the national median of 722 job types (spot held by Louisiana). This means there’s still a very healthy selection of job types to choose from, but there’s still notably fewer unique positions than the median state.

As a potential student, you’d get to experience all 4 seasons in Arkansas, and the state has some excellent outdoor recreation areas (like the Ozark National Forest or White River National Wildlife Refuge). The state also has some great heritage sites, such as the Little Rock Central High School (site of the 1957 desegregation crisis).

All things considered, Arkansas is an exceptional place to attend school. Not only does it contain a host of picturesque attractions (including caves, lakes, and rivers) but also offers students a viable chance of entering the workforce upon graduation. The combination of these two factors makes Arkansas a great choice for current and incoming students.

*All data sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2023)