Arkansas education statistics at a glance
Arkansas education statistics show a system that is large, layered, and still changing in measurable ways.
The state has more than a thousand public schools, hundreds of districts and charter districts, and student outcomes that can be read across K-12 enrollment, graduation, teacher counts, library use, college capacity, and national assessment scores.
Table of contents
- Fast facts
- K-12 system size
- Student access and staffing
- Higher education and libraries
- What the broader indicators say
- Grade-level performance snapshot
- How to read these numbers
Fast facts
Here are the clearest Arkansas education statistics from the latest source set:
- K-12 public schools: 1,041 (Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile).
- School districts: 262 (Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile).
- Open enrollment charter school districts: 24 (Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile).
- Education service co-operatives: 15 (Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile).
- K-12 student enrollment: 473,004 (Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile).
- High school graduates: 33,021 (Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile).
- Students qualifying for free and reduced lunches: 65.55% (Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile).
- Certified teachers: 33,507 (Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile).
- Certified staff: 9,172 (Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile).
- Classified staff: 27,443 (Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile).
- Operating public schools in 2023-24: 1,101 (NCES CCD Table 2, Arkansas).
- Operating districts in 2023-24: 304 (NCES CCD Table 2, Arkansas).
- Public school student membership in 2023-24: 484,978 (NCES CCD Table 2, Arkansas).
- Public school teachers in 2023-24: 38,755 (NCES CCD Table 2, Arkansas).
- Public school pupil/teacher ratio in 2023-24: 12.5 (NCES CCD Table 2, Arkansas).
- Population estimate, July 1, 2025: 3,114,791 (U.S. Census QuickFacts Arkansas).
- High school graduate or higher, age 25+: 88.7% (U.S. Census QuickFacts Arkansas).
- Bachelor’s degree or higher, age 25+: 25.7% (U.S. Census QuickFacts Arkansas).
- Persons in poverty: 15.5% (U.S. Census QuickFacts Arkansas).
- Households with a broadband Internet subscription: 86.7% (U.S. Census QuickFacts Arkansas).
- Grade 4 math average score in 2024: 230 (NAEP 2024 Mathematics Snapshot, Arkansas Grade 4).
- Grade 8 reading average score in 2024: 255 (NAEP 2024 Reading Snapshot, Arkansas Grade 8).
- Grade 8 mathematics average score in 2024: 266 (NAEP 2024 Mathematics Snapshot, Arkansas Grade 8).
One theme runs through the numbers: Arkansas education is not just about enrollment. It is also about staffing, access, household readiness, and how students perform at different grade bands (Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile; NCES CCD Table 2, Arkansas; U.S. Census QuickFacts Arkansas; NAEP 2024 snapshots).
K-12 system size
The size of the K-12 system matters because it sets the scale for everything else.
Arkansas reports 1,041 K-12 public schools, 262 school districts, 24 open enrollment charter school districts, and 15 education service co-operatives (Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile). Those are not abstract administrative counts. They describe the number of places where students are educated and the number of structures that organize transportation, staffing, instruction, and support.
A second source layer gives a slightly different operational picture for 2023-24: 1,101 operating public schools and 304 operating districts (NCES CCD Table 2, Arkansas). The difference between the state profile counts and the NCES operating counts is useful rather than confusing. It suggests that Arkansas education statistics should be read with attention to definitions and reporting frames, not as one single frozen total.
Why the counts matter
When a state has more than a thousand operating schools, a small change in enrollment, staffing, or attendance can have broad effects across many campuses. With 304 operating districts in 2023-24 (NCES CCD Table 2, Arkansas), district-level variation can also matter a lot. One district may face a completely different staffing or transportation challenge than another, even while both sit inside the same statewide policy environment.
The student total is similarly large. The Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile lists 473,004 K-12 student enrollment, while NCES CCD Table 2 reports 484,978 public school student membership in 2023-24. Even without interpreting the difference beyond the source definitions, the message is clear: Arkansas is serving nearly half a million public-school students across a broad and distributed system.
Student access and staffing
The staffing side of Arkansas education statistics is where the scale of the system becomes concrete.
The state profile lists 33,507 certified teachers, 9,172 certified staff, and 27,443 classified staff (Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile). NCES CCD Table 2 adds 38,755 public school teachers in 2023-24 (Arkansas). The exact definitions differ by source, but both point to a substantial workforce needed to keep the system functioning.
A useful way to think about this is through the pupil/teacher ratio. NCES reports a ratio of 12.5 in 2023-24 (NCES CCD Table 2, Arkansas). That is a compact statistic, but it says a lot: a smaller ratio generally means more teacher capacity available per student than a larger ratio would.
A simple comparison table
| Indicator | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Operating public schools | 1,101 | NCES CCD Table 2, Arkansas |
| Operating districts | 304 | NCES CCD Table 2, Arkansas |
| Public school student membership | 484,978 | NCES CCD Table 2, Arkansas |
| Public school teachers | 38,755 | NCES CCD Table 2, Arkansas |
| Public school pupil/teacher ratio | 12.5 | NCES CCD Table 2, Arkansas |
| K-12 student enrollment | 473,004 | Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile |
| Certified teachers | 33,507 | Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile |
| Certified staff | 9,172 | Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile |
| Classified staff | 27,443 | Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile |
That table is not meant to force the two source sets into one exact frame. It is meant to show the system from two useful angles: one from the Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile and one from NCES CCD Table 2, Arkansas.
Free and reduced lunch as a context marker
Another important figure is 65.55% of students qualifying for free and reduced lunches (Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile). This is one of the clearest context signals in the dataset.
It does not describe academic performance by itself. It does not tell you whether a school is effective or ineffective. What it does tell you is that a large share of students are being educated in circumstances where economic support and school-based resources are likely to matter a great deal. For readers trying to understand Arkansas education statistics, this percentage is a major background condition, not a side note.
Higher education and libraries
Arkansas education statistics are not limited to K-12. The same state profile includes several higher-ed and public library counts that help round out the picture.
The state reports 12 four-year public universities, 22 two-year public colleges, 16 independent colleges, and 5 other higher-ed entities (Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile). That means the education pipeline does not end with high school. It extends into multiple postsecondary pathways, including public and private options.
The library counts add another layer. Arkansas reports 232 public libraries, with 9,549,849 public library visits in 2018, 13,731,738 public library circulation events in 2018, 47,384 public library programs in 2018, and 1,307,118 program attendance in 2018 (Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile).
Why libraries belong in an education story
Libraries are educational infrastructure even when they are not part of a classroom.
These numbers show scale in a way that feels practical. Millions of visits and circulation events suggest that libraries function as a widespread learning support network. Program counts and attendance show that libraries are not just storage sites for books. They are active community learning spaces.
For Arkansas education statistics, the library figures matter because they widen the definition of educational access. A student may learn at school, at home, in college, or through a public library program. The state data recognizes that broader environment.
What the broader indicators say
The education picture also sits inside larger demographic and economic conditions.
U.S. Census QuickFacts Arkansas reports a population estimate of 3,114,791 on July 1, 2025. It also reports that 88.7% of residents age 25 and older are high school graduates or higher, while 25.7% have a bachelor’s degree or higher (U.S. Census QuickFacts Arkansas).
Those two attainment numbers are worth reading together. High school completion is relatively widespread, while bachelor’s degree attainment is much lower. That gap tells you something important about the state’s educational ladder: many Arkansans complete secondary education, but fewer move on to four-year degree completion.
The same source reports 15.5% of persons in poverty, 11.4% under age 65 without health insurance, 13.3% under age 65 with a disability, 58.1% civilian labor force participation for the total age 16+ population, and 54.2% civilian labor force participation for females age 16+ (U.S. Census QuickFacts Arkansas).
Household readiness and access
Technology access matters too.
U.S. Census QuickFacts Arkansas shows 93.6% of households with a computer and 86.7% with a broadband Internet subscription. In practical terms, that means most households have the basic tools needed for digital assignments, school portals, online college applications, and remote communication with schools.
The average travel time to work is 22.5 minutes (U.S. Census QuickFacts Arkansas), which is not an education statistic by itself, but it is still part of the context families live in. Time, transportation, and scheduling all affect how easily households can engage with schools, colleges, and educational services.
A few context points in one place
| Context indicator | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population estimate, July 1, 2025 | 3,114,791 | U.S. Census QuickFacts Arkansas |
| High school graduate or higher, age 25+ | 88.7% | U.S. Census QuickFacts Arkansas |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher, age 25+ | 25.7% | U.S. Census QuickFacts Arkansas |
| Persons in poverty | 15.5% | U.S. Census QuickFacts Arkansas |
| Households with a computer | 93.6% | U.S. Census QuickFacts Arkansas |
| Households with broadband Internet | 86.7% | U.S. Census QuickFacts Arkansas |
| Mean travel time to work | 22.5 minutes | U.S. Census QuickFacts Arkansas |
Those indicators do not replace school-level measures. They explain the environment in which those measures should be interpreted.
Grade-level performance snapshot
NAEP gives the most direct academic snapshot in this data set.
For Grade 4 math, Arkansas scored 230 in 2024, compared with 228 in 2022 and 216 in 2000 (NAEP 2024 Mathematics Snapshot, Arkansas Grade 4). That is a useful long-run signal: the state is higher in 2024 than it was in 2000, and slightly above 2022.
The same Grade 4 math snapshot shows 31% at or above NAEP Proficient in 2024 and 70% at or above NAEP Basic in 2024 (NAEP 2024 Mathematics Snapshot, Arkansas Grade 4). That spread matters. Proficient is a higher bar than Basic, so the two percentages together show both the strength and the limits of current performance.
The subgroup scores are also informative:
- Black students: 208 in Grade 4 math in 2024 (NAEP 2024 Mathematics Snapshot, Arkansas Grade 4).
- Hispanic students: 221 in Grade 4 math in 2024 (NAEP 2024 Mathematics Snapshot, Arkansas Grade 4).
- White students: 240 in Grade 4 math in 2024 (NAEP 2024 Mathematics Snapshot, Arkansas Grade 4).
Those numbers should be read carefully and as they are. They do not explain why the differences exist. They do show that outcomes vary by subgroup and that Arkansas education statistics include meaningful performance gaps.
Middle school snapshot
Grade 8 results show a different pattern.
Arkansas posted a Grade 8 reading average score of 255 in 2024, with 25% at or above NAEP Proficient (NAEP 2024 Reading Snapshot, Arkansas Grade 8). In Grade 8 mathematics, the average score was 266 in 2024, with 54% at or above NAEP Basic (NAEP 2024 Mathematics Snapshot, Arkansas Grade 8).
That comparison suggests that middle school reading and math should be treated separately. The averages are not interchangeable, and the proficiency rates show different levels of achievement relative to the NAEP benchmarks.
Grade-level comparison table
| Measure | 2024 | Earlier comparison | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 4 math average score | 230 | 228 in 2022; 216 in 2000 | NAEP 2024 Mathematics Snapshot, Arkansas Grade 4 |
| Grade 4 math at or above NAEP Proficient | 31% | - | NAEP 2024 Mathematics Snapshot, Arkansas Grade 4 |
| Grade 4 math at or above NAEP Basic | 70% | - | NAEP 2024 Mathematics Snapshot, Arkansas Grade 4 |
| Grade 8 reading average score | 255 | - | NAEP 2024 Reading Snapshot, Arkansas Grade 8 |
| Grade 8 reading at or above NAEP Proficient | 25% | - | NAEP 2024 Reading Snapshot, Arkansas Grade 8 |
| Grade 8 mathematics average score | 266 | - | NAEP 2024 Mathematics Snapshot, Arkansas Grade 8 |
| Grade 8 mathematics at or above NAEP Basic | 54% | - | NAEP 2024 Mathematics Snapshot, Arkansas Grade 8 |
The table makes one thing obvious: Arkansas education statistics are not a single headline. They are a set of different measures that point in different directions depending on grade, subject, and benchmark.
How to read these numbers
A clean way to approach Arkansas education statistics is to separate structure from outcomes.
Structure includes the number of schools, districts, teachers, staff, colleges, and libraries (Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile; NCES CCD Table 2, Arkansas). Outcomes include graduation, degree attainment, poverty context, and NAEP scores (Arkansas Department of Education Education Profile; U.S. Census QuickFacts Arkansas; NAEP 2024 snapshots).
If you keep those categories separate, the story becomes easier to read:
- The system is large and distributed.
- The workforce is substantial.
- A significant share of students come from lower-income households, as shown by the free and reduced lunch figure.
- Household computer and broadband access are strong but not universal.
- Attainment is solid at the high school level and lower at the bachelor’s level.
- NAEP results show progress over time in some areas, but also clear room for improvement and subgroup differences.
That is the most useful way to think about the data. It turns a long list of statistics into a map of the education landscape in Arkansas.