Online Degrees in Arkansas (AR)

Arkansas' public and private sectors are banding together to raise levels of educational attainment and attract skilled jobs to the state. Recent data shows that test scores and graduation rates are improving in the state, and jobs that come with increased education are on the rise.

Historically, Arkansas struggled with an unskilled workforce, low personal income and a lack of skilled jobs. Arkansas' population ranks 46th in the nation in the percentage of adults age 25 to 64 with an associate degree, and 49th in the percentage with a bachelor's degree or higher, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2009 American Community Survey. Per capita income, which reflects education levels, remains below the national average. Census data shows a median 2009 income in Arkansas of $31,946, which is lower than the U.S. per capita income of $39,138. State efforts to improve education levels are designed to attract new businesses that bring opportunity and higher-paying jobs to the state.

Arkansas' higher education policy aims to correct course through targeted investment in post-secondary education and intervention at the secondary school level. An influential 2010 report by the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) and the Arkansas Department of Higher Education (ADHE) listed the following goals for higher education:

• Improving college enrollment and completion rates. The aim is to double the number of degrees and certificates awarded by 2025.
• Aligning K-12 and higher education standards to ensure that high school graduates are prepared for college.
• Encouraging working adults and non-traditional students to return to college for job skills development.
• Boosting the proportion of students pursuing career-relevant degrees. Currently, 54 percent of associate degrees are in "general fields that do not lead to jobs," according to the NCHEMS report.
• Increasing college accessibility for both high school graduates and returning students, through financial aid and online degree programs. The YOUniversal Financial Aid program has streamlined the state financial aid process, bringing funds to a broader student community.

Increased funding and college preparation programs have built a lifeline of support for high school and college students, laying the foundation for improvement in educational outcomes.

There are promising signs that Arkansas' higher education policy commitments are bearing fruit, reports Governor Beebe. The state added 23,000 jobs since 2008, even amid an economic downturn. A team of college and career coaches have begun to boost retention rates at public colleges in Arkansas' most economically challenged counties. And K-12 test scores have achieved all-time highs for the state, according to the governor's office.

More Arkansans than ever are entering college and completing career development programs, according to the NCHEMS report. The Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges reports that the state currently has the second-highest two-year college graduation rate in the Southern Regional Education Board region. Working adults are among the fastest-growing student group at two-year colleges; the AATYC estimates that 50,000 of the 110,000 students enrolled in the public college system are "Arkansans upgrading skills via noncredit courses."

Online degrees in Arkansas play a pivotal role in expanding access to college. The Arkansas Department of Education is targeting distance education as a means of bringing education and career training to rural populations and working adults.

Rural students. Arkansas has one of the largest rural populations in the U.S., with nearly forty percent of Arkansans living outside metropolitan areas as of 2010 (U.S. Census Bureau). With access to college a challenge, education levels are low in rural communities. According to 2010 U.S. Census figures, twelve percent of the rural population has a college degree, half the rate of the U.S. population as a whole.

Working adults. Arkansas' low educational attainment levels also points to another under-served group: unskilled working adults. As the NCHEMS report states: "Arkansas must get more adults to complete a postsecondary education… Arkansas cannot reach competitive levels of educational attainment only by educating recent high school graduates."

Arkansas online degrees bring the college classroom to these under-served communities. The Arkansas Delta Training and Education Consortium, a partnership of five community colleges, is investing $23 million in workforce development outreach. A significant portion of this investment will go to building technology centers and developing online programs in high-demand career and technical fields. At the K-12 level, the Arkansas Department of Education Distance Learning Center is extending online secondary education programs to rural students. For-profit colleges and vocational schools are doing their part by offering a full range of online degrees in Arkansas.

Arkansas is in the midst of a transition from an agricultural and manufacturing economy to a more diverse knowledge-based economy. Government, health care and business services are growth industries in Arkansas. As of 2009, the state was home to 57 Fortune 500 parent companies, including WalMart, Tyson Foods, Dillard department stores and more.

The Arkansas Department of Workforce Services' "Arkansas Labor Market and Economic Report 2010" identifies the following high-growth occupations in the state, with projected job growth from 2009 through 2011:

• Social services, 8 percent job growth. The mean wage for community and social services occupations in Arkansas was $35,210 in 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
• Petroleum engineering, 22.16 percent job growth. Mean wage for Arkansas petroleum engineers, $180,150; surveying and mapping technicians, $32,510 (BLS, 2009).
• Educational services, 4.93 percent job growth. Mean wage for Arkansas education and library occupations, $40,280 (BLS, 2009).
• Computer systems design and administration, 9.53 percent industry growth. Mean wage for Arkansas computer systems analysts, $61,700; network and computer systems administrators, $59,200 (BLS, 2009).
• Nursing care facilities, 4.07 percent industry growth. Mean wage for Arkansas health care support workers, $22,280 (BLS, 2009). Registered nurses, 3.65 percent job growth. Mean salary for Arkansas RNs, $57,040.

Declining occupations in Arkansas are primarily in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors. Farmers and ranchers are facing a projected decline of 3.24 percent from 2009 to 2011. Industrial occupations have suffered even more: machine setting jobs are projected to fall 43.24 percent over the same period, motor vehicle manufacturing is estimated to drop 46.89 percent, and HVAC equipment manufacturing could fall 48.5 percent, according to the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services' Occupational Projections Program.

These numbers reflect the state's evolution from a goods-based to a knowledge-based economy. State initiatives such as the Strategic Plan for Economic Development and Accelerate Arkansas are working to expand the state's skilled, high-wage career opportunities. By strengthening partnerships among state agencies, education institutions and businesses, Arkansas aims to "transition to an economy supported by 21st-century knowledge-based jobs." The state is working to attract R&D-based businesses to the region through business-friendly tax policies, research funding and workforce development programs.

Arkansas is a poised to become a rising star in the southern region. With the public and private sector working together, the state has the resources to build a skilled workforce and attract jobs to the region. An accessible, high-quality college education is the first step in Arkansas' quest for a brighter future. Students pursuing Arkansas online degrees can be first in line to benefit from emerging opportunities in the state.