Arkansas Education Statistics 2026: Schools, Enrollment & Spending
Arkansas reports 465,421 K–12 students, 1,049 public schools, 236 school districts, and 23 open-enrollment charter school districts in the state’s 2025–26 K–12 profile.
Federal finance data place Arkansas FY2024 current spending at $13,873 per pupil. School-year, fiscal-year, and federal CCD counts use different collection rules and are labeled separately.
Arkansas Education Snapshot
Visible summary values are drawn from Arkansas Department of Education, NCES CCD, and U.S. Census Bureau finance releases.
Arkansas Enrollment by Grade, 2025–26
State K–12 profile enrollment counts from kindergarten through grade 12, plus ungraded and GED categories.
Grade 9 has the largest single-grade count at 38,198 students. GED and ungraded categories together account for 433 students.
Chart analysis
- Grade 9 reports the largest count at 38,198 students.
- Kindergarten reports 32,756 students, the lowest count among K–12 grade levels.
- Grades 9–12 total 148,402 students, or about 31.9% of listed enrollment.
- Kindergarten through grade 5 totals 207,892 students.
- The chart uses state profile enrollment categories for 2025–26 and should not be merged with Census fiscal-year finance enrollment without a method note.
Arkansas Schools, Enrollment, Staff, and Spending Table
Core indicators use the most recent official source available for each measure. The source-year column separates school-year data from fiscal-year finance data.
| Area | Indicator | Value | Unit | Source year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment | K–12 student enrollment | 465,421 | Students | 2025–26 | Arkansas K–12 Profile |
| Schools | K–12 public schools | 1,049 | Schools | 2025–26 | Arkansas K–12 Profile |
| Governance | School districts | 236 | Districts | 2025–26 | Arkansas K–12 Profile |
| Governance | Open-enrollment charter school districts | 23 | Districts | 2025–26 | Arkansas K–12 Profile |
| Governance | Education service co-operatives | 15 | Co-operatives | 2025–26 | Arkansas K–12 Profile |
| Staff | Certified teachers | 32,341 | Staff count | 2025–26 | Arkansas K–12 Profile |
| Staff | Certified staff | 14,085 | Staff count | 2025–26 | Arkansas K–12 Profile |
| Staff | Classified staff | 28,995 | Staff count | 2025–26 | Arkansas K–12 Profile |
| Student group | Students qualifying for free/reduced lunches | 71.09% | Share of students | 2025–26 | Arkansas K–12 Profile |
| Federal CCD | Operating public elementary-secondary schools | 1,101 | Schools | 2023–24 | NCES CCD |
| Federal CCD | Operating public elementary-secondary districts | 304 | Districts | 2023–24 | NCES CCD |
| Federal CCD | Student membership | 484,978 | Students | 2023–24 | NCES CCD |
| Federal CCD | Teachers | 38,755 | FTE teachers | 2023–24 | NCES CCD |
| Federal CCD | Pupil/teacher ratio | 12.5 | Students per FTE teacher | 2023–24 | NCES CCD |
| Spending | Current spending per pupil | $13,873 | Dollars per pupil | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Spending | U.S. current spending average | $17,619 | Dollars per pupil | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Spending | South regional spending average | $14,153 | Dollars per pupil | FY2024 | U.S. Census Bureau |
Table analysis
- The state profile reports 465,421 K–12 students for 2025–26.
- Arkansas reports 1,049 K–12 public schools in the state profile.
- NCES CCD reports a broader 2023–24 federal count of 1,101 operating schools and 304 operating districts.
- NCES CCD membership is 484,978, higher than the 2025–26 state K–12 profile count because the source year and definitions differ.
- FY2024 current spending per pupil in Arkansas is $13,873.
- Arkansas is $3,746 below the FY2024 national current-spending average of $17,619.
- Arkansas is $280 below the FY2024 South regional current-spending average of $14,153.
School Structure and Enrollment Detail
Supporting tables separate state profile school structure, grade bands, grade-level counts, enrollment trend data, and finance benchmarks.
Arkansas Current Spending Benchmark, FY2024
Current spending per pupil compared with the Census South regional average and national average.
Census current spending excludes capital outlay, debt service, and non-pre-K–12 programs.
Chart analysis
- Arkansas reports $13,873 in FY2024 current spending per pupil.
- The South weighted average is $14,153.
- The United States average is $17,619.
- The Arkansas-to-U.S. gap is $3,746 per pupil.
NCES Enrollment Movement, Fall 2019–Fall 2023
Federal CCD enrollment series for Arkansas public elementary-secondary schools.
NCES reports Arkansas enrollment at 496,927 in fall 2019 and 484,978 in fall 2023.
Trend analysis
- Fall 2019 enrollment was 496,927.
- Fall 2023 enrollment was 484,978.
- The 2019–2023 change is -11,949 students.
- NCES reports a -2.4% change from 2019 to 2023 and -1.7% from 2022 to 2023.
Arkansas School Type Counts
School type counts come from the Arkansas K–12 Profile for 2025–26.
| School type | Count | Source year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary schools | 520 | 2025–26 | Arkansas K–12 Profile |
| Middle/junior high schools | 220 | 2025–26 | Arkansas K–12 Profile |
| High schools | 315 | 2025–26 | Arkansas K–12 Profile |
Table analysis
- Elementary schools form the largest group at 520.
- High schools total 315.
- Middle/junior high schools total 220.
Grade Band Enrollment Summary
Grade bands are calculated from Arkansas 2025–26 grade-level counts.
| Grade band | Enrollment | Share | Source year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten–Grade 5 | 207,892 | 44.67% | 2025–26 |
| Grades 6–8 | 108,694 | 23.35% | 2025–26 |
| Grades 9–12 | 148,402 | 31.89% | 2025–26 |
| Ungraded and GED | 433 | 0.09% | 2025–26 |
Table analysis
- Kindergarten–Grade 5 accounts for 207,892 students.
- Grades 9–12 account for 148,402 students.
- Grades 6–8 account for 108,694 students.
- Ungraded and GED categories together account for 433 students.
Full Grade-Level Enrollment Table
Each row is a visible HTML data row from the 2025–26 Arkansas K–12 Profile.
| Order | Grade | Enrollment | Source year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Kindergarten | 32,756 | 2025–26 |
| 1 | Grade 1 | 33,529 | 2025–26 |
| 2 | Grade 2 | 34,439 | 2025–26 |
| 3 | Grade 3 | 35,207 | 2025–26 |
| 4 | Grade 4 | 36,478 | 2025–26 |
| 5 | Grade 5 | 35,483 | 2025–26 |
| 6 | Grade 6 | 35,852 | 2025–26 |
| 7 | Grade 7 | 36,219 | 2025–26 |
| 8 | Grade 8 | 36,623 | 2025–26 |
| 9 | Grade 9 | 38,198 | 2025–26 |
| 10 | Grade 10 | 37,851 | 2025–26 |
| 11 | Grade 11 | 37,083 | 2025–26 |
| 12 | Grade 12 | 35,270 | 2025–26 |
| 13 | Ungraded | 143 | 2025–26 |
| 14 | GED | 290 | 2025–26 |
Table analysis
- The full grade table totals 465,421 students.
- Grade 9 is the largest listed grade at 38,198.
- Kindergarten is the smallest K–12 grade at 32,756.
- Grade 10 is close to grade 9, at 37,851.
- Grades 4 through 12 each report more than 35,000 students.
Arkansas Enrollment Trend, NCES CCD
Trend values use NCES Digest fall enrollment for public elementary and secondary schools.
| Fall year | Enrollment | Change from prior listed year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 496,927 | Baseline | NCES Digest / CCD |
| 2020 | 486,305 | -10,622 | NCES Digest / CCD |
| 2021 | 489,565 | +3,260 | NCES Digest / CCD |
| 2022 | 493,130 | +3,565 | NCES Digest / CCD |
| 2023 | 484,978 | -8,152 | NCES Digest / CCD |
Trend analysis
- The highest listed enrollment year is 2019 at 496,927.
- The lowest listed enrollment year is 2023 at 484,978.
- The largest one-year decline shown is -10,622 from 2019 to 2020.
- The largest one-year increase shown is +3,565 from 2021 to 2022.
- NCES reports a -1.7% change from 2022 to 2023.
South Region Current Spending Per Pupil, FY2024
Census Bureau current spending per pupil comparison for Arkansas and other South region jurisdictions.
| Region rank | State or jurisdiction | Current spending per pupil | Difference from Arkansas | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $31,529 | +$17,656 | FY2024 |
| 2 | Delaware | $22,201 | +$8,328 | FY2024 |
| 3 | Maryland | $20,208 | +$6,335 | FY2024 |
| 4 | Virginia | $17,104 | +$3,231 | FY2024 |
| 5 | Georgia | $15,833 | +$1,960 | FY2024 |
| 6 | West Virginia | $15,640 | +$1,767 | FY2024 |
| 7 | Louisiana | $15,581 | +$1,708 | FY2024 |
| 8 | South Carolina | $15,060 | +$1,187 | FY2024 |
| 9 | Kentucky | $14,596 | +$723 | FY2024 |
| 10 | Arkansas | $13,873 | $0 | FY2024 |
| 11 | Alabama | $13,627 | -$246 | FY2024 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $12,995 | -$878 | FY2024 |
| 13 | Texas | $12,895 | -$978 | FY2024 |
| 14 | Tennessee | $12,882 | -$991 | FY2024 |
| 15 | Florida | $12,693 | -$1,180 | FY2024 |
| 16 | Mississippi | $12,324 | -$1,549 | FY2024 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | $12,162 | -$1,711 | FY2024 |
Table analysis
- District of Columbia reports the highest South-region value at $31,529.
- Oklahoma reports the lowest value shown at $12,162.
- Arkansas ranks 10th among the 17 South-region jurisdictions shown.
- Arkansas is $280 below the South weighted average of $14,153.
- Arkansas is above Alabama, North Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi, and Oklahoma in this regional comparison.
- Values are nominal current-spending dollars and are not adjusted for regional price differences.
What the Arkansas Data Shows
The indicators describe scale, enrollment distribution, staffing counts, and nominal current spending. They do not measure school quality by themselves.
State and federal counts differ
ADE’s 2025–26 K–12 profile reports 465,421 students. NCES CCD reports 484,978 public elementary-secondary student membership for 2023–24. The collections use different source years and reporting rules.
Elementary grades carry the largest band
Kindergarten through grade 5 totals 207,892 students, about 44.7% of the state profile enrollment count.
Spending is near the South average
Arkansas FY2024 current spending per pupil is $13,873, compared with the South weighted average of $14,153.
Nominal dollars are not cost-adjusted
Census current spending values are nominal. They exclude capital outlay and debt service and are not adjusted for regional price levels.
Source and Methodology
Arkansas Department of Education, Arkansas K–12 Profile: 2025–2026.
NCES Common Core of Data, Table 2, school year 2023–24.
NCES Digest of Education Statistics, Table 203.20, fall 1990 through fall 2023.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Public Elementary-Secondary Education Finance Data.
U.S. Census Bureau, Current Spending Per Pupil by Region: FY2024.
School counts, district counts, grade enrollment, staff counts, student membership, FTE teachers, pupil/teacher ratio, and current spending per pupil are kept as separate indicators.
Rounding: dollar values are shown to the nearest whole dollar. Percent values are shown as reported or rounded to two decimals when calculated from visible grade-level counts. The grade-band shares divide the listed band total by the Arkansas 2025–26 K–12 profile enrollment total of 465,421. Current spending per pupil uses the Census Bureau’s FY2024 current-spending definition and is not a total expenditure or revenue measure.
School-year counts, fall membership counts, and fiscal-year finance data are not the same measurement period. Arkansas state profile values are best used for current K–12 structure and grade enrollment. NCES CCD values are best used for federal cross-state comparisons. Census FY2024 current spending values should not be treated as total spending, capital spending, or cost-of-living-adjusted spending.