Public schools in Arkansas

The NCES directory lists 1,106 public schools operating in Arkansas in 2024-25; 1,041 of them reported 484,825 students, averaging 13.5 students per teacher, tied for 29th with Illinois and Louisiana of the 50 jurisdictions (states and D.C.) that reported 2024-25 teacher counts (the mean of its schools' ratios); Tennessee did not. Its largest district is Springdale School District, with 22,685 students in 2024-25.

NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23 · method

Schools1,041504 elementary, 204 middle, 305 high, 28 other
Students484,8251.0% of U.S. public-school students
Students per teacher13.5U.S. 15.3

Arkansas has fewer students per teacher than the U.S. average

Arkansas ranks 29th of the 50 jurisdictions (states and D.C.) that reported 2024-25 teacher counts, counting from the most students per teacher; below, it is shown with the states ranked just above and below it. The full ranking of all 51 is on the states page.

  1. Hawaii13.9
  2. South Carolina13.9
  3. Virginia13.8
  4. Arkansas13.5
  5. Illinois13.5
  6. Louisiana13.5
  7. Pennsylvania13.3

Eight in ten larger Arkansas districts spent between $10,075 and $14,258 per student

Among the 123 Arkansas districts with at least 1,000 students, one in ten spent less than $10,075 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 and one in ten spent more than $14,258; the median was $11,785. Each tick below is one district: the spread shows how far apart the state's districts are, which a statewide average hides.

Current spending per student, Arkansas districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23123 values from $8,980 to $17,959; ; state median $11,785.$10,075$14,258the middle eight in ten1 more above $17,500 →$8k$10k$13k$15k$18kcurrent spending per studentstate median $11,785
Current spending per student, Arkansas districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23123 values from $8,980 to $17,959; ; state median $11,785.$10,075$14,258the middle eight in ten1 more above $17,500 →$8k$10k$13k$15k$18kcurrent spending per studentstate median $11,785
Current spending per student, Arkansas districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23123 values from $8,980 to $17,959; ; state median $11,785.$10,075$14,258the middle eight in ten1 more above $17,500 →$8k$10k$13k$15k$18kcurrent spending per studentstate median $11,785
Current spending per student, Arkansas districts with 1,000 or more students, fiscal year 2022-23123 values from $8,980 to $17,959; ; state median $11,785.$10,075$14,258the middle eight in ten1 more above $17,500 →$8k$10k$13k$15k$18kcurrent spending per studentstate median $11,785

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: mean of school ratios from 3 to 99, schools open that year; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures over fall membership, districts with at least 1,000 students.

State test results, 2022-23

In 2022-23, 39.1% of the Arkansas students tested met the state's reading standard and 38.9% its math standard. Arkansas writes its own tests and sets its own standard, so these compare Arkansas's districts and schools with each other, not with other states; each district and school page gives its own results beside these. Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 89.9% of 35,156 students.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2022-23 and four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students.

In the Arkansas almanac

  1. 01Every school district

    Directory, 2024-25

  2. 02Largest schools

    Largest: Arkansas Connections Academy High, 4,575 students (By 2024-25 enrollment)

  3. 03Fewest students per teacher

    Fewest: West Fork High School, 3.0 students per teacher (Schools, 2024-25)

  4. 04Highest-spending districts

    Highest: Lee County School District, $20,742 per student (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  5. 05Teacher salary spending by district

    Highest: Fayetteville School District, $73,997 of salary spending per teacher (F-33 fiscal year 2022-23)

  6. 06Chronic absenteeism

    Lowest: Cabot High School, 0% chronically absent (EDFacts 2022-23)

  7. 07Schools by resource index

    Highest index: Guy-Perkins High School, 76 of 100 (CCD and CRDC)

  8. 08Districts by resource index

    Highest index: Cedar Ridge School District, 67.5 of 100 on average (CCD and CRDC)

Largest districts in Arkansas

  1. Springdale School District22,685
  2. Little Rock School District19,834
  3. Bentonville School District 619,575
  4. Rogers School District15,604
  5. Fort Smith School District14,045
  6. Pulaski Co. Spec. School Dist.12,368
  7. Cabot Public Schools10,644
  8. Conway School District10,212

Every Arkansas school district, with a find box →

Source: Largest districts: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25, students in the district's schools open that year.

Cities with the most public schools

  1. Little Rock31,555 students69 schools
  2. Springdale22,211 students30 schools
  3. Rogers17,427 students27 schools
  4. Fort Smith14,063 students27 schools
  5. Bentonville20,042 students25 schools
  6. Jonesboro15,258 students24 schools
  7. North Little Rock11,579 students21 schools
  8. Fayetteville10,324 students17 schools
  9. Conway10,573 students17 schools
  10. Hot Springs9,050 students16 schools
  11. Cabot10,124 students15 schools
  12. Texarkana5,110 students13 schools

All cities →

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: a school counts under the city in its mailing address, so a large city's count takes in suburbs that share its postal name.

Questions about Arkansas's public schools

  1. How many public schools are in Arkansas?
    The NCES directory lists 1,106 operating in 2024-25; 1,041 of them reported students: 504 elementary, 204 middle, 305 high and 28 other, enrolling 484,825 students (NCES Common Core of Data).
  2. What is the average student-teacher ratio in Arkansas?
    13.5 students per full-time teacher in 2024-25, against 15.3 for the U.S.; the mean of school ratios for schools open that year.
  3. What is the largest school district in Arkansas?
    Springdale School District, with 22,685 students in its schools in 2024-25 (NCES Common Core of Data).
  4. How much does Arkansas spend per public-school student?
    $12,339 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, summed over its districts (NCES F-33).

Sources

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership and staff files · 2024-25

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District membership and spending · FY 2022-23

Compiled from official source data by .