LITTLE ROCK-College enrollment in Arkansas has continued to decline in the 2018-19 school year, according to data recently released by Arkansas education officials.
The state Department of Higher Education found that overall enrollment in Arkansas' colleges and universities dropped by 1.3 percent from the previous year, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. Arkansas has seen a 5.4 percent enrollment decline at state institutions over the past five years, according to the department's report.
"That's not earth-shattering. That's kind of natural," said Maria Markham, the department's director. "Up or down 1 percent, we kind of consider that a flat enrollment rate."
She cited Arkansas' low unemployment rates and improved economic conditions after the recession as likely contributors to lower campus head counts. The observation is especially true for two-year colleges, which haven't seen an enrollment increase since 2014, she said.
"The economy was a lot weaker five years ago," said Michael Pakko, chief economist at the Arkansas Economic Development Institute. "The job market in Arkansas really started to pick up momentum in 2014."
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock had an enrollment dip of nearly 10 percent, which was the second-largest decline among the state's four-year public universities, according to the report.
Chancellor Andrew Rogerson cited high tuition costs, inconvenient class times and difficulty with the advising department. The reasons were determined in a survey the school sent to students who left despite being in good academic standing and not having significant debt.
Meanwhile, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville has shifted its recruitment goals, and the school's freshman enrollment has declined slightly.
"Part of the reason that we were down a little bit is because of our intention to make sure that at least 50 percent of the new freshmen were Arkansans, and we do have a record number of Arkansans in the freshman class," said Jim Coleman, the university's provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs.