Dr. Cynthia A. Bond Hopson, President | Philander Smith College
Dr. Cynthia A. Bond Hopson, President | Philander Smith College
Of the 15 institutions in the county, two provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Baptist Health College Little Rock and University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
At least 3,582 people applied to Pulaski County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 18,819 students enrolled in the universities, including 14,474 in undergraduate and 4,345 in graduate programs. In total 11.4% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (44.2%) and Black or African American (35.2%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, University of Arkansas at Little Rock stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 8,197 students.
U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.
This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.
Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.
| Institution | # of Applicants | # of Admitted Students | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur's Beauty College | -- | -- | 37 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Little Rock | -- | -- | 358 |
| Velvatex College of Beauty Culture | -- | -- | 14 |
| Baptist Health College Little Rock | 14 | 12 | 549 |
| Washington Barber College Inc | -- | -- | 56 |
| Philander Smith University | -- | -- | 769 |
| Shorter College | -- | -- | 321 |
| University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College | -- | -- | 4,245 |
| Strayer University-Arkansas | -- | -- | 307 |
| Arkansas Beauty School-Little Rock | -- | -- | 98 |
| Arkansas Baptist College | -- | -- | 497 |
| University of Arkansas at Little Rock | 3,568 | 2,176 | 8,197 |
| University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences | -- | -- | 3,240 |
| GoodFellas Barber College | -- | -- | 62 |
| Arkansas Welding Academy | -- | -- | 69 |
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