Arkansas

Arkansas Universities See Growth This Fall as Enrollment Cliff Looms

Published

1 year ago

November 11, 2024

Arkansas Universities See Growth This Fall as Enrollment Cliff Looms

UA Chancellor Charles Robinson said strong recruiting pipelines helped the university surpass 33,000 in enrollment. (Michael Woods)

The state’s largest universities saw fall enrollment increase this year as each prepares for the coming enrollment cliff predicted to hit in 2026.

The University of Arkansas’ flagship campus in Fayetteville reported 33,610 students to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education for its “11th day” snapshot enrollment numbers. The number represented an increase of 4.6% and was the fourth consecutive year the university reported record enrollment.

The UA wasn’t alone as Arkansas State University in Jonesboro reported enrollment of 16,687, a 12% increase, and the University of Central Arkansas in Conway and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock each reported gains of 3.4% or better.

UA Chancellor Charles Robinson noted that 6,614 of those 33,610 enrolled were incoming freshmen, the second-highest number in the school’s history behind the 2022 class of 7,096.

“I think we built strong pipelines throughout the state of Arkansas, which is our first focus,” Robinson said. “But it didn’t just start this year. We’ve had a trend of growth in our freshman classes that have been strong for a number of years.”

Todd Shields was named chancellor at Arkansas State in 2022 and almost immediately increased the university’s efforts to market the school and recruit students. The efforts have paid off with A-State reporting 16,687 for its 11th-day snapshot.

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“That’s a huge increase,” Shields said. “We basically really started just looking at everything that we did and doubling down on what we were doing with recruitment, doubling down on what we’re doing for advertising, making sure that people knew what was happening.”

Suzanne McCray, the vice provost for enrollment at UA-Fayetteville, said all universities and colleges in the state have worked to become as “cliff resistant” as possible. Changing demographics — primarily lower birth rates in the U.S. — are expected to result in fewer college-age students beginning in 2026.

“We did enjoy this fall, climbing up to the top of the crest, and next year, it’ll be good as well,” McCray said. “And then 2026-27 is when we’re going to notice a perceptible decline. We’re trying to be cliff resistant. I think larger institutions, research universities, that can draw from a wider number of states and wider area, I think they are going to have an easier time of it.”

Suzanne McCray, vice provost for enrollment at UA-Fayetteville, said higher education institutions have worked hard to become cliff resistant by 2026, when it is expected a drop in college-aged students will cause enrollment numbers to fall. (Michael Woods)

Spread the Word

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock had the second-largest freshman class by percentage in its history. It welcomed 460 first-time freshmen, a 28.9% increase from a year ago and just shy of the 30% increase of the 2022 class. Chancellor Christina Drale said the university has tried to be creative in challenging times to bring in more students.

“We really knew that, in the current environment, when everyone is dealing with the same thing, we had to think outside the box,” Drale said. “You have to really develop all of your tools for marketing and for reaching out to new audiences.”

Drale said UA Little Rock’s success was a result of hitting its traditional recruiting areas in central Arkansas harder but also adding recruiters in newer areas such as northeast Texas and east Arkansas and the Memphis area.

Shields said marketing has been a big key to A-State’s success. He said he wasn’t aware of some of the advantages enjoyed by A-State and Jonesboro, such as the area’s booming steel industry, the low cost of living and educational opportunities that include a new veterinary school.

“If I didn’t know about it, how’s the average person in Arkansas supposed to know about it?” Shields, who came to Jonesboro from the U of A in Fayetteville, asked. “We did some testing and focus groups, and they didn’t know about it. So, it was just making sure that we let people know what a great education they can get here. And then when you look at tuition, fees, housing, meal plans and overall cost of living, we’re hard to beat. People often overlook Jonesboro.”

Fall enrollment at the UA-Fayetteville surpassed 33,000, including a record number of in-state students for the fourth consecutive year. (Michael Woods)

UA-Fayetteville, thanks to its scale, has a much wider recruiting footprint than others in the state, but Robinson said the university will always look inside the state’s borders first.

He said UA will never turn away a qualified in-state student.

The UA reported 16,519 Arkansas students among its enrollees, nearly as many as A-State’s entire student body.

“If anything, the cliff is just going to encourage us to work harder in Arkansas, because we never want to lose our primacy in Arkansas,” Robinson said.

Harder Times Ahead

McCray said the enrollment cliff will be more challenging for colleges and universities that draw from a smaller area.

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff reported enrollment of 2,045, a 2.4% drop from a year ago. There were positives such as a 7% increase in new student enrollment, said Moses Goldmon, the university’s vice chancellor of enrollment management.

Goldmon said UAPB was hurt by a significant drop in retention numbers. The university reorganized its recruiting division and increased its recruiting efforts in spaces traditionally receptive to UAPB.

“With chagrin, I expect the cliff to present even greater challenges, particularly with respect to recruitment and admissions,” Goldmon said. “However, I also anticipate that our restructuring and evolving strategic enrollment management approach will help us be more competitive.

“If we can regain our pre-COVID momentum, where we saw increases in persistence, retention and graduation rates for several years, we should be able to stabilize and then grow our enrollment by focusing on excellent student service and student success.”

Robinson seized on the word “retention,” saying it was as important as recruiting in the higher education world. UA-Fayetteville reported a 70% graduation rate for its most recently completed class.

“It’s not just recruiting; it is holding students, retaining them,” Robinson said. “We have, as an institution, crashed past the 70% mark in our graduation rate for the first time in our history. There’s nobody in the state with that type of percentage. Our retention rate held at 86% for the second year in a row. So we’re doing better retaining students. We’re doing better graduating students.”

Drale said she was encouraged by the increase in UA Little Rock’s incoming freshmen class. If those students stay the course, that will stabilize numbers when the cliff comes into play, she said.

UA Little Rock also reported 786 transfer students, an 18% increase from a year ago.

“When you can get a significant bump in new freshmen and new transfers, that then increases your subsequent years,” Drale said. “The class, it goes through sort of the funnel, and it increases your enrollment for returning students in sub-sequent years. With a big increase in new freshmen and new transfers, we’re pretty excited about what that will mean for us long term.”

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Arkansas

Way-Too-Early Top 25: Ranking College Basketball’s Best for 2026-27

Published

10 hours ago

April 7, 2026

Press Room

Way-Too-Early Top 25: Ranking College Basketball’s Best for 2026-27

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — With the transfer portal reshaping rosters overnight and elite freshmen arriving every summer, projecting the next college basketball season has become an exercise in controlled chaos.

Still, a handful of programs have positioned themselves early as national title contenders through roster continuity, program consistency and coaching stability.

Arkansas will once again be in the mix, but its true preseason forecast will come once the portal is mostly wrapped up. Coach John Calipari knows what type of player he needs to add for his team to advance past the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 and probably won’t sleep a whole lot until he signs at least one major contributor in the paint.

No. 1 seed Michigan had a stellar run in its second season under coach Dusty May, who competes for a national championship against No. 2 seed UConn Monday night. He goes up against two-time championship coach Dan Hurley, who is looking to join elite company by winning his third trophy with the Huskies.

Which teams are best equipped already for next season? Here’s an early look at who can make a run in 2026-27.

1. Michigan

UConn Huskies forward Jaylin Stewart (3) possesses the ball against Michigan Wolverines forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) in the first half during the national championship of the Final Four of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Wolverines absolutely make sense regardless of if they win a national title Monday night. May added a commitment from 5-star guard Brandon McCoy Saturday who projects to be a lead guard at the next level.

Key big man Yaxel Lendeborg will be a huge loss after being a critical piece to Michigan’s championship game run. Power forward Morez Johnson should return after averaging over 13 points and seven rebounds per game.

Another likely returnee is Trey McKenney, who played well as a freshman averaging 11 points and 44% shooting in the month of March.

1B. UConn

UConn Huskies guard Solo Ball (1) reacts after a made three point basket against the Michigan Wolverines during the NCAA men’s basketball tournament national championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Whether Hurley’s bid for a third title falls short, his brilliant coaching in the NCAA Tournament is worth keeping the Huskies near the top of all college basketball rankings.

Veterans such as Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed are seeing their eligibility expire while freshman Braylon Mullins could opt to enter the NBA Draft.

Veteran guard Silas Demary has been a nice addition from Georgia out of the portal this season and will likely return as the Huskies’ starting point guard.

3. Duke

The Blue Devils are set to lose the Boozer twins, but have signed capable replacements in true freshmen Cameron Williams and Deron Rippey, Jr.

Coach Jon Scheyer’s group will continue to run the ACC until anyone else decides to be up for the challenge. If he can find a way to keep Patrick Ngongba around for next season as his key big man, then there’s no reason to count out Duke as national title favorites once again.

Duke Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer speaks with the media during a press conference ahead of the east regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

4. Michigan State

No one will ever doubt coach Tom Izzo’s ability to assemble a championship contender and he did just that with Coen Carr, Jeremy Fears and company this season.

With a top high school recruiting class and a couple of key portal additions on the perimeter, the Spartans will be Big Ten title contenders and earn a Top 4 NCAA Tournament seed.

5. Illinois

Coach Brad Underwood has made the Fightin’ Illini a raging success and nearly led his team to the promised land this season.

He discovered freshman wing Keaton Wagler before anyone else, and became a household name and potential lottery pick after arriving to school as aTop 150 prospect.

Lightning might not strike twice next year, but he’ll probably have another solid team built for a deep NCAA Tournament run. Sharpshooter Andrej Stojakovic and forward David Mirkovic are both expected to return after playing key roles in Illinois’ first Final Four run in two decades.

6. Arizona

The Wildcats were no match for Michigan in the Final Four and are likely going to lose key freshmen Koa Peat and Brayden Burries to the NBA Draft. Keeping veteran big man Mo Krivas and key wing Ivan Kharchenkov in the rotation is key.

Adding McDonald’s All-American MVP Caleb Holt won’t hurt either as the next great freshman for the Wildcats.

7. Arkansas

Coach John Calipari knows his biggest assignment will be adding a big man or two to round out his rotation. He has a three 5-star freshmen in Jordan Smith, Jr. (No. 2 ranked prospect, JJ Andrews and Abdou Toure coming in with potential key returnee Billy Richmond to potentially lockdown the perimeter.

Jordan Smith Jr during the McDonalds All American Boys Game at Desert Diamond Arena. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Arkansas fans are hungry to see their team get back to the Final Four and have been inching closer each of the previous five seasons.

8. Purdue

The Boilermakers are set to lose All-American guard Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn which will be hard to come back from for any team.

However, Matt Painter continues to reload with guys who often fly under the radar or lesser known on the recruiting trail out of high school. His next team may not be as talented, or veteran laden but should be fixtures in the Big Ten no matter what the offseason brings.

9. St. John’s

Arkansas guard Boogie Fland (2) and forward Billy Richmond III (24) fight for a rebound against St. John’s guard Aaron Scott (0) during the second half of a second round men’s NCAA Tournament game at Amica Mutual Pavilion. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The Red Storm will find it tough to replace versatile big man Zury Ejifor, but if anyone can do so it’s hall of fame coach Rick Pitino. His team has been close to breaking into national title contention over the previous two seasons.

Pitino’s combination of Ian Jackson, Dylan Darling and Ruben Prey can give St. John’s a boost next season.

10. Alabama

Nate Oats has the Crimson Tide at a level never before seen in Tuscaloosa with at least a Sweet 16 or better finish in each of the previous four seasons.

Star guard Labaron Philon is probably headed to the league as a mid-first round prospect which leaves a gaping hole in Alabama’s rotation for next season.

Top 20 freshman guard Qadyden Samuels is potentially a solid replacement with a complete offensive skillset as a three-level scorer. If his length translates well to college, he can be an exceptional perimeter defender.

Oats will need to find a way to keep key big men such as Amari Allen and Aiden Sherrell around or pick up a couple out of the transfer portal to stay near the top of the SEC.

Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats looks on in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Midwest Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center. | David Banks-Imagn Images

11. Iowa State

The Cyclones were on the verge of a breakthrough before falling short in the Sweet 16. Losing All-American Joshua Jefferson early in the tournament sidelined any hopes of coach T.J. Otzelberger leading his team to its first Final Four since 1944.

Iowa State will probably make a strong run in the portal to replace other key contributors. But one thing is sure that this program has staying power on the national scene.

12. Kansas

Kansas Jayhawks forward Justin Cross (25) is welcomed by Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self before the Sunflower Showdown game against Kansas State Wildcats inside Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. | Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Each passing year it seems that the biggest question is whether or not coach Bill Self will return for another year.

He is, at least this year, but even with his exceptional recruiting skills and a deep portal budget, it seems like a slight nosedive has taken place since winning the national title in 2022.

Star freshman Darryn Peterson’s one-and-done stay in Lawrence certainly didn’t live up to the hype. Big man Flory Bidunga is currently evaluating his options, which shouldn’t give anyone a reason to rank the Jayhawks higher.

13. Iowa Hawkeyes
14. Gonzaga Bulldogs
15. Florida Gators
16. North Carolina Tar Heels
17. Louisville Cardinals
18. Wisconsin Badgers
19. Nebraska Cornhuskers
20. Houston Cougars
21. Providence Friars
22. St. Louis Billekins
23. Texas Longhorns
24. Auburn Tigers
25. LSU Tigers

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Arkansas

EDITORIAL: What a ride | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Published

22 hours ago

April 6, 2026

Press Room

EDITORIAL: What a ride | The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette – Arkansas’ Best News Source

Editorial

Get the tight pants out

8 hours, 4 minutes ago

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Arkansas

6th Annual Be a Part of the Cure Walk Supports Cancer Research in Arkansas

Published

1 day ago

April 6, 2026

Press Room

6th Annual Be a Part of the Cure Walk Supports Cancer Research in Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — A major event aimed at raising awareness and funding cancer research in Arkansas is coming up this weekend.

The 6th Annual Be a Part of the Cure Walk benefits the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, helping fund cancer research, clinical trials, and long-term survival studies, with every dollar raised staying in Arkansas.

Joining us this morning are Elizabeth Birrer, co-chair of the walk, and Lesley Murphy, this year’s emcee.

Murphy, a professional travel journalist, has shared her own cancer prevention journey after undergoing a preventative double mastectomy at UAMS when genetic testing revealed she carried the BRCA2 gene. She now uses her experience to help educate and raise awareness about cancer prevention.

The walk is designed to bring the community together, survivors, families, and supporters, while highlighting the importance of research and patient care. Participants can expect a day of walking, activities, and opportunities to learn more about the institute’s ongoing work.

Online registration is available at here and closes at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 1st. In-person registration opens at 6:30 a.m. Saturday, May 2nd at War Memorial Stadium, Gate 1.

Every dollar raised during the event directly supports research and clinical studies here in Arkansas, helping to advance treatment and improve outcomes for patients across the state.

The 6th Annual Be a Part of the Cure Walk is a community effort that combines awareness, education, and support, all focused on the fight against cancer.

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