New Study Sheds Light on Education Trends Among Gen Zers in Arkansas

Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation released results Thursday from a new survey showing Generation Z students in Arkansas are more likely than the national average to engage in several key areas of their education. The Voices of Gen Z Arkansas Youth study found they are also more likely to say they know their core values.

A follow-up to Gallup’s annual national survey, the study is designed to better understand this generation’s unique outlook, ambitions and challenges. Part of a national initiative, Gallup and the foundation also surveyed more than 500 Arkansans between the ages of 12 to 27.

“These findings reveal that Arkansas students are having positive classroom experiences. They are motivated by great educators and are exploring career paths instead of just pursuing a bachelor’s degree,” said Robert Burns, director of the Walton Family Foundation Home Region Program. “To keep opportunities strong for Gen Z in Arkansas, we need to focus on retaining quality teachers, improving regional affordability, expanding career options and making sure everyone has a say in future solutions.”

Highlights of the 2024 Voices of Gen Z Arkansas Youth study include:

While Arkansas respondents were mostly in line with national averages, there was some data that stood out.

• Arkansas Gen Z respondents identified these three factors as being very important:
  • Building a life that makes you happy (83%)
  • Making enough money to live comfortably (78%)
  • Having close relationships with friends and family (74%)
• Young Arkansans know their core values better than young people nationally. In 2024, 50% of Gen Zers in Arkansas strongly agree they know what their core values are, compared with 38% nationally.
• Arkansas Gen Zers are more likely to say that having a good spiritual or religious life (48% compared to 35%) and having children (38% compared to 29%) is very important to have a great life compared with their national Gen Z peers.
• Less than half of Arkansas Gen Zers are thriving, falling below the national average (45% compared to 51%). Gallup considers people to be thriving if they give high ratings to their current life and their future expected life.

Secondary Education:

• Arkansan Gen Zers are more likely than the national average to be engaged by their teachers and schoolwork. Eighty-two percent of Arkansan Gen Zers agree or strongly agree they have at least one teacher who makes them excited about their future. This aspect of school is the most highly rated by young Arkansans.
• Arkansas Gen Zers (82%) are more likely to agree they have an inspiring teacher than their national peers (75%).
• Compared with national findings, Arkansans say their teachers make them feel their schoolwork is important (69% compared to 60%).

Postsecondary Paths

• While Arkansas Gen Zers are less likely than those nationally to enroll in postsecondary education right after high school, their desire for postsecondary education remains.
• In Arkansas, 74% of Gen Zers aged 12 to 18 want to pursue college after high school.
• Sixty-four percent of respondents aged 19 to 27 report enrolling in college in their first year after high school. This differs from their national peers, who are less likely to say they want to pursue college (68% among those aged 12 to 18) but are more likely to say they enrolled (80% among those aged 19 to 27).
• Among Gen Zers of all ages (12 to 27), Arkansans are less likely than the national average to say that a bachelor’s degree is very or somewhat important to achieving their goals for the future (73% vs. 77%).
• Like their national peers, Arkansas Gen Zers are most likely to identify the cost of living (60%) and the cost of education (46%) as challenges to achieving their goals.

“Learning from the experiences of younger generations is vital for anyone invested in the future of our state and country,” said Burns. “We aim to create the best experiences for all generations and hope this Gen Z study gives us, policymakers and researchers the insights needed to make informed decisions.”

The findings represent the second installment of a multiyear study to better understand Gen Z students in Arkansas and nationwide.

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