Rethinking Community College Success: Arkansas's Workforce Story, Part 1
Beyond Traditional Metrics: A New Measure of Community College Success Puts Arkansas on the National Map
Photo provided by UACCM
For years, the story told about community colleges has been incomplete, shortchanging the students who need these institutions most. From workforce training to college degrees, community colleges are the hometown provider of job-training for students and employers across the state. Yet traditional higher education metrics have long overlooked much of that impact.
This September, in honor of Workforce Development Month, we launch a three-part series to set the record straight, starting with new data that proves what we've always known: Arkansas's community colleges are delivering real results for real people.
Part 1. A New Measurement Puts Arkansas Community Colleges on the National Map
The 2025 Survey of Community College Outcomes, conducted by the Richmond Federal Reserve, analyzed information from 189 colleges in 10 states, including Arkansas. The new methodology is intended to strengthen public understanding of how community colleges serve students in ways traditional higher education metrics often miss, which are typically limited to first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students.
The Richmond Fed Success Rate is broadened to include:
Students who are awarded a workforce credential or licensure (e.g. noncredit certificate or credential issued by the institution, state-issued licensure, industry certification exam)
Students who transferred to a four-year institution prior to earning an award
Students who persisted (enrolled in any term during the study year, completed at least 30 credit hours, and had at least a 2.0 GPA)
This isn’t a lower bar. It is a more holistic way to measure how community colleges positively impact the unique student populations they serve.
How did Arkansas fare under the new methodology?
A broader definition of success and a larger student population resulted in much higher success rates for all 22 Arkansas colleges surveyed. Overall, Arkansas’s Richmond Fed Success Rate was 53%, more than 12 points higher than traditional, more limited higher education success metrics. Consistent with national trends, younger Arkansas students outperformed older students in associate degree completion and transfer, whereas adult students were more likely to complete short-term certificates and workforce credentials.
Notably, Arkansas outperformed other surveyed states in key areas.
Arkansas’s Richmond Fed Success Rate is 53%, more than 3 points above the average rate of 49.8% for all 10 surveyed states.
Arkansas ranked #3 in overall success, behind New Jersey and Iowa.
Arkansas ranked #1 in success rates for short-term certificate completion.
Arkansas ranked #1 in success rates for workforce credential completion.
What does this mean for Arkansas students?
Community college students don't fit a single mold. They are more likely to enroll part-time, take a leave of absence to manage life challenges, and pursue credentials that get them into the workforce fast. For too long, they've been invisible in the data that shapes public perception and policy.
No single number can capture everything a community college gives to its students and the communities they go on to serve throughout their careers. But the Richmond Fed Success Rate gets closer than anything before. These numbers are clear: Arkansas's community colleges aren't just keeping pace. They're setting the pace.
Stay tuned for Part 2, where we'll look at how community colleges are preparing Arkansans for work.
The Arkansas Division of Higher Education submitted data on behalf of all 22 Arkansas public community and technical colleges. Read the full report: Measuring Success: Results from the 2025 Survey of Community College Outcomes | Richmond Fed