Arkansas DESE · October 1 enrollment · 2025-26
Where the families are moving
School enrollment is one of the earliest signs of where households are settling: districts fill before the rooftops and retail follow. Ten years of October counts for every traditional district in Northwest Arkansas.
Benton County districts, 2025-26
46,139
▲ 12.4% since 2015-16
traditional districts · 2025-26
Washington County districts, 2025-26
40,178
▲ 1.9% since 2015-16
traditional districts · 2025-26
Fastest-growing district
Pea Ridge
+38.1% since 2015-16 · 2025-26
Virtual and charter (counted separately)
11,639
11 statewide programs headquartered here · 2025-26
Enrollment change, 2015-16 → 2025-26
Every traditional district, percent
Free to reuse with the credit line. · Corrections
The six largest districts
October 1 enrollment by school year
Data through 2025-26 · Free to reuse with the credit line. · Corrections
| District | County | 2025-26 | 1-year change | 2015-16 | Change since |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springdale | Washington | 21,097 | -559 | 21,260 | -0.8% |
| Bentonville | Benton | 19,944 | +369 | 16,060 | +24.2% |
| Rogers | Benton | 14,943 | -338 | 15,077 | -0.9% |
| Fayetteville | Washington | 10,171 | +17 | 9,652 | +5.4% |
| Siloam Springs | Benton | 4,281 | -265 | 4,139 | +3.4% |
| Farmington | Washington | 3,015 | +98 | 2,366 | +27.4% |
| Pea Ridge | Benton | 2,665 | +55 | 1,930 | +38.1% |
| Huntsville | Madison | 2,140 | -72 | 2,286 | -6.4% |
| Prairie Grove | Washington | 2,087 | -73 | 1,881 | +11.0% |
| Gravette | Benton | 1,974 | -82 | 1,809 | +9.1% |
| Gentry | Benton | 1,783 | +30 | 1,446 | +23.3% |
| Berryville | Carroll | 1,707 | -33 | 2,009 | -15.0% |
| Elkins | Washington | 1,377 | -51 | 1,131 | +21.8% |
| Green Forest | Carroll | 1,362 | -13 | 1,200 | +13.5% |
| Lincoln | Washington | 1,062 | +15 | 1,203 | -11.7% |
| West Fork | Washington | 702 | -34 | 1,088 | -35.5% |
| Greenland | Washington | 667 | -80 | 849 | -21.4% |
| Eureka Springs | Carroll | 598 | -16 | 625 | -4.3% |
| Decatur | Benton | 549 | -26 | 585 | -6.2% |
Arkansas Division of Elementary & Secondary Education, ADE Data Center (Enrollment Count by district) · as of 2025-26 · collected Oct 14, 2026
Colleges
fall headcount · IPEDS
Fall enrollment, NWA's three largest colleges
Total headcount, undergraduate and graduate
Data through 2024 · Free to reuse with the credit line. · Corrections
| College | Fall 2024 | Undergrad | Graduate | Since fall 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Arkansas | 33,610 | 28,859 | 4,751 | +25.6% |
| NorthWest Arkansas Community College | 8,412 | 8,412 | — | +8.6% |
| John Brown University | 2,350 | 1,948 | 402 | -15.5% |
The University of Arkansas added 6,856 students since fall 2015; 6,700 of them undergraduates.
U.S. Dept. of Education IPEDS, via Urban Institute Education Data Portal · as of Oct 14, 2026