The student population at NorthWest Arkansas Community College is 8,412 (all undergraduate). The number of students has increased by 668 (8.63%) over the past decade.
The average student population over the last 11 years is 7,787 where 8,412 students are attending the school for the academic year 2024-2025.
Total enrollment fluctuated between 2016 and 2025, with 6 year-over-year increases and 3 decreases. It peaked at 8,412 students in 2025 and was lowest at 7,037 in 2022. Overall, enrollment rose from 7,744 to 8,412 students, a net gain of 668 (8.6%).
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in student population by gender at NorthWest Arkansas Community College since 2015.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 7,744 | 3,339 | 4,405 |
| 2016-17 | 7,761 17 | 3,428 89 | 4,333 -72 |
| 2017-18 | 7,715 -46 | 3,389 -39 | 4,326 -7 |
| 2018-19 | 7,979 264 | 3,446 57 | 4,533 207 |
| 2019-20 | 8,383 404 | 3,468 22 | 4,915 382 |
| 2020-21 | 7,411 -972 | 3,027 -441 | 4,384 -531 |
| 2021-22 | 7,037 -374 | 2,894 -133 | 4,143 -241 |
| 2022-23 | 7,593 556 | 3,090 196 | 4,503 360 |
| 2023-24 | 7,839 246 | 3,275 185 | 4,564 61 |
| 2024-25 | 8,412 573 | 3,615 340 | 4,797 233 |
| Average | 7,787 | 3,297 | 4,490 |
The percentage of white students is 53.83%. The percentage was 66.97% 10 years ago and NWACC still has a high percentage of white students. 3.67% of enrolled students is Asian and 2.33% is black students. Hispanic students comprise 23.66% of the student body.
Over the past 10 years, the racial composition has shifted. The percentage of white students decreased from 66.97% to 53.83%. Asian enrollment grew from 2.63% to 3.67%. Black student enrollment decreased from 2.49% to 2.33%. Hispanic student representation expanded from 16.48% to 23.66%.
The overall racial diversity, measured by the Census Bureau Diversity Index, is 0.6511 which indicates that moderately diverse. This increased from 0.5220 a decade ago, suggesting that racial diversity has improved.
The following table and chart illustrate the student population trends by race/ethnicity at NorthWest Arkansas Community College over the past 11 years (2015-2025).
| Year | American Indian or Native American | Asian | Black | Hispanic | Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | White | Two or More Races |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 152 | 204 | 193 | 1,276 | 26 | 5,186 | 195 |
| 2016-17 | 147 | 254 | 192 | 1,310 | 28 | 5,200 | 237 |
| 2017-18 | 163 | 221 | 192 | 1,234 | 27 | 5,222 | 255 |
| 2018-19 | 98 | 228 | 190 | 1,730 | 32 | 5,063 | 341 |
| 2019-20 | 97 | 245 | 205 | 1,895 | 41 | 5,304 | 377 |
| 2020-21 | 86 | 236 | 180 | 1,651 | 39 | 4,519 | 379 |
| 2021-22 | 71 | 230 | 182 | 1,453 | 35 | 4,445 | 353 |
| 2022-23 | 93 | 256 | 191 | 1,695 | 45 | 4,626 | 411 |
| 2023-24 | 97 | 316 | 217 | 1,930 | 58 | 4,666 | 360 |
| 2024-25 | 95 | 309 | 196 | 1,990 | 41 | 4,528 | 290 |
| Average | 110 | 250 | 194 | 1,616 | 37 | 4,876 | 320 |
2,781 students are enrolled in online degree programs exclusively for the academic year 2024-2025, which is 33% of total students. The number of online students has increased 146.54% since 2015. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in the online student population by enrolled type at NorthWest Arkansas Community College from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Total Enrollment | Online Completely | Enrolled in Some Online Courses | Not Enrolled in Online Courses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 7,744 | 1,128 | 1,634 | 4,982 |
| 2016-17 | 7,761 | 1,057 | 1,927 | 4,777 |
| 2017-18 | 7,715 | 1,197 | 1,869 | 4,649 |
| 2018-19 | 7,979 | 1,334 | 2,218 | 4,427 |
| 2019-20 | 8,383 | 1,518 | 2,180 | 4,685 |
| 2020-21 | 7,411 | 4,052 | 1,800 | 1,559 |
| 2021-22 | 7,037 | 2,834 | 2,012 | 2,191 |
| 2022-23 | 7,593 | 2,310 | 1,874 | 3,409 |
| 2023-24 | 7,839 | 2,235 | 2,203 | 3,401 |
| 2024-25 | 8,412 | 2,781 | 2,226 | 3,405 |
| Average | 7,787 | 2,045 | 1,994 | 3,749 |
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