ARKANSAS, USA — Arkansas’ economy could grow by nearly $4 billion by 2038 if the state can double the number of graduates with STEM degrees in that time period, according to a new study released Tuesday by Bentonville-based “think-and-do” tank Heartland Forward in partnership with the University of Arkansas.
“We know that STEM education is vital to economic performance,” said Heartland Forward President and CEO Ross DeVol. “And right now, Arkansas faces a critical shortage of STEM graduates, with nearly 58,000 open positions projected by 2028 alone. This threatens the state’s ability to compete in the knowledge-based economy of the future.”
According to the study, gross domestic product per worker grew from $86,452 in 2012 to $111,603 in 2021 in Arkansas. More than a quarter of that growth was attributable to the work being done at engineering colleges across the state, particularly in research, computer and data science and engineering.
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