TL;DR: NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) has its main campus at One College Drive in Bentonville, off Interstate 49. It is a public two-year college described as the largest community college in Arkansas, with fall 2025 enrollment of 9,017 (Encyclopedia of Arkansas, accessed October 2026; NWACC, accessed October 2026).
What NWACC Is and How It Started
NorthWest Arkansas Community College is a public two-year college serving Benton and Washington counties and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (Encyclopedia of Arkansas, accessed October 2026). The college was created after an August 15, 1989, special election in which voters in the Bentonville and Rogers school districts approved a three-mill property tax. It grew out of a Bentonville branch of North Arkansas Community College, and the capital "W" was added to the name to distinguish the two schools (Encyclopedia of Arkansas, accessed October 2026).
Classes began in August 1990 with 1,232 students, a state record for a new community college. Early classes met in rented sites across Benton and Washington counties, including libraries, churches and hospitals, which earned the college the description "college without walls" (Encyclopedia of Arkansas, accessed October 2026). A permanent Bentonville campus opened in 1995 with the main building, now Burns Hall, which was originally 91,000 square feet and has since expanded to 181,000 (Encyclopedia of Arkansas, accessed October 2026).
Location and Campus
The Bentonville campus is at 1 College Drive, Bentonville, AR 72712, off Interstate 49 in Benton County and a few steps from the Missouri Railway walking trail. The main phone number is 479-986-4000 (NWACC Locations, accessed October 2026). The college also operates a Washington County facility at 6101 Watkins Avenue in Springdale, and its culinary division is housed at Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food, 801 SE 8th Street in Bentonville (NWACC Locations, accessed October 2026).
In April 2025 the college approved a master plan for its 130-acre Bentonville campus, designed by Lake Flato of San Antonio, Texas, and funded through a grant from the Walton Family Foundation's NorthWest Arkansas Design Excellence Program. The plan is meant to guide the next five to 20 years of growth and calls for a walkable, pedestrian-friendly environment, with growth areas that include academics, athletics, arts, on-campus housing and open spaces for public use (Talk Business & Politics, accessed October 2026). In 2026 the board of trustees voted to certify the college's selection of a location for its first residence hall (Encyclopedia of Arkansas, accessed October 2026).
Programs and Credentials
NWACC offers four associate's degrees: Associate of Arts, Associate of Arts in Teaching, Associate of Science and Associate of Applied Science. It also provides workforce training, technical certificates and adult education (Encyclopedia of Arkansas, accessed October 2026). The U.S. Department of Education's College Navigator lists award levels from certificates of less than one year through associate's degrees, and reports fall 2024 enrollment of 8,412, all undergraduate (NCES College Navigator, accessed October 2026).
Specialized centers include the Shewmaker Center for Workforce Technologies, the Shewmaker Center for Global Business Development and the Center for Health Professions. The college also works with Walmart Inc. and other nearby corporate entities on workforce training (Encyclopedia of Arkansas, accessed October 2026).
Why NWACC Matters to the Bentonville Community
Enrollment has grown substantially over time. Fall enrollment rose from 4,945 in 2003 to 8,020 in 2013, and stood at 7,593 in fall 2022 and 9,017 in fall 2025 (Encyclopedia of Arkansas, accessed October 2026). A campus of this size, with housing and public open space in its long-range plan, is a durable local institution for employers who draw on its workforce programs and for owners of nearby residential and commercial property.
Mason Capital Group offers this summary for context only. Individual property decisions depend on parcel-specific factors, and buyers and owners should confirm current campus plans directly with the college.
Discover Bentonville, Arkansas for more on the neighborhoods, schools and amenities around the campus.
Featured image: "Student Center at NWACC" by Brandonrush, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Bentonville Market Snapshot
As of July 2026, the median home sale price in Bentonville was $415,000, with 766 active listings representing 2.64 months of inventory supply (Houzeo) — a market with meaningful buyer competition but not extreme scarcity. If you're considering a move to Bentonville, you can list your home with us.
Working With Mason Capital Group in Bentonville
Mason Capital Group has maintained a presence in Northwest Arkansas for over 30 years, with more than $2.4 billion in cumulative transaction activity. Our office is at 609 SW 8th Street, 6th Floor, Bentonville, AR 72712, and we can be reached at 479-925-3333. Current inventory is on our featured listings page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the NWACC Bentonville campus located?
The main campus is at 1 College Drive, Bentonville, AR 72712, off Interstate 49 in Benton County and a few steps from the Missouri Railway walking trail. The main phone number is 479-986-4000 (NWACC Locations, accessed October 2026).
What programs and degrees does NWACC offer?
NWACC offers four associate's degrees: Associate of Arts, Associate of Arts in Teaching, Associate of Science and Associate of Applied Science, along with workforce training, technical certificates and adult education (Encyclopedia of Arkansas, accessed October 2026). Its culinary division is housed at Brightwater, 801 SE 8th Street in Bentonville (NWACC Locations, accessed October 2026).
How many students attend NWACC?
The Encyclopedia of Arkansas reports fall enrollment of 9,017 in fall 2025 (Encyclopedia of Arkansas, accessed October 2026). The U.S. Department of Education's College Navigator reported 8,412 undergraduate students in fall 2024 (NCES College Navigator, accessed October 2026).
Who operates NWACC and when was it founded?
NWACC is a public two-year college accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It was created after an August 15, 1989, special election in which voters in the Bentonville and Rogers school districts approved a three-mill property tax, and it first enrolled students in August 1990 (Encyclopedia of Arkansas, accessed October 2026).
How does NWACC connect to Bentonville's growth?
The college approved a master plan for its 130-acre Bentonville campus in April 2025 that includes on-campus housing and open space, and in 2026 its board certified a site for its first residence hall (Talk Business & Politics, accessed October 2026; Encyclopedia of Arkansas, accessed October 2026). It also works with Walmart Inc. and other nearby corporate entities on workforce training (Encyclopedia of Arkansas, accessed October 2026).