With the Walton family announcing a brand-new STEM-focused university rising on the former Walmart Home Office site, Bentonville is stepping into a national conversation about innovation, talent, and the future of education.
Students will learn in tech labs instead of lecture halls. Industry partners will mentor projects. Graduates will step straight into automation, computing, biotech, and logistics careers - the very sectors driving Northwest Arkansas forward.
It’s the kind of anchor institution that reshapes neighborhoods, attracts employers, and drives long-term demand for housing.
Overview
A new STEM-focused university is being funded by Tom and Steuart Walton.
Located at the former Walmart Home Office site on 8th St in Bentonville.
Designed to be modern, flexible, and career-aligned, with stackable STEM credentials.
Initial class of ~500 undergraduates, growing to ~1,500 undergrads + 500 non-degree learners.
Tuition will be fully covered in the early years to attract top STEM talent.
Programs: computing, automation, logistics, biomedical tech, and technical management.
What’s Being Built (and where)
Location:
The campus will be a part of a larger mixed-use development that will rise on the former Walmart Home Office site - one of the most strategically located pieces of real estate in NWA. It sits beside downtown Bentonville, the Market District, the new Walmart Home Office campus, and within minutes of trails, cultural assets, restaurants, and housing.
This is a redevelopment that ties the past of Walmart’s growth to the future of the region’s innovation economy.
The model:
This is not a traditional university. It’s built around:
Project-based learning in labs, not lecture halls
Deep industry partnerships with NWA’s tech + supply chain leaders
Stackable credentials for students and working adults
Commercialization pathways - turning ideas into companies
Flexible enrollment for undergrads, certificate seekers, and adult learners
It combines the feel of a startup incubator, a technical college, a modern university, and an innovation hub - all in one.
Why It Matters for Northwest Arkansas
Talent, Economy, & Regional Trajectory
A 2023 NWA Council study showed the region’s tech-sector job growth outpaced the nation by 4× over the past decade.
In other words: demand for STEM talent is exploding.
This new university addresses that head-on:
Local workforce pipeline for automation, AI, biotech, logistics, and software
Retention of top-tier students who otherwise leave the region
Attraction of entrepreneurial young adults through tuition-free early years
Partnerships with major employers (Walmart, J.B. Hunt, Tyson, startups, incubators)
New research and commercialization capacity
Other regions with STEM anchor institutions - Boulder, Raleigh, Madison, Austin - have built entire ecosystems around them. Bentonville is clearly taking that playbook and localizing it.
What This Means for Real Estate
Neighborhood demand
Institutions like this don’t just change education - they reshape the map.
Expect increased demand in:
Downtown Bentonville
8th Street Market District
Orchards / Quail Ridge / east-side neighborhoods
Townhomes and modern builds within 1–2 miles of campus
Walkable, bikeable access becomes a premium amenity.
Rentals & investment property
With ~2,000+ projected learners (undergrads + non-degree), you’ll see new demand for:
student housing
young-professional rentals
faculty/staff relocations
short-term stays for visiting partners, entrepreneurs, and researchers
Investors could find stability in proximity to the campus.
Small business & mixed-use development
Expect momentum for:
new coffee shops, coworking, study spaces
lab-adjacent startups and maker spaces
restaurants and retail in the 8th St corridor
infill redevelopment near downtown
Anchor institutions shape commercial footprints just as much as residential ones.
Long-term property values
Nationally, homes near high-performing STEM schools and innovation campuses appreciate 4–10% faster over 10-year periods compared to similar markets.
With Walton backing, a prime location, and an innovation-driven curriculum, this university could become one of NWA’s most influential long-term value drivers.
A New Chapter for Bentonville
Between the Walmart Home Office, Ledger, Crystal Bridges, Thaden School, Momentary, and the Alice Walton School of Medicine - Bentonville has been steadily building a diverse innovation ecosystem.
This university is the next major piece.
It puts Bentonville on the map for STEM and entrepreneurship and, in addition to NWACC, bolsters its position in the state as a home for higher education. And it’s going to reshape the real estate landscape around it.
Interested in buying or selling in downtown Bentonville? Reach out: [email protected]
Sources: Heartland Forward
