Best Online Accounting Programs in Fort Smith, AR (2026)

Fort Smith, Arkansas has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs. Fort Smith has a population of about 89,496. Median household income is $52,692 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area, the top-earning accounting-related role is Financial Manager at a median $104,990 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Accounting Schools to Fort Smith

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer accounting programs near Fort Smith. Distances are calculated from Fort Smith city center.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Fort Smith. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

NorthWest Arkansas Community College

Bentonville, AR 70.5 miles from Fort Smith BOC Score52.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Kiamichi Technology Center-McAlester

McAlester, OK 83.0 miles from Fort Smith BOC Score52.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas

De Queen, AR 90.6 miles from Fort Smith BOC Score41.7
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#4

North Arkansas College

Harrison, AR 93.7 miles from Fort Smith BOC Score46.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

National Park College

Hot Springs, AR 94.6 miles from Fort Smith BOC Score40.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Arkansas schools on the Arkansas accounting page.


Accounting Wages Near Fort Smith

Fort Smith is part of the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area (BLS area code 22900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Arkansas statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Accountant and Auditor$62,990Fort Smith, AR-OK$73,329
Financial Manager$104,990Fort Smith, AR-OK$122,224
Financial Analyst$82,300Fort Smith, AR-OK$95,809
Budget Analyst$71,800AR statewide$83,586
Tax Preparer$30,160Fort Smith, AR-OK$35,111
Tax Examiner and Collector$55,140AR statewide$64,191
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk$45,010Fort Smith, AR-OK$52,398

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Fort Smith at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population89,496Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$52,692Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+25.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)85.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Accounting-related employment in Sebastian County286 workers, 66 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Fort Smith-Area Cities With Accounting Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited accounting schools are near Fort Smith, AR?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs near Fort Smith. The closest is NorthWest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville, AR (70.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is National Park College (94.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying accounting roles near Fort Smith?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying accounting-related roles near Fort Smith are: Financial Manager ($104,990), Financial Analyst ($82,300), Budget Analyst ($71,800). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Arkansas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Van Buren instead of Fort Smith?

Van Buren, AR is 6.9 miles from Fort Smith and has its own set of local accounting programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Fort Smith an affordable place to study accounting?

Fort Smith’s median household income of $52,692 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Fort Smith while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Arkansas public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Accounting Programs

Other Programs Available in Fort Smith

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Fort Smith:

Data verified: June 11, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.