Best Aviation Management Schools Near Fort Smith, AR (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Fort Smith, Arkansas has 1 accredited school offering aviation management 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 aviation management-related role is Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers at a median $170,960 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Aviation Management Schools to Fort Smith

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer aviation management programs near Fort Smith, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Fort Smith city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

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.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith

Fort Smith, AR 2.4 miles from Fort Smith
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,102
Avg net price $10,574/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Aviation Management 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.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $170,960 Fort Smith, AR-OK $199,022
Commercial Pilots $94,410 AR statewide $109,907
Air Traffic Controllers $109,760 AR statewide $127,776
Airfield Operations Specialists N/A AR statewide –
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $83,370 Fort Smith, AR-OK $97,055
Logisticians $66,010 Fort Smith, AR-OK $76,845
Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $73,520 AR statewide $85,588
Flight Attendants N/A AR statewide –

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

Metric Value Source
Population 89,496 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $52,692 Census 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

Other Fort Smith-Area Cities With Aviation Management Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited aviation management schools are near Fort Smith, AR?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering aviation management programs near Fort Smith. The closest is University of Arkansas-Fort Smith in Fort Smith, AR (2.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Arkansas-Fort Smith (2.4 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying aviation management roles near Fort Smith?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying aviation management-related roles near Fort Smith are: Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers ($170,960), Air Traffic Controllers ($109,760), Commercial Pilots ($94,410). 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 aviation management 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 aviation management?

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 Aviation Management Programs

Other Programs Available in Fort Smith

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

Data verified: September 5, 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.

Back to Best Aviation Management Schools in Arkansas (2026)