Best Online Biology Programs in Van Buren, AR (2026)

Van Buren, Arkansas has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs, with tuition ranging from $7,810 to $29,966 per year for indexed programs. Van Buren has a population of about 23,545. Median household income is $59,420 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Arkansas, the top-earning biology-related role is Medical Scientist at a median $72,530 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Biology Schools to Van Buren

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer biology programs near Van Buren, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Van Buren 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 Van Buren. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith

Fort Smith, AR 4.6 miles from Van Buren BOC Score 63.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, AR 46.0 miles from Van Buren BOC Score 70.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 74%
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,191
Avg net price $18,209/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,104
Out‑of‑state$29,966
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of the Ozarks

Clarksville, AR 50.0 miles from Van Buren BOC Score 30.4
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,384
Avg net price $17,360/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

John Brown University

Siloam Springs, AR 52.5 miles from Van Buren BOC Score 64.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,907
Avg net price $20,397/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Arkansas Tech University

Russellville, AR 69.4 miles from Van Buren BOC Score 58.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,766
Avg net price $12,970/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,674
Out‑of‑state$14,668
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 96

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Central Arkansas

Conway, AR 109.9 miles from Van Buren BOC Score 45.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,938
Avg net price $16,511/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Hendrix College

Conway, AR 110.4 miles from Van Buren BOC Score 54.1
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,376
Avg net price $24,149/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Central Baptist College

Conway, AR 110.5 miles from Van Buren BOC Score 41.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,789
Avg net price $12,287/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Biology Wages Near Van Buren

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Arkansas, statewide)
Medical Scientist$72,530
Biological Technician$46,930
Zoologist and Wildlife BiologistN/A
Soil and Plant ScientistN/A

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.


Van Buren at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population23,545Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$59,420Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+19.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)85.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Van Buren-Area Cities With Biology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited biology schools are near Van Buren, AR?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs near Van Buren. The closest is University of Arkansas-Fort Smith in Fort Smith, AR (4.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is John Brown University (52.5 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying biology roles in Arkansas?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying biology-related roles in Arkansas are: Medical Scientist ($72,530), Biological Technician ($46,930). Wages for Van Buren workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

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

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

Is Van Buren an affordable place to study biology?

Van Buren’s median household income of $59,420 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Van Buren 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 Biology Programs

Other Programs Available in Van Buren

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Van Buren:

Data verified: July 30, 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.