Best Business Development Schools Near Benton, AR (2026)

Benton, Arkansas is home to about 35,954 residents. Median household income is $69,638 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro area, the top-earning business development-related role is Sales Manager at a median $102,300 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Business Development Schools to Benton

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

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

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#1

Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas

Helena, AR 111.2 miles from Benton
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $29,552
Avg net price $4,848/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Arkansas State University

Jonesboro, AR 138.0 miles from Benton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
51.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 82%
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,617
Avg net price $12,366/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,090
Out‑of‑state$14,522
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Business Development Wages Near Benton

Benton is part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro area (BLS area code 30780). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Arkansas statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Sales Manager$102,300Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR$114,430
Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing$55,190Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR$61,734
General and Operations Manager$76,080Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR$85,101
Management Analyst$75,750Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR$84,732

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.


Benton at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population35,954Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$69,638Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+28.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)89.4 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Benton-Area Cities With Business Development Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying business development roles near Benton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying business development-related roles near Benton are: Sales Manager ($102,300), General and Operations Manager ($76,080), Management Analyst ($75,750). 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 Bryant instead of Benton?

Bryant, AR is 5.3 miles from Benton and has its own set of local business development programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Benton an affordable place to study business development?

Benton’s median household income of $69,638 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Benton 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 Business Development Programs

Other Programs Available in Benton

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

Data verified: August 31, 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.