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

Fort Smith, Arkansas has 3 accredited schools offering counseling 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 counseling-related role is Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor at a median $66,270 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Counseling Schools to Fort Smith

The 3 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 3 schools in our directory that offer counseling programs near Fort Smith. Distances are calculated from Fort Smith city center.

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

Counseling 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.

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

Other Fort Smith-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

• Van Buren, AR – 6.9 mi away (23,367 pop)
• Fayetteville, AR – 51.2 mi away (336,152 pop)
• Siloam Springs, AR – 58.4 mi away (21,136 pop)
• Springdale, AR – 59.3 mi away (78,557 pop)
• Muskogee, OK – 61.8 mi away (41,117 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Fort Smith. The closest is Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, OK (51.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Ecclesia College (60.2 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Fort Smith are: Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($66,270), Marriage and Family Therapist ($64,340), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($57,340). 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 counseling 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 counseling?

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 Counseling Programs

• Counseling accreditation: what to look for
• Counseling concentrations and specializations
• Is a Counseling degree worth it?
• Main Counseling degree guide
• Online Counseling programs in Arkansas
• Counseling programs by state

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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.