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 accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer counseling 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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.
Acceptance rate
74%
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,191
Avg net price
$18,209/yr
TuitionIn‑state$10,104
Out‑of‑state$29,966
Key stats- Retention rate: 86%
- Programs offered: 52
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,907
Avg net price
$20,397/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 32
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$40,650
Avg net price
$22,075/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 45%
- Programs offered: 5
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
96%
Graduation rate
49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$41,766
Avg net price
$12,970/yr
TuitionIn‑state$8,674
Out‑of‑state$14,668
Key stats- Retention rate: 73%
- Programs offered: 96
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,938
Avg net price
$16,511/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 73%
- Programs offered: 44
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,459
Avg net price
$23,405/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 60%
- Programs offered: 43
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,673
Avg net price
$22,409/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 24
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
59%
Graduation rate
42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,265
Avg net price
$17,248/yr
TuitionIn‑state$9,748
Out‑of‑state$22,158
Key stats- Retention rate: 74%
- Programs offered: 54
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
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.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor | $57,340 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $66,752 |
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor | $66,270 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $77,148 |
| Marriage and Family Therapist | $64,340 | AR statewide | $74,901 |
| Rehabilitation Counselor | $29,150 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $33,935 |
| Counselor, All Other | $49,310 | AR statewide | $57,404 |
| Social and Community Service Manager | $55,450 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $64,552 |
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 |
| Counseling-related employment in Sebastian County | 2,671 workers, 260 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
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?
Accredited schools offering counseling programs near Fort Smith are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.
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
Other Programs Available in Fort Smith
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Fort Smith:
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- Social Work programs in Fort Smith, AR
Data verified: July 23, 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.
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