Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Fort Smith, AR (2026)

Fort Smith, Arkansas has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $9,748 to $28,772 per year for indexed 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 criminal justice-related role is Information Security Analyst at a median $91,020 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Fort Smith

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice 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 criminal justice page.

Criminal Justice 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 Criminal Justice 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 criminal justice schools are near Fort Smith, AR?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice 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 Connors State College (54.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminal justice roles near Fort Smith?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Fort Smith are: Information Security Analyst ($91,020), Attorney ($88,100), Police Supervisor ($71,730). 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 criminal justice 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 criminal justice?

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 Criminal Justice Programs

• Criminal Justice accreditation: what to look for
• Criminal Justice concentrations and specializations
• Is a Criminal Justice degree worth it?
• Main Criminal Justice degree guide
• Online Criminal Justice programs in Arkansas
• Criminal Justice 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.