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

Fort Smith, Arkansas has 5 accredited schools offering cybersecurity programs, with tuition ranging from $8,508 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 cybersecurity-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $114,760 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Cybersecurity Schools to Fort Smith

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer cybersecurity programs near Fort Smith. Distances are calculated from Fort Smith city center.

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 Fort Smith. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Carl Albert State College

Poteau, OK 25.8 miles from Fort Smith BOC Score42.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, AR 52.9 miles from Fort Smith BOC Score70.7
Published tuition$9,748 - $28,772
Online programsYes

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#3

John Brown University

Siloam Springs, AR 59.0 miles from Fort Smith BOC Score64.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Arkansas Tech University

Russellville, AR 69.7 miles from Fort Smith BOC Score58.4
Published tuition$8,508 - $21,536
Online programsYes

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#5

Kiamichi Technology Center-McAlester

McAlester, OK 83.0 miles from Fort Smith BOC Score52.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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


Cybersecurity 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analyst$91,020Fort Smith, AR-OK$105,960
Network and Computer Systems Administrator$73,620Fort Smith, AR-OK$85,704
Computer Network Architect$114,270Fort Smith, AR-OK$133,027
Computer Systems Analyst$38,020Fort Smith, AR-OK$44,261
Computer and Information Systems Manager$114,760Fort Smith, AR-OK$133,597
Computer Network Support Specialist$58,810Fort Smith, AR-OK$68,463
Computer User Support Specialist$48,170Fort Smith, AR-OK$56,077

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

MetricValueSource
Population89,496Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$52,692Census 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
Cybersecurity-related employment in Sebastian County107 workers, 42 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Fort Smith-Area Cities With Cybersecurity Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering cybersecurity programs near Fort Smith. The closest is Carl Albert State College in Poteau, OK (25.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Kiamichi Technology Center-McAlester (83.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying cybersecurity-related roles near Fort Smith are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($114,760), Computer Network Architect ($114,270), Information Security Analyst ($91,020). 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 cybersecurity 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 cybersecurity?

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 Cybersecurity Programs

Other Programs Available in Fort Smith

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

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.