Best Economics Schools Near Fort Smith, AR (2026)

Fort Smith, Arkansas has 4 accredited schools offering economics programs, with tuition ranging from $7,334 to $31,756 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 Arkansas, the top-earning economics-related role is Statistician at a median $105,720 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Economics Schools to Fort Smith

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer economics 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.

No school data available.

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


Economics 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)
Economist$91,560AR statewide$106,589
Financial and Investment Analyst$82,300Fort Smith, AR-OK$95,809
Statistician$105,720AR statewide$123,073
Management Analyst$65,170Fort Smith, AR-OK$75,867

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

Other Fort Smith-Area Cities With Economics Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering economics 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 Arkansas Tech University (69.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying economics-related roles near Fort Smith are: Statistician ($105,720), Economist ($91,560), Financial and Investment Analyst ($82,300). 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 economics 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 economics?

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.


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Other Programs Available in Fort Smith

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

Data verified: August 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.