BestOnlineCollege.org is an advertising-supported website. Many of the school and program listings that appear on this site are from partners who compensate us, and this compensation may affect how, where, and in what order listings appear (such as featured placements). This compensation does not influence our editorial content, evaluations, or rankings, which are determined independently using publicly available data. We do not review or feature every school or program available in the marketplace. Our goal is to provide accurate, unbiased information so you can make informed decisions. Read our full Advertiser Disclosure.
Best Forensic Psychology Schools Near Van Buren, AR (2026)
Updated September 5, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Van Buren, Arkansas is home to about 23,545 residents. Median household income is $59,420 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Arkansas, the top-earning forensic psychology-related role is Psychologists, All Other at a median $114,340 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Forensic Psychology Schools to Van Buren
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer forensic psychology programs near Van Buren, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Van Buren city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
Van Buren 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)
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists
$77,520
AR statewide
$90,244
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
$45,410
Fort Smith, AR-OK
$52,864
Detectives and Criminal Investigators
$54,500
AR statewide
$63,446
Forensic Science Technicians
$44,670
AR statewide
$52,002
Psychologists, All Other
$114,340
AR statewide
$133,108
Social and Human Service Assistants
$32,390
Fort Smith, AR-OK
$37,707
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
$71,730
Fort Smith, AR-OK
$83,504
Rehabilitation Counselors
$29,150
Fort Smith, AR-OK
$33,935
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.
Van Buren at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Population
23,545
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income
$59,420
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+
19.8%
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)
85.9 (below U.S. average)
BEA RPP 2024
Other Van Buren-Area Cities With Forensic Psychology Programs
What are the highest-paying forensic psychology roles near Van Buren?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic psychology-related roles near Van Buren are: Psychologists, All Other ($114,340), Clinical and Counseling Psychologists ($77,520), First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives ($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 Fort Smith instead of Van Buren?
Fort Smith, AR is 6.9 miles from Van Buren and has its own set of local forensic psychology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Van Buren an affordable place to study forensic psychology?
Van Buren’s median household income of $59,420 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Van Buren 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.
Data verified: September 5, 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.