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

Fort Smith, Arkansas has 5 accredited schools offering kinesiology programs, with tuition ranging from $7,810 to $29,966 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 kinesiology-related role is Athletic Trainer at a median $57,240 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Kinesiology Schools to Fort Smith

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer kinesiology 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:

  • 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

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, AR 52.9 miles from Fort Smith BOC Score 70.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 74%
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,191
Avg net price $18,209/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,104
Out‑of‑state$29,966
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

John Brown University

Siloam Springs, AR 59.0 miles from Fort Smith BOC Score 64.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,907
Avg net price $20,397/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Ecclesia College

Springdale, AR 60.2 miles from Fort Smith BOC Score 24.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,650
Avg net price $22,075/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 45%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Arkansas Tech University

Russellville, AR 69.7 miles from Fort Smith BOC Score 58.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,766
Avg net price $12,970/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,674
Out‑of‑state$14,668
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 96

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Central Arkansas

Conway, AR 109.5 miles from Fort Smith BOC Score 45.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,938
Avg net price $16,511/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Central Baptist College

Conway, AR 110.1 miles from Fort Smith BOC Score 41.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,789
Avg net price $12,287/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Henderson State University

Arkadelphia, AR 112.4 miles from Fort Smith BOC Score 29.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,459
Avg net price $23,405/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Ouachita Baptist University

Arkadelphia, AR 112.6 miles from Fort Smith BOC Score 58.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,673
Avg net price $22,409/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Kinesiology 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)
Exercise Physiologist$48,850AR statewide$56,868
Exercise Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor$44,680Fort Smith, AR-OK$52,014
Athletic Trainer$57,240AR statewide$66,636
Coach and Scout$38,960Fort Smith, AR-OK$45,355

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 Kinesiology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering kinesiology programs near Fort Smith. The closest is Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, OK (51.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Ecclesia College (60.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying kinesiology-related roles near Fort Smith are: Athletic Trainer ($57,240), Exercise Physiologist ($48,850), Exercise Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor ($44,680). 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 kinesiology 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 kinesiology?

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 Kinesiology Programs

Other Programs Available in Fort Smith

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

Data verified: July 30, 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.