Best Liberal Arts Schools Near Van Buren, AR (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Van Buren, Arkansas has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $7,810 to $29,966 per year for indexed programs. Van Buren has a population of about 23,545. 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 the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $65,170 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Van Buren

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

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 Van Buren. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith

Fort Smith, AR 4.6 miles from Van Buren
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,102
Avg net price $10,574/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, AR 44.1 miles from Van Buren
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
70.7 BOC Score
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: 142

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of the Ozarks

Clarksville, AR 49.9 miles from Van Buren
  • 4 year
30.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,384
Avg net price $17,360/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

John Brown University

Siloam Springs, AR 52.6 miles from Van Buren
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.4 BOC Score
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: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Ecclesia College

Springdale, AR 53.3 miles from Van Buren
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
24.0 BOC Score
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: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Arkansas Tech University

Russellville, AR 69.3 miles from Van Buren
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.4 BOC Score
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: 118

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Champion Christian College

Hot Springs, AR 98.0 miles from Van Buren
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
Avg net price $17,002/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 42%
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Central Arkansas

Conway, AR 109.9 miles from Van Buren
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.8 BOC Score
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: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Liberal Arts Wages Near Van Buren

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)
Public Relations Specialist $54,880 Fort Smith, AR-OK $63,888
Management Analyst $65,170 Fort Smith, AR-OK $75,867
Technical Writer $61,180 AR statewide $71,222
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist $37,450 AR statewide $43,597
Editor $50,180 AR statewide $58,417
Training and Development Specialist $45,480 Fort Smith, AR-OK $52,945
Human Resources Specialist $54,220 Fort Smith, AR-OK $63,120

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 Liberal Arts Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Van Buren, AR?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Van Buren. The closest is University of Arkansas-Fort Smith in Fort Smith, AR (4.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of the Ozarks (49.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Van Buren?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Van Buren are: Management Analyst ($65,170), Technical Writer ($61,180), Public Relations Specialist ($54,880). 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 liberal arts 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 liberal arts?

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.

Learn More About Liberal Arts Programs

Other Programs Available in Van Buren

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Van Buren:

Data verified: September 6, 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.

Back to Best Liberal Arts Schools in Arkansas: Online Programs (2026)