Best Neuroscience Schools Near Fort Smith, AR (2026)

Fort Smith, Arkansas is home to about 89,496 residents. 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 neuroscience-related role is Pharmacists at a median $133,520 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Neuroscience Schools to Fort Smith

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

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

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#1

Hendrix College

Conway, AR 110.1 miles from Fort Smith
  • 4 year
54.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,376
Avg net price $24,149/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Neuroscience 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.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $72,530 AR statewide $84,435
Biochemists and Biophysicists $82,390 AR statewide $95,914
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists $77,520 AR statewide $90,244
Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary $77,670 AR statewide $90,419
Biological Technicians $46,930 AR statewide $54,633
Pharmacists $133,520 Fort Smith, AR-OK $155,437
Biological Scientists, All Other $76,400 AR statewide $88,941
Psychologists, All Other $114,340 AR statewide $133,108

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

Metric Value Source
Population 89,496 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $52,692 Census 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 Neuroscience Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying neuroscience-related roles near Fort Smith are: Pharmacists ($133,520), Psychologists, All Other ($114,340), Biochemists and Biophysicists ($82,390). 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 neuroscience 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 neuroscience?

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 Neuroscience Programs

Other Programs Available in Fort Smith

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.