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Best Public Administration Schools Near Fort Smith, AR (2026)
Fort Smith, Arkansas has 2 accredited schools offering public administration programs, with tuition ranging from $7,750 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 the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area, the top-earning public administration-related role is General and Operations Manager at a median $70,330 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Public Administration Schools to Fort Smith
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public administration 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 public administration page.
Public Administration 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social and Community Service Manager | $55,450 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $64,552 |
| Urban and Regional Planner | $63,530 | AR statewide | $73,958 |
| General and Operations Manager | $70,330 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $81,874 |
| Management Analyst | $65,170 | Fort 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
| 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 Public Administration Programs
- Van Buren, AR – 6.9 mi away (23,367 pop)
- Fayetteville, AR – 51.2 mi away (336,152 pop)
- Siloam Springs, AR – 58.4 mi away (21,136 pop)
- Springdale, AR – 59.3 mi away (78,557 pop)
- Muskogee, OK – 61.8 mi away (41,117 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited public administration schools are near Fort Smith, AR?
Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Fort Smith. The closest is University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR (50.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Rogers State University (97.7 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying public administration roles near Fort Smith?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles near Fort Smith are: General and Operations Manager ($70,330), Management Analyst ($65,170), Urban and Regional Planner ($63,530). 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 public administration 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 public administration?
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 Public Administration Programs
- Is a Public Administration degree worth it?
- Main Public Administration degree guide
- Online Public Administration programs in Arkansas
- Public Administration programs by state
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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.
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