Best Online Social Work Programs in Van Buren, AR (2026)

Van Buren, Arkansas has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $9,748 to $28,772 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 social work-related role is Community Health Worker at a median $58,690 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Social Work Schools to Van Buren

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer social work programs near Van Buren. Distances are calculated from Van Buren city center.

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.

#1

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith

Fort Smith, AR 4.6 miles from Van Buren BOC Score63.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Carl Albert State College

Poteau, OK 32.1 miles from Van Buren BOC Score42.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, AR 46.0 miles from Van Buren BOC Score70.7
Published tuition$9,748 - $28,772
Online programsYes

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#4

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, OK 47.5 miles from Van Buren BOC Score44.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Oral Roberts University

Tulsa, OK 98.5 miles from Van Buren BOC Score42.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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


Social Work 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker$42,990Fort Smith, AR-OK$50,047
Healthcare Social Worker$50,970Fort Smith, AR-OK$59,336
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$46,430Fort Smith, AR-OK$54,051
Social Worker, All Other$47,790AR statewide$55,634
Social and Community Service Manager$55,450Fort Smith, AR-OK$64,552
Social and Human Service Assistant$32,390Fort Smith, AR-OK$37,707
Community Health Worker$58,690Fort Smith, AR-OK$68,324

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

MetricValueSource
Population23,545Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$59,420Census 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
Social Work-related employment in Crawford County531 workers, 60 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Van Buren-Area Cities With Social Work Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Van Buren, AR?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work 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 Oral Roberts University (98.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying social work roles near Van Buren?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Van Buren are: Community Health Worker ($58,690), Social and Community Service Manager ($55,450), Healthcare Social Worker ($50,970). 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 social work 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 social work?

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 Social Work Programs

Other Programs Available in Van Buren

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

Data verified: June 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.