Best Sociology Schools Near Fort Smith, AR (2026)

Fort Smith, Arkansas has 5 accredited schools offering sociology 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 sociology-related role is Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $62,390 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Sociology Schools to Fort Smith

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer sociology 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 — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, AR 50.9 miles from Fort Smith
  • 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

#2

University of the Ozarks

Clarksville, AR 51.6 miles from Fort Smith
  • 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

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#3

Arkansas Tech University

Russellville, AR 69.6 miles from Fort Smith
  • 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

#4

University of Central Arkansas

Conway, AR 109.5 miles from Fort Smith
  • 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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#5

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

#6

Henderson State University

Arkadelphia, AR 112.5 miles from Fort Smith
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
29.8 BOC Score
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: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Ouachita Baptist University

Arkadelphia, AR 112.9 miles from Fort Smith
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.6 BOC Score
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: 60

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Little Rock, AR 122.7 miles from Fort Smith
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
42.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 59%
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,265
Avg net price $17,248/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,748
Out‑of‑state$22,158
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Sociology 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)
Sociologists N/A AR statewide
Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary $62,390 AR statewide $72,631
Social and Human Service Assistants $32,390 Fort Smith, AR-OK $37,707
Survey Researchers N/A AR statewide
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $42,990 Fort Smith, AR-OK $50,047
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $58,970 Fort Smith, AR-OK $68,650
Social Science Research Assistants N/A AR statewide
Social and Community Service Managers $55,450 Fort Smith, AR-OK $64,552

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 Sociology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs near Fort Smith. The closest is University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR (50.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Arkansas Tech University (69.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying sociology-related roles near Fort Smith are: Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary ($62,390), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($58,970), Social and Community Service Managers ($55,450). 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 sociology 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 sociology?

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 Sociology 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 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.