Best Urban Planning Schools Near Van Buren, AR (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Van Buren, Arkansas is home to about 23,545 residents. 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 urban planning-related role is Managers, All Other at a median $98,500 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Urban Planning Schools to Van Buren

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

No school data available.

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

Urban Planning 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)
Urban and Regional Planners $63,530 AR statewide $73,958
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $57,220 AR statewide $66,612
Surveyors $51,800 AR statewide $60,303
Geographers N/A AR statewide –
Social and Community Service Managers $55,450 Fort Smith, AR-OK $64,552
Management Analysts $65,170 Fort Smith, AR-OK $75,867
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists N/A AR statewide –
Managers, All Other $98,500 Fort Smith, AR-OK $114,668

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 Urban Planning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying urban planning roles near Van Buren?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying urban planning-related roles near Van Buren are: Managers, All Other ($98,500), Management Analysts ($65,170), Urban and Regional Planners ($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 Fort Smith instead of Van Buren?

Fort Smith, AR is 6.9 miles from Van Buren and has its own set of local urban planning 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 urban planning?

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 Urban Planning Programs

Other Programs Available in Van Buren

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

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.

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