10-yr median earnings
$41,102
Federal aid recipients only
Public · Fort Smith, Arkansas
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith is a public institution in Fort Smith, Arkansas. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.
- $10,574
- Avg net price / yr
- $41,102
- 10-yr median earnings
- 37.4%
- 150%-time completion
- 80.5%
- Acceptance rate
The verdict
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith pairs above-median former-student earnings with open admission.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 49%
- former-student earnings, US
- 80.5%
- acceptance rate
- 37.4%
- 150%-time completion
- +14%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Small
Carnegie: Bacc: Diverse
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this University of Arkansas-Fort Smith profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
D
College Value Score
48/100
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings C-
$41,102
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price B+
$10,574
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
37.4%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$18,250
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment B-
67.6%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention F
69.8%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$10,574
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
37.4%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 37.4%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - University of Arkansas-Fort Smith vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How University of Arkansas-Fort Smith ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$41,102 Top 49% higher than 51% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | University of Arkansas-Fort Smith | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $41,102 | #2503 of 5103 | 51st |
| Average net price | $10,574 | #1231 of 5020 | 75th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 37.4% | #3813 of 4858 | 22nd |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 4,091 | #881 of 5462 | 84th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
4,091
Undergraduate enrollment
80.5%
Acceptance rate
1,050
SAT average
37.4%
150%-time completion
$41,102
10-yr median earnings
69.8%
First-year retention
How University of Arkansas-Fort Smith ranks in Arkansas
State rank among 72 reporting Arkansas colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | University of Arkansas-Fort Smith | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $41,102 | #23 of 72 | 68th |
| Average net price | $10,574 | #23 of 70 | 67th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 37.4% | #51 of 67 | 24th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 4,091 | #8 of 74 | 89th |
Highest former-student earnings in Arkansas
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jefferson Regional School of Nursing | $73,975 | - |
| 2 | University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences | $73,827 | - |
| 3 | University of Arkansas Grantham | $63,496 | $8,370 |
| 4 | Baptist Health College Little Rock | $62,244 | $25,454 |
| 5 | Hendrix College | $60,376 | $24,149 |
| 6 | University of Arkansas | $58,191 | $18,209 |
| 7 | John Brown University | $53,907 | $20,397 |
| 8 | Harding University | $52,876 | $22,130 |
| 9 | Ouachita Baptist University | $51,673 | $22,409 |
| 10 | Central Baptist College | $46,789 | $12,287 |
| 11 | University of Central Arkansas | $45,938 | $16,511 |
| 12 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | $45,265 | $17,248 |
| 23 | University of Arkansas-Fort SmithThis school | $41,102 | $10,574 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 80.5% |
| SAT Average | 1,050 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 18 – 23 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$8,890 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$9,391 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$11,392 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$14,297 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $7,334 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $12,182 |
| Average Net Price | $10,574 |
39.1%
Pell Grant Rate
25.7%
Federal Loan Rate
$18,250
Median Debt
$193/mo
Monthly Payment
What students pay at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith rose +46.5% since 2013
Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort went from $6,891 in 2013 to $10,097 in 2023, a rise of $3,206 in nominal dollars. Across the 4,315 colleges measured over the same 2013–2023 span, the median change was +14.6%.
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $6,8912023 · $10,097
Over the same years, enrollment went -36.5% (6,508 → 4,133 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
56.4%
Female
48.4%
First Generation
Outcomes
69.8%
Retention Rate
$35,925
Median Earnings (6yr)
55.6%
Earning Over $25K
67.6%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 37.4% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 69.8% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $35,925 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $41,102 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 55.6% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 67.6% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $18,250 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $193/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 19 | 595 | $53,124 | $82,688 | $19,875 |
| Associate's | 6 | 151 | $50,403 | $75,794 | $12,441 |
Top programs at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Computer and Information S…
Computer and Information Sciences, General
$82,688 median earnings
- Engineering, General
Engineering, General
$75,794 median earnings
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$73,708 median earnings
- Allied Health Diagnostic, …
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
$72,074 median earnings
- Chemistry
Chemistry
$66,817 median earnings
- Dental Support Services an…
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions
$65,470 median earnings
- Allied Health Diagnostic, …
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
$58,435 median earnings
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$50,020 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Matches use Scorecard measures among reporting colleges — not state-system recommendations or geographic proximity.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Public institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Public institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
North Idaho College
Coeur d'Alene, ID
$10,575 net price · $1 apart
Rowan College of South Jersey-Cumberland Campus
Vineland, NJ
$10,562 net price · $12 apart
Adult and Continuing Education-BCTS
Hackensack, NJ
$10,588 net price · $14 apart
Clatsop Community College
Astoria, OR
$10,548 net price · $26 apart
Similar 2013–2023 Net-Price Trend
Same-sector institutions with the same direction and nearest fitted annual change; only series with R² of at least 0.40 qualify.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith? ▼
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith is a public institution in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The acceptance rate is 80.5%. The average SAT score is 1,050. Undergraduate enrollment is 4,091 students.
How much do University of Arkansas-Fort Smith former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $41,102 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $35,925.
How much does University of Arkansas-Fort Smith cost? ▼
The average net price at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith is $10,574. In-state tuition is $7,334 and out-of-state tuition is $12,182. Median student debt at graduation is $18,250.
What is the graduation rate at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith? ▼
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith has a 37.4% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 69.8%.
Is University of Arkansas-Fort Smith worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith is $18,250, while former students earn a median of $41,102 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 44% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 67.6% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $193.
Sources & methodology
Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.
Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
- Compare University of Arkansas-Fort Smith against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Arkansas side by side.Browse Arkansas
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.