+28%
In-state tuition
In-state tuition at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith rose 27% between 2021 and 2024 ($5.8k → $7.3k).
Arkansas · Public · Predominantly bachelor's
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
Fort Smith, Arkansas. 4,133 undergraduate students. 78 programs in the federal Field-of-Study dataset.
ANOMALY ENGINE · NOTABLE SIGNALS
What the data flags at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
Short-arc shifts (recent 3-year window), peer outliers, earnings trend breaks, completion drops, enrollment cliffs, and debt-to-earnings warnings — surfaced deterministically from the federal record. Multi-decade shifts are reported separately in the Long Arc section, since 25-year tuition drift isn't really an anomaly.
-100%
3-year cohort default rate
3-year cohort default rate at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith fell 100% between 2021 and 2024 (0.6% → 0.0%).
+12%
Median federal debt at exit
Median federal debt at exit at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith rose 12% between 2017 and 2020 ($16.2k → $18.2k).
+13%
150%-time completion
150%-time completion at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith rose 13% between 2021 and 2024 (33.4% → 37.9%).
SECTION 01 · OUTCOMES SNAPSHOT
The numbers, vs. Arkansas
Each tile compares this institution to the Arkansas median for the same metric. Sub-line shows the comparison value, not an interpretation. Sparklines trace the federally available history.
$41,102+14% · 6→10y
Arkansas median $34,871$35,925
Treasury earnings · 6y post-entry37.0%+159% · '97→'24
Arkansas median 47.1%$10,750+750% · '97→'20
At program completion4,133-0% · '96→'24
latest IPEDS71.6%+14% · '04→'24
first-time, full-time81.5%+29% · '05→'24
latest cohort$6,906+482% · '00→'24
out-of-state $13,770SECTION 02 · EARNINGS HORIZONS
How earnings spread, 4 to 10 years after entry
Treasury tax-record earnings for federally aided students who first enrolled at this institution. Each point is a horizon from the most-recent vintage. Single median per horizon (no p25/p75 publishing).
Earnings widen with time post-entry. Selection: federal-aid recipients only — not all graduates.Methodology →
SECTION 03 · DEBT-TO-EARNINGS
What loans cost relative to earnings
Annual debt service as a share of median earnings 10 years after entry, computed under federal Direct loan terms (10-year fixed at 6%). The 8% line is the gainful-employment threshold from federal regulation; above 12% has historically been considered “failing” under prior rule cycles.
Institution-wide
3.5%Median federal debt $10,750 amortized over 10 years vs. median earnings $41,102 (10y after entry).
SECTION 04 · LONG ARC
Ten-plus year arc
Federally available history. Coverage varies by metric — IPEDS publishes some series only after 2009 and others only before.
Undergraduate enrollment.
150%-time completion rate.
Median federal student debt at exit.
+159%
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith · completion · 150% rose
14.6% → 37.9%
+14%
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith · retention rose
61.0% → 69.8%
+482%
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith · in-state tuition rose
$1,260 → $7,334
+294%
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith · out-of-state tuition rose
$3,090 → $12,182
+750%
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith · median debt rose
$2,147 → $18,250
-100%
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith · cohort default rate fell
18.8% → 0.0%
+37%
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith · earnings_median_10yr rose
$30,100 → $41,102
+36%
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith · earnings_median_8yr rose
$27,900 → $37,858
+39%
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith · earnings_median_6yr rose
$25,900 → $35,925
SECTION 05 · PROGRAMS
Ranked by 5-year earnings
Each row is one (CIP × credential) program reported by the institution in College Scorecard's Field-of-Study data. Cohort floor is 30 students; below this, federal data is suppressed.
Computer and Information Sciences, General.$79,556Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.$73,763Accounting and Related Services.$62,560Marketing.$52,699Biology, General.$51,318Business Administration, Management and Operations.$49,573Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other.$45,916Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas.$44,674Criminal Justice and Corrections.$43,544History.$43,211Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities.$42,814Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods.$42,085Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other.$41,021Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities.$38,059Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians.$38,059Psychology, General.$36,938Design and Applied Arts.$36,606Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.$34,796Business Operations Support and Assistant Services.$30,737
SECTION 06 · BY CIP FAMILY
19 programs with earnings, grouped
Programs are grouped by 2-digit CIP family. Programs without reported earnings are hidden to keep the list focused.
COMPUTER & INFORMATION SCIENCES · CIP 11
EDUCATION · CIP 13
ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES · CIP 15
LIBERAL ARTS & GENERAL STUDIES · CIP 24
BIOLOGICAL & BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES · CIP 26
MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES · CIP 30
PSYCHOLOGY · CIP 42
HOMELAND SECURITY & PROTECTIVE SERVICES · CIP 43
VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS · CIP 50
HEALTH PROFESSIONS · CIP 51
BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT & MARKETING · CIP 52
HISTORY · CIP 54
SECTION 07 · SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS
Same sector and degree mix in Arkansas
Picked by Carnegie sector × predominant credential level. These are not rankings — just nearest-neighbour surfaces for comparison.
CAUSAL DISCIPLINE
“University of Arkansas-Fort Smith graduates earn $X” — not “University of Arkansas-Fort Smith makes you earn $X”
Median earnings describe what cohorts earned. They do not describe what attending University of Arkansas-Fort Smith caused. Selection effects (who admits, who enrolls, who completes) are real. We publish federal data with strict descriptive phrasing — and link the methodology where you can read about the limitations directly.