U.S. median for this major: $64,798.
College Scorecard field of study; 326 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 38% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,808.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $19,048. College Scorecard.
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Business Administration: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Business Administration nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses University of Arkansas-Fort Smith's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $8,890 | $46,495 | 2.6 years |
| $30–48k | $9,391 | $49,115 | 2.8 years |
| $48–75k | $11,392 | $59,580 | 3.4 years |
| $75–110k | $13,804 | $72,195 | 4.1 years |
| $110k+ | $14,297 | $74,773 | 4.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 5.2 years, the average time graduates took (3% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Business Administration graduates 4 years after graduating ($50,020) minus $32,399 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AR (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $17,621 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Business Administration at Arkansas colleges
Every Arkansas college we cover that reports Business Administration graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Arkansas | $79,770 | $21,500 | $18,209 | 71% |
| 2 | John Brown University | $70,720 | $27,000 | $20,397 | 72% |
| 3 | Ouachita Baptist University | $66,175 | — | $22,409 | 61% |
| 4 | Harding University | $62,025 | $27,750 | $22,130 | 69% |
| 5 | University of Central Arkansas | $57,826 | $20,500 | $16,511 | 54% |
| 6 | Arkansas Tech Universitymostly 2-year | $56,643 | $21,780 | $12,970 | 49% |
| 7 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | $51,384 | $36,219 | $17,248 | 42% |
| 8 | University of the Ozarks | $50,789 | $18,575 | $17,360 | 51% |
| 9 | University of Arkansas-Fort Smithbachelor's & associate | $50,020 | $19,148 | $10,574 | 38% |
| 10 | University of Arkansas at Monticellobachelor's & associate | $49,718 | — | $14,287 | 49% |
| 11 | Arkansas State University | $47,023 | $22,000 | $12,366 | 55% |
| 12 | University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff | $46,323 | $27,406 | $12,653 | 40% |
| 13 | Williams Baptist University | $46,062 | — | $15,745 | 26% |
| 14 | Philander Smith University | $43,163 | $27,622 | $14,224 | 30% |
6 more Arkansas colleges offer Business Administration but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Business Administration graduates
Management analyst
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +10.1% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
General and Operations Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Project Management Specialists
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +6.7% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
- Acceptance rate: 80% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 38% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $41,102
- Full cost breakdown · all 29 majors · overview
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Business Administration questions
How much do University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Business Administration graduates earn?
Business Administration graduates of University of Arkansas-Fort Smith earn a median $50,020 four years after graduating and $39,057 one year after. The U.S. median for Business Administration graduates across 1104 colleges is $64,798.
How much debt do University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Business Administration graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Business Administration graduates of University of Arkansas-Fort Smith is $19,148, about 38% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,808.
Is University of Arkansas-Fort Smith a good school for Business Administration in Arkansas?
On pay, Business Administration graduates of University of Arkansas-Fort Smith earn $50,020 four years out, $1,364 below the median for the same major across 15 Arkansas colleges ($51,384) and $14,778 below the U.S. median ($64,798). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does University of Arkansas-Fort Smith rank for Business Administration in Arkansas?
Of 14 Arkansas colleges reporting Business Administration graduate earnings, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith ranks 9th. The highest is University of Arkansas at $79,770.
What jobs do Business Administration graduates get?
A common career is management analyst, with a median wage of $65,170 in the Fort Smith, AR-OK area and $101,860 nationally. Others include general and operations managers and project management specialists.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Business Administration: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-arkansas-fort-smith/majors/business-administration (College Scorecard and BLS data).