U.S. median for this major: $85,212.
College Scorecard field of study; 108 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 33% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $27,000.
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 Nursing: 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.
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 | 1.1 years |
| $30–48k | $9,391 | $49,115 | 1.2 years |
| $48–75k | $11,392 | $59,580 | 1.4 years |
| $75–110k | $13,804 | $72,195 | 1.7 years |
| $110k+ | $14,297 | $74,773 | 1.8 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 Nursing graduates 4 years after graduating ($73,708) minus $32,399 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AR (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $41,309 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.
Nursing at Arkansas colleges
Every Arkansas college we cover that reports Nursing 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 at Little Rock | $88,617 | $32,419 | $17,248 | 42% |
| 2 | Arkansas State University | $88,611 | $26,355 | $12,366 | 55% |
| 3 | University of Arkansas | $84,911 | $24,327 | $18,209 | 71% |
| 4 | Arkansas Tech Universitymostly 2-year | $84,719 | $23,424 | $12,970 | 49% |
| 5 | University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences | $79,413 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 6 | University of Central Arkansas | $76,783 | $25,000 | $16,511 | 54% |
| 7 | University of Arkansas-Fort Smithbachelor's & associate | $73,708 | $24,250 | $10,574 | 38% |
| 8 | Harding University | $71,872 | $30,000 | $22,130 | 69% |
| 9 | University of Arkansas at Monticellobachelor's & associate | $71,629 | — | $14,287 | 49% |
| 10 | Southern Arkansas University Main Campus | $70,185 | $24,750 | $14,027 | 49% |
| 11 | Henderson State University | $68,733 | $21,500 | $23,405 | 37% |
| 12 | John Brown University | $64,963 | $29,291 | $20,397 | 72% |
2 more Arkansas colleges offer Nursing but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Nursing graduates
Registered nurse
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.6% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Medical and Health Services Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +24.2% 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
Related majors at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$72,074
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Nursing questions
How much do University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Nursing graduates earn?
Nursing graduates of University of Arkansas-Fort Smith earn a median $73,708 four years after graduating and $69,618 one year after. The U.S. median for Nursing graduates across 858 colleges is $85,212.
How much debt do University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Nursing graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Nursing graduates of University of Arkansas-Fort Smith is $24,250, about 33% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.
Is University of Arkansas-Fort Smith a good school for Nursing in Arkansas?
On pay, Nursing graduates of University of Arkansas-Fort Smith earn $73,708 four years out, $1,538 below the median for the same major across 12 Arkansas colleges ($75,246) and $11,504 below the U.S. median ($85,212). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does University of Arkansas-Fort Smith rank for Nursing in Arkansas?
Of 12 Arkansas colleges reporting Nursing graduate earnings, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith ranks 7th. The highest is University of Arkansas at Little Rock at $88,617.
What jobs do Nursing graduates get?
A common career is registered nurse, with a median wage of $79,870 in the Fort Smith, AR-OK area and $97,550 nationally. Others include medical and health services managers.
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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 Nursing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-arkansas-fort-smith/majors/nursing (College Scorecard and BLS data).