BaccalaureatePublic

University of Arkansas - Fort Smith

Fort Smith, Arkansas·Public, 4-year or above·Southeast·uafs.edu
6-yr Graduation
38%
-1.0pp vs Baccalaureate
Total enrollment
5,496
peer median 5,316
Avg net price
$10,574
+$1.8k vs Baccalaureate
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
2,769
2,769 candidates competed
Admitted
2,228
80.5% acceptance rate
Enrolled
895
40.2% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
38%-1.0pp vs Baccalaureate
4-year graduation
25%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
38%
Full-time retention
70%

Pell equity

6.2pp gap
Pell recipients
35%192 of 546
Non-Pell (all)
41%186 of 452
Subsidized loan, no Pell
34%35 of 103
No Federal Aid
43%151 of 349

Non-Pell students graduate at a 6.2-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 74 Title IV programs, 19 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 55 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
74
Passing
19
25.7% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

74programs
  • Passing19 · 25.7%
  • No Data55 · 74.3%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
1
Watch
3
Safe
15
No data
55

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

19
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services
Associate Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+0.4%
$31,742 vs $31,625
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
+12.7%
$35,639 vs $31,625
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+13.1%
$35,760 vs $31,625
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Bachelor Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
+19.0%
$37,641 vs $31,625
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+28.1%
$40,519 vs $31,625
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services
+37.6%
$43,509 vs $31,625
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
+39.8%
$44,197 vs $31,625
History
Bachelor Degree · History
+42.6%
$45,097 vs $31,625

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services
Associate Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+0.4%
+$117

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

14
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Bachelor Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
52%
$19,623 debt · $37,641 earn
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services
47%
$20,274 debt · $43,509 earn
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
43%
$17,431 debt · $40,519 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
42%
$18,750 debt · $44,197 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Bachelor Degree · Education
41%
$18,553 debt · $45,378 earn
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
40%
$19,362 debt · $48,712 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
32%
$15,800 debt · $50,020 earn
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
30%
$10,750 debt · $35,639 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1973Next review Aug 2035

Programmatic accreditations · 7

Action history · 9

  1. Jun 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission
  2. Feb 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Hygiene (DH)
  3. Dec 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Radiologic Technology (RAD) - Programs for radiographers
  4. Apr 2021Grant Substantive Change: Program
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Hygiene (DH)
  5. Mar 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$8,890
$30–48k$9,391
$48–75k$11,392
$75–110k$13,804
$110k+$14,297

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$10,574
+$1,755vs Baccalaureate median $8,820
Federal loans
25.7%
In-state tuition
$7,334
Out-of-state
$12,182

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 2,540 students received $14.2M in Pell grants, alongside $10.5M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
2,540
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$14.2M
$14,228,963 total
Direct Loans
$10.5M
2,398 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

3k
20
2k
21
2k
22
2k
23
3k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$4.7M
1,233 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$4.6M
1,054 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$168K
14 loan awards
Parent PLUS$984K
93 loan awards
Grad PLUS$15K
4 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 1,277 borrowers who entered repayment, 8 (0.6%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.6%
-1.7pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
1,277
Defaulted
8
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
16.4%
2017
16.0%
2018
7.9%
2019
0.6%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at UAFS

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs71
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,178 total completions
01Liberal Arts
56948.3%
02Business
19516.6%
03Health Professions
13811.7%
04Education
968.1%
05Psychology
322.7%
06Biological Sciences
322.7%
07Engineering
322.7%
08Security/Protective
302.5%
09Visual/Performing Arts
282.4%
10Mechanic
262.2%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
5,496
12-mo unduplicated
6,084
Undergraduate
6,040
Graduate
44

Gender split

Men
40%2,404
Women
60%3,680

Race / ethnicity composition

White
56.3%
Hispanic
20.0%
Two or more
10.5%
Asian
5.3%
Black
4.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native
2.2%
Non-resident
1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
144
86 M · 58 W
Women athletes
40.3%
Athletic aid
$1.2M
Total student aid
Budget
$4.5M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$598K
$569K
Recruiting expense
$18K
$12K
Head-coach salaries
$37K
$38K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 6

Baseball
39 M ·
$636K
Basketball
18 M · 15 W
$1.3M
Cross Country
12 M · 11 W
$276K
Golf
10 M · 8 W
$499K
Volleyball
· 18 W
$465K
Tennis
7 M · 6 W
$330K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.27
7 offenses · 5,506 students

3-year trend

3.122 yrs ago2.041 yr ago1.27Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
35
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
14
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
4

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
4
Fondling
2
Rape
1

By location

7total
  • On campus6
  • Public property1

Includes 2 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
1
Dating violence
1
Stalking
2 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs18
Liquor621

Residence-hall fires

  • Sebastian Commons2 fires
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Sebastian Commons2 fires
    CookingDamage $0-$99

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
18.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
201

UAFS vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions UAFS selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectUniversity of Arkansas-Fort Smith
38%5,496$10,574Baccalaureate
40%41.2%2,005$12,653Baccalaureate
43%67.3%4,916$13,557Baccalaureate
24%5,135$5,012Baccalaureate
75%61.3%5,655$4,815Baccalaureate
34%92.1%6,815$7,065Baccalaureate
Peer group median39%64.3%5,316$8,820

Institutions like UAFS

Explore the federal data for institutions in UAFS's comparison group.

UAFS Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Research and Strategic Planning
Reports to Office of the Provost
Phone
479-788-7456
Address
Fullerton Administration Building, Room 109, 5210 Grand Avenue, P.O. Box 3649, Fort Smith, Arkansas 72913-3649

The Office of Institutional Research and Strategic Planning provides accurate and timely information and analysis to inform strategic decision-making processes in support of the university's mission.

Visit IR office page
Team
2 members
  • Brett Arrington
    Executive Director of Institutional Research & Strategic Planning
  • Brandy Mendoza
    Institutional Research Associate

Frequently asked questions about University of Arkansas-Fort Smith

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about UAFS.

What is the graduation rate at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith?

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith reports a 6-year graduation rate of 38% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend University of Arkansas-Fort Smith?

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith reports a total enrollment of 5,496 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith?

The average net price at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith is $10,574 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith?

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith's yield rate is 40.2%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is University of Arkansas-Fort Smith located?

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith is located in Fort Smith, Arkansas 72913-3649.

Who runs Institutional Research at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith?

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research and Strategic Planning, which reports to Office of the Provost.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.

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