Explore Fort Smith, Arkansas

Fort Smith Public and Private schools provide comprehensive services for students of all ages, races and social circumstances. Developmentally appropriate and challenging programs are the standard in classrooms. In the districts high schools Regular, Honors and Advanced Placement courses are available. A variety of activities and sports are available to secondary students, while PTA’s and PTO’s and community programs, such as Partners in Education, support the efforts of teachers. Fort Smith Public School District has 18 elementary, 4 junior high, and two high schools. The private school sector has 8 elementary, 4 junior high and two high schools. Public high schools, Northside and Southside have earned recognition as National Blue Ribbon Schools. Fort Smith’s Southside High School is one of only 29 schools nationwide to be recognized as a “National School of Excellence” three times.

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith is celebrating its 75th anniversary as a learner-centered university with strong community support, as evidenced by the university’s $24.8 million endowment. UAFS is the state’s fifth largest institution of higher education with an enrollment around 6,500 students. Approximately 20,000 people annually benefit from UA Fort Smith’s credit, continuing education and business and industry programs. Students can earn bachelor’s and associate’s degrees in a variety of areas, including health sciences, education, liberal arts, business, and technology. UA Fort Smith’s College of Business offers degree plans that meet the needs of the region’s businesses and industries.

The Business and Professional Institute focuses on workforce training and continuing education, while the Arkansas Small Business Development Center provides specialized consulting and training to promote economic growth for the area. The campus, winner of a Keep Arkansas Beautiful award, comprises 120 acres with 20 major buildings. Along with the Donald W. Reynolds Bell Tower, Plaza and Campus Green, the grounds display beautiful seasonal landscaping. Visitors are invited to enjoy a stroll around the award-winning campus and stop in the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center for registration information.

In addition to UA-Fort Smith, two area educational centers offer Bachelor and Master’s Degrees in the Region. John Brown University provides adults over the age of traditional college students the innovative Advance Degree Completion Program in Fort Smith. The Advance Program helps working adults with two or more years of college credit to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Management or Business Information Systems in as little as a year and a half.

Webster University, located in downtown Fort Smith, offers accredited courses in Management, Human Resource Development and Business Administration in the Fort Smith Region for those in pursuit of a Master’s degree.