Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences at University of Arkansas-Fort Smith

A $24,750 debt load against first-year earnings near $40,000 creates a manageable 0.62 debt-to-earnings ratio—but there's a significant caveat here. These figures come from national medians across similar geoscience programs, not from tracking actual Fort Smith graduates. The University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, the only nearby program with reported outcomes, shows first-year earnings of $31,087, about 22% below the national figure used for this estimate. That gap matters when you're evaluating affordability.

The question becomes whether Fort Smith's geoscience program positions graduates similarly to its Fayetteville counterpart or more like the stronger programs driving that $39,678 national median. Geoscience careers can vary dramatically by specialization—environmental consulting, petroleum, mining, and government work all pay differently and cluster in different regions. Without knowing where Fort Smith's specific graduates land, you're making assumptions about both starting salaries and career trajectories based on peer programs that may serve different industries or markets.

If this program truly delivers earnings close to the national benchmark, the debt burden stays reasonable for a science degree serving nearly 40% Pell-eligible students. But if outcomes track closer to the state median, that first year becomes financially tighter. Before committing, dig into where Fort Smith's geology graduates actually work—internship partners, employer relationships, and alumni networks matter more here than the estimated numbers suggest.