No Oklahoma college or university graduates more than two-thirds of its students, and 80 percent of colleges graduate less than half, according to newly released federal data.
The U.S. Department of Education launched the College Scorecard on Sept. 12 to help prospective students find the schools they’re most likely to graduate from and land a job to pay off their loans. Data is pulled from tax returns, federal financial aid reports and the colleges and universities.
The report shows only 13 out the state’s 46 college and universities with data available exceeded the national graduation rate of about 44 percent.
The state’s flagship institutions, the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University, had two of the top three six-year graduation rates. Those were 66 percent and 61 percent, respectively.
The two universities are also more expensive than many other public, four-year colleges, but their alumni tend to earn more after graduation. Sooner grads earned an average of $46,600 per year 10 years after graduation, while Cowboy alumni averaged $43,400.
The average annual costs, which are what students pay after accounting for scholarships and financial aid, is $16,526 for the University of Oklahoma and $14,053 for Oklahoma State.
Both universities also have lower rates of students coming from low-income families, a student population that often struggles to graduate on time, if at all. Low income is defined as a family making less than $40,000.
Students attending private and for-profit schools tend to be saddled with the most debt.
Students at Tulsa and Oklahoma City campuses of the University of Phoenix owe an average of $35,500 in federal student loans, the second highest debt load in the state.
Both campuses also have some of the worst graduation rates in the state.
Only 14 percent of students graduate from the Tulsa facility and 16 percent from the Oklahoma City.
The data shows two-year colleges often struggle to get their students into a cap and gown.
Those schools tend to have higher levels of low-income students, who may be juggling taking care of family members, bills and school work, all of which makes it harder to graduate.
The graduation rate only counts first-time, full-time students. That means full-time students who transfer from one college to another count against the graduation rate of the first school they attended. They do not affect the graduation rate of the second school.
Part-time students are not included in graduation rates.
Rose State College and Oklahoma City Community College are tied for the lowest graduation rate among public two-year colleges, at 16 percent.
At Rose State College, 40 percent of students are considered to come from low-income families, compared with 43 percent of students at Oklahoma City Community College.
Degrees of Difference
| College | Type | Avg. Annual Cost | 6-year Graduation Rate | Avg. Salary after 10 years | Avg. Student Debt | Low-Income Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bacone College | Private – Religious | $14,635 | 8% | $30,600 | $24,398 | 95% |
| Brown Mackie College | For Profit | $19,069 | NA | $25,200 | $21,599 | 82% |
| Cameron University | Public | $9,100 | 20% | $33,900 | $18,603 | 49% |
| Carl Albert State College | Public | $4,611 | 31% | $25,900 | $6,498 | 45% |
| Connors State College | Public | $7,844 | 22% | $29,800 | $11,250 | 56% |
| DeVry University | For Profit | $23,009 | NA | NA | $43,068 | 64% |
| East Central University | Public | $7,325 | 34% | $34,500 | $19,500 | 48% |
| Eastern Oklahoma State College | Public | $6,640 | 21% | $29,800 | $12,250 | 19% |
| Family of Faith College | Private – Religious | $16,025 | NA | NA | $0 | 60% |
| Heritage College – Oklahoma City | For Profit | $18,509 | 61% | $20,100 | $15,333 | 69% |
| Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College | Private – Religious | $16,711 | 46% | $33,400 | $0 | 54% |
| ITT Technical Institute – Oklahoma City | For Profit | $23,521 | 27% | $38,400 | $25,834 | 76% |
| ITT Technical Institute – Tulsa | For Profit | $22,695 | 21% | $38,400 | $25,834 | 73% |
| Langston University | Public | $6,406 | 18% | $28,400 | $30,201 | 72% |
| Mid-America Christian University | Private – Religious | $18,067 | 24% | $38,900 | $27,375 | 58% |
| Murray State College | Public | $8,658 | 20% | $30,500 | $17,749 | 63% |
| Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College | Public | $9,305 | 24% | $28,600 | $10,904 | 58% |
| Northeastern State University | Public | $6,668 | 30% | $35,000 | $18,471 | 49% |
| Northern Oklahoma College | Public | $6,048 | 25% | $30,400 | $9,835 | 28% |
| Northwestern Oklahoma State University | Public | $5,842 | 31% | $36,100 | $15,000 | 42% |
| Oklahoma Baptist University | Private – Religious | $15,474 | 53% | $35,300 | $24,896 | 33% |
| Oklahoma Christian University | Private – Religious | $18,731 | 50% | $35,600 | $25,250 | 27% |
| Oklahoma City Community College | Public | $6,944 | 16% | $33,000 | $9,750 | 43% |
| Oklahoma City University | Private – Religious | $25,681 | 59% | $39,400 | $24,168 | 20% |
| Oklahoma Panhandle State University | Public | $11,034 | 22% | $34,400 | $18,154 | 46% |
| Oklahoma State University | Public | $14,053 | 61% | $43,400 | $20,500 | 29% |
| Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology | Public | $7,217 | 26% | $33,000 | $12,700 | 38% |
| Oklahoma Wesleyan University | Private – Religious | $21,260 | 50% | $44,000 | $23,166 | 42% |
| Oral Roberts University | Private – Religious | $21,258 | 52% | $34,900 | $27,000 | 44% |
| Platt College – North Oklahoma City | For Profit | $21,793 | 60% | $20,600 | $12,000 | 80% |
| Redlands Community College | Public | $4,999 | 26% | $33,000 | $9,528 | 33% |
| Rogers State University | Public | $12,256 | 19% | $32,600 | $19,000 | 47% |
| Rose State College | Public | $8,005 | 16% | $31,400 | $10,250 | 40% |
| Seminole State College | Public | $9,047 | 27% | $28,000 | $11,750 | 44% |
| Southeastern Oklahoma State University | Public | $7,848 | 30% | $34,300 | $16,443 | 48% |
| Southern Nazarene University | Private – Religious | $18,428 | 44% | $45,800 | $18,750 | 54% |
| Southwestern Christian University | Private – Religious | $20,151 | 23% | $28,200 | $23,316 | 65% |
| Southwestern College | Private – Religious | $21,201 | 52% | $44,200 | $25,350 | 36% |
| Southwestern Oklahoma State University | Public | $10,272 | 35% | $37,000 | $16,759 | 39% |
| St. Gregory’s University | Private – Religious | $14,791 | 25% | $38,200 | $25,250 | 42% |
| Tulsa Community College | Public | $6,576 | 17% | $31,200 | $11,494 | 41% |
| University of Central Oklahoma | Public | $11,232 | 34% | $38,400 | $22,250 | 35% |
| University of Oklahoma | Public | $16,526 | 66% | $46,600 | $20,000 | 25% |
| University of Phoenix-Oklahoma City | For Profit | $17,403 | 16% | $53,400 | $35,500 | 74% |
| University of Phoenix-Tulsa | For Profit | $20,394 | 14% | $53,400 | $35,500 | 69% |
| University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma | Public | $7,956 | 39% | $30,700 | $19,592 | 46% |
| University of Tulsa | Private – Religious | $25,702 | 67% | $43,200 | $25,000 | 16% |
| Vatterott College – Oklahoma City | For Profit | $17,581 | 58% | NA | $22,155 | 4400% |
| Western Oklahoma State College | Public | $5,730 | 27% | $31,100 | $9,000 | 13% |
Graduation rates, average income and student debt loads vary between college and universities across Oklahoma. Use this table to see how the state’s public, private and for-profit institutions compare.
