Wall Street Journal Ranks OBU Second Nationally in Student Engagement

September 6, 2018

Oklahoma Baptist University was recently recognized by the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education as a Top School for Student Engagement. The placement score, which is based on how engaged students feel they are with their professors, their peers and their education, was part of the annual WSJ/THE College Rankings Report.

Based on nearly 200,000 current student voices, the rankings examine how challenged and inspired students feel both inside and outside the classroom, as well as the breadth of courses their schools offer. Of the 968 institutions, OBU was ranked second in the nation for student engagement.

The engagement category considers students’ engagement in learning and critical thinking, the likelihood they will recommend the college to others, the number of subjects and accredited programs available and the level of interaction students have with faculty and other students while on campus.

“Students understand pretty quickly that it’s a holistic experience here,” said Bruce Perkins, vice president for enrollment and student life.

The rankings examined data from a variety of sources, including the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the U.S. government, the College Scorecard, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). They also considered more than 200,000 student survey responses from surveys such as the Times Higher Education U.S. Student Survey.