OBU Earns Top Rankings from U.S. News & World Report for 28th Straight Year

For the 28th consecutive year, U.S. News and World Report has ranked OBU as one of the top colleges in the nation. U.S. News released the rankings Sept. 9. The rankings are now available online and will be published in the upcoming “Best Colleges 2020” guidebook.

In the 2020 edition of U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges Rankings, OBU ranked on five lists, including, “Best Regional Colleges of the West,” “Best Undergraduate Teaching,” “Best Value Schools,” “Best Colleges for Veterans,” and “Top Performers on Social Mobility.”

In “Best Regional Colleges of the West,” OBU ranked seventh out of the Western region of the U.S., which includes 15 states. This is the 28th consecutive year OBU has been ranked on this list. The rankings are based on various factors, including retention rate, peer-assessment, graduation rate, age of students, student to faculty ratio, and SAT/ACT scores. OBU’s student to faculty ratio of 13-to-1 was one of the best on the list. The University’s first year retention rate, according to U.S. News & World Report, is one of the highest on the list at 75 percent.

OBU ranked first in the Western region for “Best Undergraduate Teaching.” The University was the only Oklahoma school to make the list, and was one of only four schools chosen in the Western region of the United States. This award recognizes schools for their strong commitment to undergraduate teaching. Colleges and universities are selected to this list by receiving the most votes from top college administrators for putting a particular focus on undergraduate teaching.

OBU ranked 10th on the “Best Value Schools” in the West. This scoring is based on the amount of scholarships offered by the school, percentage of scholarships and grants used, and overall value of the school based on price. OBU was one of only two colleges in Oklahoma to rank on this list.

OBU ranked fifth in the “Best Colleges for Veterans” in the West. This recognition goes to schools who provide adequate amounts of attention and gratitude to military veterans and active-duty service members by providing benefits to help them pursue a college education at a realistic and affordable price.

OBU also ranked on the “Top Performers on Social Mobility” list. The University ranked 30th in the Western region of the United States in the first edition of this listing from U.S. News. This ranking recognizes colleges that are more successful than others at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell grants. These institutions thus help economically disadvantaged students build a successful future for themselves and their families.