OBU Ranked Top Christian, Private University in Oklahoma, Second Overall by EdSmart
September 17, 2019
OBU has been ranked as the highest rated Christian university in the state of Oklahoma by EdSmart, an online college and university rankings service. The University was likewise ranked as the top private university in Oklahoma. OBU took second overall in the state, competing against all other schools, both public and private.
The 2019 list of top schools in Oklahoma was calculated carefully based on certain criteria. EdSmart assesses colleges in Oklahoma based on data that covers four main areas, including average cost, academic quality and graduation rate, student satisfaction and retention rate, and the average salary after attending the university.
Based on the criteria, OBU ranked second in the state out of all colleges and universities, only behind Oklahoma State University. The average net price to attend OBU was listed as $16,267, with that data coming from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard website. For comparison, the net price to attend the University of Oklahoma in Norman was $19,254, nearly $3,000 more per year. The net price for Oral Roberts University in Tulsa was $19,035, while Southern Nazarene University was $20,311. All other major, non-regional universities were more expensive than OBU, including University of Central Oklahoma at $16,946; Mid-America Christian at $16,992; Oklahoma Christian at $18,206; University of Tulsa at $23,948; Oklahoma Wesleyan at $26,109; and Oklahoma City University at $26,838.
OBU’s graduation rate also excelled among other state institutions. The University had the fifth highest graduation rate of all colleges and universities around the state, also based on the Department of Education’s College Scorecard. Graduation rate is calculated based upon the percentage of students who attend full-time and graduate with their undergraduate degree in six years or less. The rate is only based on students who begin and end at the same institution, thus it does not include students who transfer into or out of a school during their undergraduate degree. OBU notched a 58 percent graduation rate, with OCU and OSU just ahead at 61 and 62 percent, respectively. OU and TU took second and first in this ranking.
OBU continues to be recognized year after year as one of the top performing schools academically not only in Oklahoma, but in the country, as the rigorous liberal arts education students receive at OBU is superior to that of its competitors. For the 28th consecutive year, U.S. News and World Report ranked OBU as one of the top colleges in the nation and the Wall Street Journal ranked OBU as second in the nation for student engagement, out of all colleges and universities.