University of Oklahoma

university of oklahoma accreditation

Rigorous, Research-Intensive Public Education at OU

The University of Oklahoma appears in our ranking of 60 Great Value Colleges for Music Majors (Undergraduate).

The Named Forbes’ 130th top value, the University of Oklahoma is a large state-funded, space-grant ORAU member in Norman that delivers 175 bachelor’s, 175 master’s, and 93 doctoral degrees plus Concurrent Enrollment (CE) courses for high schoolers at an 18:1 student-teacher ratio. For example, the B.A. in Journalism crafts a 120-credit, ACEJMC-accredited curriculum headed by Dr. Ed Kelley in Gaylord Hall where Sooners can publish The Oklahoma Daily, broadcast KXOU Radio, summer in Erfurt, and make Creative Incubator screenplays. Chaired by Dr. Cengiz Altan, the 120-credit B.S. in Aerospace Engineering offers opportunities to compete on the Boomer Rocket Team, conduct Lawrence Rawl Lab research, join the AIAA Chapter, and secure Lockheed Martin internships.

Online on Canvas since Fall 2011, the Master of Prevention Science has provided America’s oldest such 33-credit, non-thesis program led by Dr. Thomas Teasdale that trains substance abuse professionals with 16-week Web courses like Cross-Cultural Health Services for CPS certification. Directed by Dr. Susan Burke, the Master of Library & Information Studies follows a 36-credit, ALA-accredited hybrid path where post-grads can join the Beta Phi Mu Lambda Chapter, work in Bizzell Memorial Library, and receive the LEADS Virtual Fellowship for 80 percent completion.

Other Oklahoma degrees include the B.S. in Special Education, B.S. in Criminal Justice, B.A. in Philosophy, M.A. in Drama, M.S. in Finance, M.S. in Interior Design, Ph.D. in Microbiology, and Ph.D. in Art History.

About the University of Oklahoma

The University of Oklahoma originated on December 19, 1890, when the First Territorial Legislature allocated 40 acres and $10,000 to build the first higher learning institution. In 1892, President David Ross Boyd welcomed an inaugural class of 57 for college-prep education. In 1909, the College of Law was established for future attorneys. The next year, OU expanded to Oklahoma City with a College of Medicine. In 1920, the College of Education later named for Jeannine Rainbolt was founded. In 1936, President William Bennett Bizzell invested $500,000 in developing the South Oval. In 1943, the University of Oklahoma joined the V-12 Navy College Training Program. After World War II, OU enrollment surged more than 450 percent through 1965. By 2008, OU had built the Spirit Wind Farm to become entirely powered by wind.

Endowed for $1.73 billion, the University of Oklahoma now employs 2,937 faculty teaching 22,152 undergrad and 6,412 post-grad Sooners from 125 countries online, on its 4,138-acre Norman campus, or at six study centers from Tulsa to Turkey with 500+ clubs like the Rodeo Association. In 2017, OU earned its second Insight Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence Award. In 2018, Oklahoma won the Joe Moore Award for the Most Oustanding Offensive Line Unit. The U.S. News & World Report placed the University of Oklahoma 25th for pharmacy, 58th for business, and 54th for Earth science degrees. The National Science Foundation ranked Oklahoma 38th for STEM research expenditures. On Niche, OU boasts America’s 40th best student life, 44th top public education, and 69th best campus. The Princeton Review applauded OU for the fifth happiest students and 24th best alumni network.

University of Oklahoma Accreditation Details

On January 15, 2013, the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (HLC-NCA) Institutional Actions Council voted favorably to reaffirm the Level VI accreditation at the University of Oklahoma through 2022-23 under the 14th president, Dr. James Gallogly, who received the Petrochemical Heritage Award. Located 813 miles north via Interstate 55 in Chicago, this huge 19-state Heartland Region accreditor is recognized by the U.S. Education Department and Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. The Academic Affairs Office also lists the following accreditations:

  • Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education
  • National Association of Schools of Music
  • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
  • National Association of Schools of Theatre
  • American Bar Association
  • Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
  • Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics
  • Commission on Dental Accreditation
  • Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
  • Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation
  • Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education
  • Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education
  • American Psychological Association
  • Liaison Committee on Medical Education
  • Aviation Accreditation Board International
  • Council for Interior Design Accreditation
  • Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
  • Planning Accreditation Board
  • American Library Association
  • Council on Education for Public Health
  • Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications

University of Oklahoma Application Requirements

Enrolling at the University of Oklahoma is classified “moderately difficult” by Peterson’s because only 11,552 of the 16,777 Fall 2018 applicants were victorious for 69 percent acceptance. First-year Sooners must take a competitive college-prep high school curriculum or earn the GED equivalent. The Class of 2022 achieved an average secondary GPA of 3.62. Mid-range admitted SAT scores were 520-665 for reading and 540-680 for math. The middle 50th percentile had ACT composite scores of 23-29. Concurrent Enrollment (CE) courses require obtaining a minimum 24 ACT or 1160 SAT score. Undergraduate transfers must have completed 7+ accredited non-remedial credits with GPAs above 2.50. International students from non-English countries need at least 6.5 IELTS or 79 TOEFL iBT scores. The Graduate College seeks four-year bachelor’s completion with a 3.0 or better GPA. Price School of Business entrants report a mean 637 GMAT score. GRE Verbal and Quantitative scores over 150 are recommended. Mid-range admitted LSAT scores are 154-159.

The University of Oklahoma has a December 15th priority and February 1st final deadline for freshmen. Transfer priority deadlines are November 1st for Spring, March 1st for Summer, and June 1st for Fall starts. The Graduate College has widely different deadlines based on program. For instance, the M.S. in Architecture closes on April 1st. Accelerated M.A. in International Studies cohorts must file by February 15th or October 15th. The M.S. in Electrical Engineering considers candidates until March 1st. Check dates for completing the OU, Common, or Coalition Application online for $40 ($50 if graduate). Forward transcript records to 1000 Asp Avenue Room 127 in Norman, OK 73019. Submit scores via SAT/GRE code 6879, ACT code 3442, or GMAT code MTP-KM-35. Learn supplemental steps by contacting (405) 325-2151 or [email protected].

Tuition and Financial Aid

For 2019-20, the University of Oklahoma is billing in-state undergrads $12,346 annually. Non-resident bachelor’s tuition and fees are $27,727 each year. International students pay $28,500 every nine months. Room and board for the Norman campus’ dorms like Walker Center adds $10,994 yearly. OU budgets $667 for books, $2,259 for transport, $71 for loan fees, and $3,639 for personal expenses. Annual undergrad attendance equals about $$29,976 in-state, $45,357 out-of-state, and $48,451 international. The Graduate College charges Oklahomans $6,946 and non-residents $16,831 each year full-time. The College of Law has flat-rate tuition of $33,300 for Master of Legal Studies and $46,500 for Juris Doctor students. Energy Executive MBA majors pay $77,400 total.

According to the NCES College Navigator, the Student Financial Center in Buchanan Hall Room 105 connects 95 percent of incoming OU Sooners to median assistance of $10,131 apiece for $35.61 million combined. University funds include the Paul Risser Scholarship, Margaret Root McKinley Scholarship, William Barkow Scholarship, Edward Brandt Jr. Scholarship, Bill Elam Graduate Scholarship, Marinell Friday Guild Dietetic Scholarship, Shelley Campbell Beall Scholarship, Weitzenhoffer Family Scholarship, John Snow Study Abroad Scholarship, Ralph & Margaret Olson Scholarship, and Roger Whittaker Scholarship. The Award of Excellence gifts $13,000 annually for $52,000 total to outstanding freshmen with minimum 31 ACT or 1390 SAT scores. The $6,000 Transfer Academic Excellence Scholarship has a March 1st deadline for undergraduates with GPAs above 3.75. Federal programs, such as the Pell Grant or Direct Unsubsidized Loan, require FAFSA applications coded 003184. Oklahomans might also claim the Tuition Aid Grant, Higher Education Access Grant, Heartland Scholarship, Horatio Alger Scholarship, Robert Byrd Honors Scholarship, and more.

Explore 15 cutting-edge colleges that house 440+ diverse, selective degrees ranked 206th overall by The Wall Street Journal on the University of Oklahoma website.