Colleges in Oklahoma are around the cities of Tulsa and Oklahoma City, the state capital. Oil is an important industry in Oklahoma. As a result, many colleges have prestigious and innovative engineering programs. Let’s look at some NCES stats about the "Sooner" State:
- Oklahoma is home to 34 four year college. Most of them are public state universities.
- There are 42 two year or less colleges. 48 of which are public community colleges.
- Over the past 5 years, Oklahoma has seen a 11.6% drop in students. In 2017, 202,051 students were enrolled in college.
- In total, 41,085 degrees were awarded for the 2016 - 2017 school year. Thus, about 51% of those awards were bachelor's degrees.
Salary Breakdown
According to the College Scorecard, alums from Univeristy of Oklahoma - Norman Campus earn the highest average salary. 10 years after graduating, the average salary is $78,800. Meanwhile, the 2017 mean annual wage in Oklahoma is $44,220. You do the math!
Oklahoma's Tuition Programs
Oklahoma residents can save tuition in the Academic Common Market program. Students pay in-state tuition at participating out-of-state colleges. This tuition savings plan is offered when a desired degree is not offered by a college in that state. For example, if you went to a member school in Louisiana you would pay Louisiana's in-state tuition. Other participating states are Texas and Arkansas.
Another great way to save on tuition is investing in a 529 savings plan. Oklahoma 529 College Savings Plan grows your tax free earnings over a period of time. Also, qualified withdrawals are tax free from federal and state income taxes. Another tax advantage is tax deductions. Single filers can deduct up to $10,000. Married couples can deduct up to $20,000 in their tax returns.
The savings plan also covers books, fees, tuition, room and board. If you first invest in $5,000 and deposit $100 per month for the next 18 years, you will save about $53,000! That's a 6% annual rate of return! You won't have to worry about college debt!
Top Oklahoma colleges were ranked according to total number of students.
Thousands of students have rated these colleges in Oklahoma. Discover what they have to say. Find out about campus life, academics and more!
Source for school statistics and data is the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.