Higher Education Outcome Report · South

💰 Low-Cost / High Value

Oklahoma Higher Education Outcome Report

Updated continuously · 44 degree-granting institutions graded

Oklahoma's higher education system is a lower earnings system. Median 10-year earnings sit at $44,630, -13% vs the national median.

energy
aerospace
agriculture

96
INSTITUTIONS: $44,630
MEDIAN EARNINGS: ▼ -13% vs natl; $14,573
AVG NET PRICE: 58 / 15
PUBLIC / PRIVATE

OUTCOME GRADE

B-

46/100 · #34 of 50

Oklahoma At A Glance

State-Level Intelligence

Institutions

44

140,127 students enrolled
Graduates / Year

~16,029

Estimated annual completers
Median Earnings
20th pct

$43,762

40th of 50 states
Mobility Score
74th pct

1.9%

12th of 46 states
Talent Retention
4th pct

64%

First-year retention rate
Value Ratio
66th pct

3.1x

Earnings per net-price dollar

Top Industries Hiring Graduates:

Business
Healthcare
Humanities

Executive Summary

Oklahoma graduates earn a median of $43,762 a decade after entry, 10% below the national state average, ranking 40th of 50 states.
Upward mobility is a defining strength: the state's institutions move bottom-quintile students into the top quintile at a 1.9% rate, in the 74th percentile nationally.
Degree production is led by Business and Healthcare, which together account for 39% of graduates. That diversified mix sets what the state's labor pipeline can supply.
Humanities shows oversupply pressure: graduate earnings run 18.1% below the national median, suggesting the field produces more graduates than the local market rewards.
On value, Oklahoma returns 3.1x earnings per dollar of net price, among the strongest cost-to-outcome efficiency in the country.
The state's strongest mobility engine is Southeastern Oklahoma State University, which moves bottom-quintile students into the top quintile at a 3.2% rate, the highest in Oklahoma.

Key Insights

Earnings vs National

-14.1%

Median graduate earnings in Oklahoma are below the national average by 14%.
Cost vs National

-27.4%

Net price in Oklahoma is lower than the national average by 27%.
Mobility Rate

+0.35pp

Upward mobility rate is 0.4 percentage points above the national average.
Completion Rate

+0.6pp

Oklahoma's graduation rate is 0.6 percentage points above the national average.
Best Value

48.4x

Top value school: Green Country Technology Center ($51,375 earnings vs $1,062 net price).
Low-Income Access

15.9%

16% of students come from bottom-quintile households, a measure of how open the state's colleges are to low-income students.

Education Output Profile

Business (23% of graduates) and Healthcare (16% of graduates) dominate Oklahoma's higher education output. Graduates in the top field earn a weighted average of $46,437.

Business

23%

$46,437 avg
Healthcare

16%

$43,984 avg
Humanities

15%

$40,951 avg
Social Sciences

10%

$45,246 avg
Sciences

6%

$46,273 avg

Concentration: diversified HHI: 13

Outcome Performance

Oklahoma's highest-ROI degree cluster is Trades (Construction Trades), where graduates average $43,471 against a net cost of $9,040, a 4.8x return. That's -15.7% vs the national median.

Construction Trades
4.8x

$43,471 earnings $9,040 net -15.7% vs natl
Transportation
3.5x

$47,155 earnings $13,566 net -8.6% vs natl
Legal Studies
3.4x

$46,903 earnings $13,616 net -9.1% vs natl
Criminal Justice
3.4x

$43,004 earnings $12,536 net -16.6% vs natl
Visual & Performing Arts
3.4x

$46,639 earnings $13,659 net -9.6% vs natl
Physical Sciences
3.4x

$47,518 earnings $14,018 net -7.9% vs natl

State Talent Profile

Three lenses on Oklahoma's talent pipeline: which fields produce the most graduates, which command the highest earnings, and where high-pay demand outruns local supply.

Dominant Fields

Business & Marketing 23%
Health Professions 16%
Humanities 14%
Psychology 7%
Engineering 5%

Highest-Earning Fields

Engineering $53,425
Visual & Performing Arts $48,739
Communications $48,388
Business & Marketing $46,437
Computer Science & IT $46,247

Opportunity Gaps

High earnings, low local production — fields where demand may outrun Oklahoma's graduate supply.

Visual & Performing Arts $48,739 4% of grads
Communications $48,388 4% of grads
Computer Science & IT $46,247 5% of grads

Mobility & Retention

Opportunity Insights

Oklahoma's colleges post an average mobility rate of 1.9%, which puts the state in the 74th percentile nationally. 14% of students arrive from bottom-quintile households, a larger share than most states enroll. Cross-class social connectedness averages 1.40, a proxy for the networks that help graduates convert a degree into mobility.

MOBILITY RATE

1.9%

▲ +0.24pp vs natl

Bottom 20% → Top 20%
LOW-INCOME ACCESS

14%

From bottom quintile
SUCCESS RATE

15%

If bottom 20% enroll
FIRST-GENERATION

41%

First-gen students
TALENT RETENTION

64%

First-year retention
SOCIAL CAPITAL

1.40

Economic connectedness

Mobility Leaders — Institutions Driving Upward Movement

Labor Market Alignment

Humanities graduates, however, earn 18.1% below the national median, a possible sign the state produces more of these degrees than its labor market absorbs.

Business
23% of enrollment

$44,690 -13.3% vs natl

37 schools
Healthcare
16% of enrollment

$43,934 -14.8% vs natl

31 schools
Humanities
15% of enrollment

$42,214 -18.1% vs natl

27 schools
Social Sciences
10% of enrollment

$44,145 -14.4% vs natl

26 schools
Sciences
6% of enrollment

$47,133 -8.6% vs natl

12 schools
Technology
6% of enrollment

$44,696 -13.3% vs natl

7 schools

Potential Oversupply Signals

Humanities: -18.1% vs national — wage pressure suggests oversupply

Healthcare: -14.8% vs national — wage pressure suggests oversupply

Social Sciences: -14.4% vs national — wage pressure suggests oversupply

Institutional Landscape

Oklahoma's higher education system includes 4 research-oriented, 4 specialized, 9 access-oriented, 27 regional institutions. Each group plays a different role in the state's outcomes.

4

Research Universities
27

Regional Universities
9

Access-Oriented Institutions
4

Specialized Institutions

Research Universities

Access-Oriented Institutions

Cost & Access Corridors

57% of Oklahoma's colleges charge under $15K net. Graduates of those schools average $40,192 at 10 years.

NET PRICE UNDER $15K

23

57% of schools
Avg earnings: $40,192
NET PRICE $15K–$25K

13

33% of schools
Avg earnings: $49,259
NET PRICE $25K–$40K

4

10% of schools
Avg earnings: $49,373

Top Earners

Schools ranked by median graduate earnings 10 years after enrolling.

Higher education in Oklahoma

Oklahoma is home to 96 colleges and universities, from 58 public institutions to 15 private nonprofits. University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus anchors the public system, and graduates across the state earn a median of about $37,670 ten years after enrolling.

Higher education clusters around Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Shawnee, and the strongest programs by enrollment are Health Professions, Business & Marketing and Culinary & Personal Services. We rank every school here by what its graduates actually earn and how far they move up — not by reputation or sticker price.

What college costs in Oklahoma

The average net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — runs about $13,119 a year across Oklahoma. Tulsa Community College stands out on return: strong graduate earnings against a comparatively low net price. Public universities and in-state tuition remain the clearest path to a low-debt degree, while need-based aid can make selective private schools surprisingly competitive.

Most Affordable Schools

Jobs & industries

Oklahoma's economy leans on energy, aerospace and agriculture, which shapes which degrees pay off fastest in-state. Programs in Health Professions, Business & Marketing and Culinary & Personal Services feed directly into those employers, and graduates who stay in-region benefit from established hiring pipelines and alumni networks.

Licensure & transfer

Licensure and articulation are state-specific: nursing, teaching, law, and the health professions are regulated at the Oklahoma level, so an in-state program is often the most direct route to practicing here. Community-college transfer agreements with public universities can also cut the cost of a four-year degree substantially.

Cost vs Return

What graduates in Oklahoma earn relative to what they pay for college.

MEDIAN EARNINGS (10YR)

$37,670

▼ $-6,167 vs natl

AVG NET PRICE

$13,119

▲ $-4,957 vs natl

EARNINGS / COST RATIO

2.9x

Return per dollar invested

Best Value Schools

HBCUs in Oklahoma

Langston University

Is Oklahoma Right for You?

Oklahoma is a strong fit if you want to build a career in energy and aerospace, value in-state tuition, or plan to work in the region after graduation. Use the rankings and filters below to weigh earnings, cost, and mobility for every school in the state.

Every figure on this page is derived from public federal data and read within its regional and economic context. Information Gain Policy →

Related Rankings

Top Schools

University of Oklahoma-Health Sciences Center · OK University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus · OK University of Tulsa · OK Oklahoma Wesleyan University · OK Oklahoma State University-Main Campus · OK Southern Nazarene University · OK

FAQ

How many colleges are in Oklahoma?

There are 96 colleges and universities in Oklahoma in our dataset — 58 public, 15 private nonprofit, including 1 HBCU.

What is the highest-earning college in Oklahoma?

By median graduate earnings 10 years out, University of Oklahoma-Health Sciences Center leads, followed by schools like University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus and University of Tulsa.

How much does college cost in Oklahoma?

The average net price — tuition and living costs after grants — is about $13,119 per year. In-state public tuition is typically the lowest-cost path.

What are the best-paying career fields in Oklahoma?

Oklahoma's economy is anchored by energy, aerospace and agriculture, so degrees feeding those industries tend to pay off fastest in-state.

Is it worth going to college in Oklahoma?

For most students, yes — especially at in-state public universities and high-value private schools. Tulsa Community College, for example, pairs strong earnings with a low net price. Weigh earnings against net price using the data on this page.

All 96 schools in Oklahoma

Data Behind This Page Updated 2026

96 institutions in Oklahoma

2026 Last updated

100% Public / federal sources

Source datasets

Methodology

States are graded on graduate earnings, social mobility, completion, and cost — each drawn from federal data and Opportunity Insights research, then normalized into a single Outcomes Index (0–100).

See the full methodology and weights →

Confidence notes

Earnings, completion, and debt figures come from federal administrative records — tax data and student-aid filings — not surveys or self-reports, the highest-confidence tier of education data available.
Social-mobility estimates are drawn from de-identified tax records covering more than 30 million students (Opportunity Insights).
Where an institution is missing a metric, it is excluded from that metric rather than imputed, so averages are never inflated by guesses.

Limitations

Federal earnings data primarily cover students who received federal financial aid; outcomes for non-aided students may differ.
Earnings are measured roughly ten years after enrollment, so they describe how earlier cohorts fared — historical outcomes, not guarantees of future results.
An institution's field-of-study mix affects raw earnings; scores reflect measured outcomes and are not fully major-adjusted unless explicitly noted.
Net price is an average; the actual cost a given student pays varies widely by family income.

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