Best Small Colleges in Oklahoma 2024

Badge for BEST IN OKLAHOMA SMALL COLLEGES

Published: May 3, 2021
Updated: Mar 25, 2024

Small colleges in Oklahoma are a great option for students interested in a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Whether the focus is on the technical or on the liberal arts, small colleges give you the chance to pursue a well-rounded education while working closely with classmates and professors in a dynamic community atmosphere.

University of Tulsa
Oklahoma City University
Oral Roberts University
Langston University
Oklahoma Christian University
Oklahoma Baptist University
Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Bacone College
Cameron University
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma

Oklahoma Christian University 96%
Oral Roberts University 78%
Southwestern Oklahoma State University 77%
Southeastern Oklahoma State University 74%
East Central University 70%
Oklahoma City University 70%
University of Tulsa 69%
Northwestern Oklahoma State University 56%
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma 56%
Oklahoma Wesleyan University 52%

Southeastern Oklahoma State University 22 to 1
Langston University 20 to 1
Southwestern Oklahoma State University 18 to 1
Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology 17 to 1
Oklahoma State University–Oklahoma City 17 to 1
East Central University 17 to 1
Oral Roberts University 17 to 1
Cameron University 17 to 1
Oklahoma Panhandle State University 17 to 1
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma 16 to 1

University of Tulsa $47,211
Oklahoma Baptist University $32,880
Oklahoma City University $32,744
Oral Roberts University $32,640
Oklahoma Wesleyan University $30,262
Southern Nazarene University $28,600
Oklahoma Christian University $25,148
Southwestern Christian University $21,316
Mid-America Christian University $18,838
Randall University $16,742

Southern Nazarene University $27,000
University of Tulsa $25,002
Mid-America Christian University $14,485
Oral Roberts University $11,623
Oklahoma Christian University $11,250
Oklahoma City University $10,620
Oklahoma Baptist University $9,900
Oklahoma Wesleyan University $9,900
Randall University $8,910
Southwestern Christian University $7,758

Mid-America Christian University
Oklahoma State University–Oklahoma City
Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology
Southwestern Christian University
Randall University
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
Oklahoma Panhandle State University
Rogers State University
Southern Nazarene University
Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Mid-America Christian University
Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology
Randall University
Southwestern Christian University
Oklahoma State University–Oklahoma City
Oklahoma Panhandle State University
Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Northwestern Oklahoma State University
Rogers State University

Randall University 43%
Oklahoma Baptist University 47%
Oklahoma Wesleyan University 52%
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma 56%
Northwestern Oklahoma State University 56%
University of Tulsa 69%
Oklahoma City University 70%
East Central University 70%
Southeastern Oklahoma State University 74%
Southwestern Oklahoma State University 77%

Oklahoma City University 9 to 1
Randall University 9 to 1
University of Tulsa 10 to 1
Southern Nazarene University 12 to 1
Southwestern Christian University 12 to 1
Mid-America Christian University 13 to 1
Oklahoma Baptist University 15 to 1
Oklahoma Wesleyan University 15 to 1
Bacone College 15 to 1
Oklahoma Christian University 15 to 1

Oklahoma State University–Oklahoma City $3,119
Oklahoma Panhandle State University $3,840
Langston University $4,429
Rogers State University $4,536
Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology $4,574
Cameron University $5,025
Northwestern Oklahoma State University $5,448
East Central University $6,001
Southeastern Oklahoma State University $6,420
Southwestern Oklahoma State University $6,585

Langston University $3,422
Cameron University $3,762
Rogers State University $4,316
East Central University $4,555
Southeastern Oklahoma State University $4,734
Northwestern Oklahoma State University $4,928
Oklahoma Panhandle State University $5,520
Southwestern Oklahoma State University $6,516
Southwestern Christian University $7,758
Randall University $8,910

Table of Contents

Colleges and Universities in Oklahoma

Less than half of the schools in Oklahoma are private schools. However, students who attend one these schools can expect a more intimate college experience, as each has a student population smaller than 4,000 students. The largest private school, the University of Tulsa, offers degrees in fields like education, criminal justice, and literature, with tuition fees around $41,000. The public schools tend to be more cost-friendly, with tuition ranging from $4,000 to $9,000 per year.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

The University of Oklahoma, the state’s largest public school, costs about $9,000 and serves over 24,000 students. Here, students can partake in competitive on-campus programs in fields like communications and social work, or pursue one of the 30 graduate degrees and certificates online. Oklahoma is also home to several religiously affiliated schools, like Oral Roberts University and Bacone College. Students hoping to pursue a career as a physician, physician’s assistant, or dentist may also want to consider earning their degree here as the state offers several loan forgiveness programs to those who qualify.

The state of Oklahoma is serious about its food - so serious they even declared an official state meal, which consists of fried okra, cornbread, barbecue pork, squash, biscuits, sausage and gravy, grits, corn, strawberries, chicken fried steak, black-eyed peas, and pecan pie. Those hoping to feed both their bellies and their minds can attend one of Oklahoma’s more than 40 colleges and universities.

To learn more about earning your degree in Oklahoma, check out some of the state’s top programs.

What are Oklahoma’s Colleges & Universities?

Oklahoma’s Best Overall

The following list of the best small colleges and universities in Oklahoma is composed mainly of four-year undergraduate schools (though a handful also offer graduate programs). We’ve identified 22 small colleges in Oklahoma. The list below of the best small colleges in Oklahoma. To be included schools must fully accredited, and must have student body populations below 5,000 students.

How do we determine Oklahoma's best small colleges and universities?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

Best Small Colleges in Oklahoma 2023

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Oklahoma’s Best Small College in Your Area of Interest

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

Many states have great small colleges. If you’re interested in looking into what other states have to offer, check out the best small colleges in Minnesota and Alabama.

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Best Small Colleges in Oklahoma 2024

10 Best Small Colleges in Oklahoma 2024

Colleges and Universities in Oklahoma

What are Oklahoma’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Small Colleges in Oklahoma 2023

Career Outlook for degree at University of Tulsa

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Oklahoma City University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Oral Roberts University

Most Influential Alumni

Oral Roberts University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Oklahoma Christian University

Most Influential Alumni

Oklahoma Christian University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Most Influential Alumni

Southwestern Oklahoma State University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Langston University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at East Central University

Most Influential Alumni

East Central University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Southeastern Oklahoma State University

Most Influential Alumni

Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Oklahoma Baptist University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Bacone College

Most Influential Alumni

Bacone College’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Cameron University

Most Influential Alumni

Cameron University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Northwestern Oklahoma State University

Most Influential Alumni

Northwestern Oklahoma State University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Southern Nazarene University

Most Influential Alumni

Southern Nazarene University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Rogers State University

Most Influential Alumni

Rogers State University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Oklahoma Panhandle State University

Most Influential Alumni

Oklahoma Panhandle State University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Randall University

Career Outlook for degree at Southwestern Christian University

Southwestern Christian University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology

Career Outlook for degree at Oklahoma State University–Oklahoma City

Career Outlook for degree at Mid-America Christian University

Mid-America Christian University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Oklahoma’s Best Small College in Your Area of Interest