A Guide to Online Colleges in Oklahoma

The "Sooner State" is a place of rich American and Native American history, diverse wildlife and seemingly endless forests, and also wildly successful metropolises. Oklahoma's motto, "Labor conquers all" denotes the statewide standard of a strong work ethic. This work ethic has clearly made its impact over the years. Oklahoma's riches can be traced to the manual labor of its citizens, specifically to the locating and drilling of oil in the early 19th century. The state's oil supply then fueled the economy for nearly one hundred years, but in the early 2000's, profits from the natural gas industry surpassed even those of the oil industry and by 2007 Oklahoma had one of the strongest economies in the country, ranking among the top three states in per capita income growth and gross domestic product growth.

Top Public Offerings in Oklahoma

The majority of Oklahoma's online colleges are public institutions, which is largely due to the state's commitment to creating more options for adult-learners and students who may live in the more remote areas of the state. The state's K-12 public school system has consistently ranked as one of the best in the country, if not the world. This may explain the phenomenon that though the state's expenditure per student is one of the lowest in the country, nearly 90% of adults held high school diplomas, much higher than the national average. This has also driven up the enrollment and student success outcomes in Oklahoma's higher education institutions. Oklahoma State University, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Central Oklahoma, and Northeastern State University are the largest public institutions of higher education in Oklahoma, mainly using one primary campus in combination with satellite campuses throughout the state. These numerous campus locations mean that students can attend hybrid degree program events all over the state. Oklahoma State University and Northeastern State University also consistently rank among the nation's top undergraduate business programs.

Top Private Offerings in Oklahoma

Oklahoma's top four private universities are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, Oral Roberts University, University of Tulsa, and Oklahoma Baptist University. According to calculations to determine the overall return on investment (ROI) on online undergraduate degrees, the University of Tulsa and Oklahoma Baptist University offer the best return on the investment of tuition in the state — Tulsa ranking 1st and Oklahoma Baptist 5th. In terms of online education, Oklahoma Wesleyan University and Oral Roberts University offer the most diversity in types of online degrees offered such as at the associate, undergraduate, or graduate level. These Universities also offer an impressive number of concentrations and specializations, so students can add complexity and marketability to their degree. The state's investment in online programs for adult learners at public institutions has created competition for the private universities, consequentially driving up the funding and quality of these programs. This market competition has created a unique environment of higher education in Oklahoma, making it an excellent choice for residency for online students.

Featured Online Schools

When looking at the educational costs of Oklahoma it's best to contextualize the numbers with national averages. The 2016 national average for the annual cost of college — based on the average of family income ($51,939) — was $26,725. While this number may seem intimidating, this number incorporates the average impact of financial aid, housing costs, and other common costs of the college experience. In 2016-17 the average published tuition and fee costs for in-state students at public four-year institutions ranged from $5,060 in Wyoming, $6,360 in Florida, to $15,450 in Vermont, and $15,650 in New Hampshire (CollegeBoard.org). Also according to College Board, the average cost of tuition and fees for the 2016–2017 school year was $33,480 at private colleges, $9,650 for state residents at public colleges, and $24,930 for out-of-state residents attending public universities. An important note to make here that private universities offer static tuition regardless of state residency, although some small extra fees may apply.

The financial environment in Oklahoma is largely positive for students across a number of a areas. Firstly, the average cost of living per year in Oklahoma is about 16% lower than the national average. Also, many of Oklahoma's cities offer pricing on housing markets at anywhere from 10% to 30% lower than national averages — an incredible perk for online students living off-campus. Oklahoma's average cost of yearly public in-state college tuition is $4,858, nearly half of the nation's average, making Oklahoma even more financially appealing to students. Similarly, even out-of-state students will see savings with the state's average at $10,968 — also nearly half of the national average. The state's average yearly cost of private universities is $18,521, which isn't quite as low as public tuition costs but is still far below the national average.

Oklahoma City: With nearly 1.5 million residents, Oklahoma City is the country's 27th most populous city and 8th largest city by landmass. The city is bisected by the North Canadian River, which near the time of the city's founding split the area into two separate cities. Today, Oklahoma City employs one of the largest and fastest growing livestock markets in the world. Agriculture, oil, and natural gases are industries with scale in close succession. The city is also home to several famous sports teams, offers numerous science, culture, art, and history museums, and hosts one of the largest parks and recreation services in the state. These factors combined with low cost of living averages make Oklahoma City an excellent place of residency for students. Nearby colleges include the Oklahoma City University, University of Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma City Community College.

Tulsa: Tulsa, Oklahoma is a city of pleasant weather and rollings hills in the heart of the "Green Country," located in the northeastern quadrant of the state. Tulsa is known for its phenomenal weather, which consists of 227 days of sunshine a year and an average daily temperature of 61 degrees. Students in the area can look for a variety of career and research opportunities among the city's impressive array of thriving industries, including aerospace, telecommunications, manufacturing, construction, high technology, healthcare, education, transportation and energy. The city is also well-known for its dedication to the arts. Called one of "America's Most Liveable Cities," downtown Tulsa is riddled with Art Deco masterpieces with sculptures and other works of art adding the natural splendor of the city. Tulsa's housing market costs are 33% below that of the national average, making it an incredibly affordable place to live for students.

Lawton: The City of Lawton was founded on lands that were originally dominated by the Native American tribes of the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache. Today the Native American culture is strong with more Native Americans in higher education that anywhere else in the country. The city's landscape is defined mainly by the Great Plains, which roll into the Wichita Mountains to the north. The Fort Sill Military Reservation has historically been the city's main economic impetus, however, in recent years several other industries have begun to take prominent standing in the city's economy such as manufacturing, higher education, health care, and retail. Lawton's average housing market costs, utilities, and cost of groceries are also well below the national average. Colleges in Lawton include Cameron University and the Comanche Nation College.

The Best Online Colleges in Oklahoma

Monitoring the accreditation of a university you are interested in attending is incredibly important. Accreditation ensures your credits can transfer that you can receive Federal financial aid, and most importantly that certain standards of educational quality are during your schooling. The highest accreditation standard for most programs in the United States is provided by regional accreditation agencies. The regional accrediting agency for Oklahoma is the Higher Learning Commission, one of six regional accrediting agencies responsible for accrediting schools in Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Making sure that a University you're hoping to attend is regionally accredited — or accredited by a real and respected accrediting agency — is one of the most important choices you can make in ensuring the quality of your education.

Three Steps for Securing Financial Aid

• Submit your FAFSA.

• Check to see if additional forms are needed at your university of choice.

• Search and apply for private scholarships.

Through the previous three steps most students find themselves offered some sort of federal grant, work study, private grant, scholarship, or stipend.

Great Oklahoma Higher Education Resources

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