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Summary
University of Oklahoma is a public institution that was founded in 1890. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 21,413, its setting is city, and the campus size is 3,914 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Oklahoma's ranking in the 2013 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 101. Its in-state tuition and fees are $7,341 (2012-13); out-of-state tuition and fees are $18,978 (2012-13).
The University of Oklahoma, known as OU for short, is a large, public research institution in Norman. The OU Sooners are traditionally dominant athletic squads that compete in the NCAA Division I Big 12 Conference, cheered on by the Sooner Schooner mascot, a replica of an old Conestoga covered wagon. More than 40 percent of students opt to join the school’s large Greek system, made up of more than 40 fraternities and sororities. In addition, there are more than 300 other student clubs and organizations. All freshmen are required to live on the school’s campus, which is also home to the National Weather Center. Undergraduates from any major program can apply to conduct research at the National Weather Center during the summer.
There are many programs for graduate students, too, including those offered through the Michael F. Price College of Business, the College of Law, College of Medicine, and College of Engineering. OU also has a well-regarded physician assistant training program. Many notable athletes, including former football player and coach Darrell Royal and baseball player Greg Dobbs, have graduated from the University of Oklahoma, as did former U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey and actress and comedian Olivia Munn.
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The University of Oklahoma is truly an extraordinary institution, known for its academic excellence and strong sense of community. Attracting top students from across the nation and more than 120 countries around the world, OU provides a major university experience in a private college atmosphere. OU is number one in the nation in the number of National Merit Scholars enrolled at a public university. The current student body is both the largest and most highly ranked academically in the history of public institutions in Oklahoma. In 2011 Sarah Swenson became OU's 28th Rhodes Scholar. No other university in Oklahoma has had more than two. OU students achieved the highest graduation rate in state history for a public university with 67.8 percent. The OU Honors College is one of the largest honors programs among public universities in the United States, matching the University's best and brightest students with faculty in classrooms of 19 or fewer students. OU is one of the few public universities in the nation to cap the class size of first-year English composition courses at no more than 19. The University is at the top in the nation in international exchange agreements, allowing our students to study in over 50 countries and over 100 cities around the world. The number of endowed faculty positions has grown more than five-fold since 1994, increasing from less than 100 to 560 today, helping to retain and attract talented faculty members. Just one year after launching a five-year Campaign for Scholarship endowments, we reached our goal of raising $50 million, allowing theuniversity to award hundreds of new scholarships and ensuring that OU will remain affordable and keep open the door of opportunity for all qualified students. Because the need for scholarships remains high, the campaign goal has continually increased, having just reached a total of $194 million raised for scholarships. During the past decade, research expenditures have morethan doubled at OU. OU ended fiscal year 2008 with total research expenditures of more than $275 million. In 2011, OU achieved the Carnegie Foundation's highest tier of research activity classification, making it the first time a public institution in Oklahoma has received this outstanding recognition. Since 1995, nearly $2 billion in construction projects have been completed, are under way or are forthcoming on OU's three campuses. OU is extraordinary, too, because of its excellent programs and resources. The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History is one of the two largest natural history museums in the world associated with a university, containing more than 7 billion artifacts throughout its 195,000 square foot facility. The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art has more than doubled in size with an additional 18,000 square feet added on to allow for additional collections. OU's art collection was recently appraised to be valued at over $1 billion. OU's Bizzell Memorial Library features the largest history of science collection in the world, and is the only place in the United States where you can hold a book with Galileo's handwriting in your own hands. There is a true sense of family on the OU campus. Serving as a model for other public universities, OU established the Faculty-In-Residence program which places faculty members and their families in each of our residence halls to foster faculty and student interaction and encourage intergenerational friendships. Further, a different professor adopts each floor of the residence halls as well as each fraternity and sorority, allowing students and faculty to build relationships outside of the classroom. This facilitates the academic vitality that has helped our Debate Team win the national championship four of the last six years and has encouraged one in every four of our students to study abroad. |
General Information
| School type | public, coed college |
| Year founded | 1890 |
| Religious affiliation | N/A |
| Academic calendar | semester |
| Setting | city |
| 2011 Endowment | $845,469,000 |
Applying
When applying to University of Oklahoma, it's important to note the application deadline is April 1. The application fee at University of Oklahoma is $40. It is more selective, with an acceptance rate of 81.8 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | more selective |
| Fall 2011 acceptance rate | 81.9% |
| Application deadline | April 1 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | N/A |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at University of Oklahoma is 18:1, and the school has 40.3 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at University of Oklahoma include: Health Professions and Related Programs; Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies; Psychology; Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; and Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 83.2 percent.
Student Life
University of Oklahoma has a total undergraduate enrollment of 21,413, with a gender distribution of 48.2 percent male students and 51.8 percent female students. At this school, 33.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 67.0 percent of students live off campus. University of Oklahoma is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.
See what students are saying about life at University of Oklahoma.
| Total enrollment | 30,743 |
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| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA I |
Campus Info & Services
University of Oklahoma offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, day care, health service, and health insurance. University of Oklahoma also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at University of Oklahoma, 55 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is not permitted for students of legal age at University of Oklahoma.
| Students who have cars on campus | 55% |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At University of Oklahoma, 51.2 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $5,608.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| In-state tuition and fees | $7,341 (2012-13) |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $18,978 (2012-13) |
| Room and board | $8,382 (2012-13) |
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* Overview details based on 2011 data
