For low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions
Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks Southwestern Oklahoma State University #194 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $57,954, placing Southwestern Oklahoma State University in the 32.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Southwestern Oklahoma State University sits in the 82.5 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions, reflecting the strong financial outcomes graduates achieve relative to students with similar backgrounds at comparable institutions. Southwestern Oklahoma State University's composite ranking reflects a consistent pattern of delivering solid graduate earnings and post-graduation affordability for students from a broad range of backgrounds in Weatherford, Oklahoma. The university's health-focused program mix anchors its earnings profile, with graduates entering in-demand fields that support durable financial outcomes relative to cost.
Azimuth ranks Southwestern Oklahoma State University #194 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A public university in Weatherford, OK, Southwestern Oklahoma State University enrolls roughly 3,514 undergraduates. Retention stands at 67.7% and the six-year graduation rate is 39.7%, figures that reflect a regional institution focused on guiding students through to degree completion. What anchors Southwestern Oklahoma State University in the composite is its mobility and access profile. 38.9% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 40.6% are first-generation college students, giving the university a broad base of students from backgrounds where a college degree can reshape long-term financial trajectories. Southwestern Oklahoma State University sits in the 58.9 percentile for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions, and in the 94.3 percentile for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Health is the dominant program family, anchoring much of the university's degree output and connecting graduates to stable, in-demand career pathways across OK and the surrounding region. Return on investment sits lower in the composite. Southwestern Oklahoma State University sits in the 60.4 percentile for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median earnings four years after enrollment of $57,954, and graduates earn about $7,862 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Southwestern Oklahoma State University in the 82.5 percentile for among nonprofit four-year institutions. Affordability sits in the 89.7 percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions, shaped by the university's public-tuition structure and the financial aid resources available to its largely in-state student body.
Southwestern Oklahoma State University prices its degrees accessibly across the income spectrum. Low-income families pay approximately $10,987 per year in net price, middle-income families see annual costs around $12,069, and higher-income families pay correspondingly more at around $19,595. Azimuth ranks Southwestern Oklahoma State University #147 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That standing reflects the university's public-tuition structure and its orientation toward serving students from across Oklahoma's economic landscape. Need-based aid plays a meaningful role in shaping what families actually pay. The gap between the published cost of attendance of $23,334 and the net prices families see across income bands reflects institutional and federal grant support that reduces out-of-pocket costs — particularly for lower-income students. Families weighing sticker price against actual cost should note that net price and published cost can differ substantially, and the income-band figures above are the more relevant planning anchors. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $15,954, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $12,721; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the Parent PLUS risk framework for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $57,954, median federal debt of $15,954 projects to a monthly payment of about $180 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Southwestern Oklahoma State University is a strong fit for students in OK who want a clear, affordable path into health and applied professional fields without taking on excessive debt. It works especially well for cost-sensitive students — including Pell-eligible and first-generation applicants — who want a regional public university with a focused program mix and predictable post-graduation outcomes. The earnings case is grounded in the institution's health-oriented program signature. Graduates earn in the 32.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, and Southwestern Oklahoma State University sits in the 82.5 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions — graduates earn about $7,862 more than similar students at comparable institutions, a meaningful signal for a regional institution serving a predominantly in-state student body. The access profile is broad. 38.9% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 40.6% are first-generation students, and the institution's completion outcomes for Pell-eligible students — 39.5% — reflect a campus built around supporting students who need more than just admission to succeed. Fit depends on two realistic filters: Southwestern Oklahoma State University's program portfolio is concentrated in Health and related applied fields, so students whose interests align with those areas will find the strongest outcomes. Students drawn to broad liberal arts, research-intensive environments, or large urban labor markets will find a different fit elsewhere.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
Comprehensive Analysis
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This is the Southwestern Oklahoma State University hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
Southwestern Oklahoma State University prices its degrees accessibly across the income spectrum. Low-income families pay approximately $10,987 per year in net price, middle-income families see annual costs around $12,069, and higher-income families pay correspondingly more at around $19,595.
Azimuth ranks Southwestern Oklahoma State University #147 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That standing reflects the university's public-tuition structure and its orientation toward serving students from across Oklahoma's economic landscape.
Need-based aid plays a meaningful role in shaping what families actually pay. The gap between the published cost of attendance of $23,334 and the net prices families see across income bands reflects institutional and federal grant support that reduces out-of-pocket costs — particularly for lower-income students.
Families weighing sticker price against actual cost should note that [net price and published cost can differ substantially](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), and the income-band figures above are the more relevant planning anchors. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $15,954, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $12,721; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.
For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $57,954, median federal debt of $15,954 projects to a monthly payment of about $180 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).
Graduates of Southwestern Oklahoma State University earn median earnings of $57,954 four years after enrollment, placing Southwestern Oklahoma State University in the 32.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $56,249 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).
Graduates earn about $7,862 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 82.5 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to OK's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $30,928 (the state median earnings of working adults without a postsecondary credential).
Southwestern Oklahoma State University's degree output is anchored in Health, which accounts for 14% of graduates, followed by Education at 9% and Arts at 2%. Nursing combines strong enrollment with solid earnings, making it a key contributor to the institution's overall return profile.
Azimuth ranks Nursing #107 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), with 192 graduates earning median earnings of $89,549. Business Administration also stands out, with Azimuth ranking it #309 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions and graduates earning median earnings of $51,657.
Among the most popular programs, Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and the Administration, and Administration program graduates 76 students annually and Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General graduates 43, both feeding into stable regional career pathways across Oklahoma.
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
76 graduates
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
192 graduates
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
25 graduates
Computer and Information Sciences, General
27 graduates
Business Administration, Management and Operations
116 graduates
Southwestern Oklahoma State University's program mix is anchored in Health, with meaningful enrollment in education and business — a portfolio shaped by the institution's role as a regional public university serving western Oklahoma. Business accounts for 14% of graduates, Education represents 9%, and Arts makes up 2%.
Across 22 programs serving roughly 835 students annually, 9 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold — a focused portfolio where health-sciences and applied-professional fields drive the strongest financial outcomes. The highest earnings come from health and nursing programs.
The Nursing program graduates 192 students and delivers median earnings of $89,549 four years after enrollment; Azimuth ranks the program #107 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Business Administration follows with 116 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $51,657, and Azimuth ranks it #309 among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Subject-Specific Teacher Education, with 40 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $47,607, holds a rank of #110 among nonprofit four-year institutions. Nursing combines strong cohort scale with solid pay, making it the program that contributes most to the institution's overall earnings profile.
The largest programs by enrollment — Nursing (192 graduates), Business Administration (116 graduates), and Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, and Administration (76 graduates) — reflect the university's applied-professional orientation. Several of these fields feed directly into local and regional labor markets in healthcare, education, and business administration, where demand remains steady across rural and mid-size Oklahoma communities.
The [supply-demand map for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides broader context for how these program families align with national hiring trends. Education-focused programs like Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General and Subject-Specific Teacher Education serve students planning to stay in the region, while health programs channel graduates into careers with stronger wage trajectories and broader geographic mobility.
