College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

University of Central Oklahoma

OKLarge public institution · Overall rank #338 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth ranks University of Central Oklahoma 77th percentile overall among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Who it’s a good fit for

The University of Central Oklahoma is a public university in Edmond, Oklahoma, where the degree mix is led by Business, Security & Protective Services, and Health Professions. Access is the strongest , at well above average.

Graduates earn less than predicts for students like them. The model attributes an addition to the factors it measures and a subtraction to a remainder it cannot explain.

Pell recipients complete at a rate above the entering cohort as a whole, and mobility is well above average. The lowest income band pays well below the published cost, while the highest band pays closer to it, so the price case turns on income.

The admission rate is close to the median for comparable institutions. Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study, and the largest programs are not the best-paid ones.

University of Central Oklahoma at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
78.1%
Six-year completion[2]
36.8%
Four-year earnings[3]
$54,402

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$17,776
Median student debt[4]
$21,000
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$15,191

University of Central Oklahoma rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

University of Central Oklahoma is a public university in Edmond, Oklahoma, enrolling 10,170 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the top quarter of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (77th percentile).

The university admits 78.1% of applicants, a rate that matches the peer median of 78.1% for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Among first-time, full-time students, 65.2% return for a second year, a figure that sits below the peer median of 83.1%.

The six-year graduation rate is 36.8%, which is also below the peer median of 65.0%. An estimated 38.2% of entrants arrive as transfers, which means the six-year rate describes only the first-time, full-time minority and leaves out a large share of the student body.

The four pillars are spread across the range. Access is the strongest, with mobility close behind, while return is the weakest of the four and affordability sits in the middle.

Access is the clearest part of University of Central Oklahoma’s profile, with mobility also placing well in the Azimuth measures. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, access stands in the 85th percentile and mobility in the 81st percentile.

Azimuth places affordability in the 68th percentile. Return is the weakest pillar, at the 42nd percentile, so the stronger access and mobility measures sit beside a more restrained return picture.

36.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, a measure of financial access, while the middle 50% of ACT scores from enrolled submitters runs from 18 to 24. These two figures describe the economic background and test-score profile of the entering class, giving a picture of who enrolls.

The six-year completion rate for Pell Grant recipients is 43.2%, which is 6.4 percentage points above the rate for the entering cohort overall (36.8%). Pell recipients therefore finish at a higher rate than the entering cohort overall.

Azimuth ranks University of Central Oklahoma #217 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks the university #281 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,992 less than the model expects for similar students.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

University of Central Oklahoma rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#338

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 81
Access & reach
National percentile: 85
Affordability
National percentile: 68
Return on investment
National percentile: 42

Top-ranked majors

  1. Funeral Service and Mortuary Science#4
  2. General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations#7
  3. Security Science and Technology#12

This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

Explore major rankings

01 / University of Central Oklahoma briefing

University of Central Oklahoma cost & financial aid[6][7]

At University of Central Oklahoma, the average net price for aid recipients is $18,309, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, against a published cost of attendance of $26,392. Aid lowers that published figure by $8,083 on average, though individual packages differ.

For the published budget, in-state tuition and fees are $8,818, out-of-state tuition and fees are $19,704, and room and board are $9,700. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $15,634, with this university above it by $2,675.

Azimuth ranks University of Central Oklahoma #449 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer comparison and Azimuth standing point to a mixed affordability picture.

The price left after aid differs sharply by family income at University of Central Oklahoma, where the published cost of attendance is $26,392. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $15,275 for families in the lowest family-income band; $15,828 in the lower-middle band; $17,776 in the middle band; $23,249 in the upper-middle band; and $24,183 in the highest band.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $8,908, a difference between band averages. Azimuth ranks the university #449 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Aid reduces the published price for the average recipient, though the overall net price sits above the peer midpoint. Aid covers about 31% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, or $8,083 against the sticker price.

Across all aid recipients, is $18,309, which is $2,675 above the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), of $15,634. Published in-state tuition is $8,818, and out-of-state tuition is $19,704.

Federal loan borrowing is common among undergraduates here, with a median debt figure slightly above that of comparable institutions. Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $21,000, and 74.3% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans.

That median is $924 above the $20,076 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size). Parent PLUS parent borrowers have median borrowing of $15,191.

The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month if repaid over ten years.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$17,776

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at University of Central Oklahoma

Federal borrowing is widespread at University of Central Oklahoma, where 74.3% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $21,000 at completion.

The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $20,076. The university’s median debt is $924 above that benchmark, so its borrower debt sits slightly higher than the comparable-institution middle.

Parent PLUS borrowers are a separate parent-borrower population, with median borrowing of $15,191.

Graduates of University of Central Oklahoma earn about $2,992 less than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 43rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The median earnings four years after completion are $54,402, $11,208 below the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That median sits at the 30th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a typical outcome of $54,402, a downside of $46,559 and an upside of $78,190. The median federal debt for borrowers who finish is $21,000.

This median is $924 above the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that balance corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month. The gap to the peer median is wider on earnings than on debt.

For federal student borrowers, the median debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month if repaid over ten years. Parent borrowers have median Parent PLUS borrowing of $15,191, a separate federal borrowing population.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$21,000
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$15,191

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$239/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$193/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / University of Central Oklahoma briefing

University of Central Oklahoma career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

Access is the strongest pillar at University of Central Oklahoma, while the return measures are less favorable. Graduates earn about $2,992 less than the model expects for similar students.

Earnings beyond expectations means the gap between graduate earnings and the model’s expectation for similar students; Azimuth puts this measure in the 43rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth assigns the return pillar to the 42nd percentile in the same cohort.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,753. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $9,745.

Median earnings are $54,402 four years after completion, placing the university in the 30th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $65,610, leaving the university $11,208 below that benchmark. The four-year median and peer comparison point in the same direction.

At University of Central Oklahoma, the central earnings figure is $54,402 four years after completion for federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. Azimuth places that measure in the 30th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 2,596 completers.

The typical modeled earnings scenario is $54,402. The model also sets out lower and higher scenarios from the program mix rather than observed graduate groups.

An estimated 26.8% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The figures describe a broad school-level outcome, with program choice shaping the range around it.

Access is the strongest pillar for University of Central Oklahoma, but its return measures sit below their reference points. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled report median earnings of $54,402 four years after completion, in the 30th percentile.

The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $65,610, leaving the university $11,208 below that benchmark. Graduates earn about $2,992 less than the model expects for similar students.

Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, is in the 43rd percentile. Azimuth ranks the return pillar #855 among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix range from $46,559 in the downside scenario to $78,190 in the upside scenario. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,753.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $9,745. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $257.

The peer comparison and model estimate both sit below their reference points. At the program level, Liberal Arts and General Studies is the largest field, with 220 degrees awarded and median earnings of $49,383 four years after completion.

Azimuth ranks it #101 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Nursing had 155 degrees awarded and median earnings of $82,603, while Electrical Engineering had 28 degrees awarded and median earnings of $90,152.

Mechanical Engineering recorded 24 degrees awarded and median earnings of $88,188. The named programs show a spread between the largest field and the higher-earning fields.

Program choice accounts for considerable variation in modeled earnings at University of Central Oklahoma. The downside earnings scenario is $46,559, and the upside scenario is $78,190; both are estimated from the program mix rather than observed groups of graduates.

The University of Central Oklahoma's published cost of attendance is $26,392, and the average net price—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—is $18,309. Aid covers about 31% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, though this is an average, not a personal quote.

Borrowers who complete a degree leave with a median of $21,000 in federal student loans, $924 above the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month if repaid over ten years.

The earnings picture is more mixed. Four years after completion, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $54,402, which is $11,208 below the peer median.

Graduates also earn about $2,992 less than the model expects for similar students.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$6,753
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
-$9,745
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
-$2,992

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / University of Central Oklahoma briefing

University of Central Oklahoma acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

At University of Central Oklahoma, the admission rate is 78.1%, in line with the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). That comparison places the reported outcome close to the typical rate for this group of institutions.

Admissions
Admission rate
78.1%
Read the full admissions brief

04 / University of Central Oklahoma briefing

What are the largest majors at University of Central Oklahoma?[12]

At University of Central Oklahoma, four-year earnings differ sharply across programs, making field choice central to the return picture. Electrical Engineering recorded median earnings of $90,152 four years after completion with 28 degrees awarded; Nursing posted $82,603 across 155 degrees awarded.

At a more moderate earnings level, Psychology had median earnings of $47,937 with 153 degrees awarded. Azimuth ranks Liberal Arts and General Studies #101 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field; it recorded $49,383 in median earnings and 220 degrees awarded.

The higher-earning fields and these larger moderate-earning fields point to a varied program-level earnings picture.

The University of Central Oklahoma awards degrees across 34 fields with earnings data, but only 27 program carries a national rank from Azimuth. Liberal Arts and General Studies is the largest, at 220 degrees awarded a year, and Azimuth ranks it #101 within its field among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Its completers earn a median of $49,383 four years after completion. The highest earnings come from much smaller programs.

Electrical Engineering graduates earn $90,152 from 28 degrees awarded, while Mechanical Engineering follows at $88,188 from 24 degrees. Nursing, the second-largest program at 155 degrees, also appears among the top earners at $82,603.

The bachelor's degrees at University of Central Oklahoma are spread across several fields, with no single family dominating. Business accounts for 16.8% of degrees awarded, followed by Security & Protective Services at 11.5% and Health Professions at 10.7%.

The university has 34 programs with published four-year earnings data, and 27 program with an Azimuth national rank. The largest program is Liberal Arts and General Studies, with 220 degrees awarded, followed by Nursing at 155 and Psychology at 153.

Liberal Arts and General Studies, the largest program, is also the highest-ranked, and Azimuth places it #4 in Oklahoma within its field. Its graduates earn a median of $49,383 four years after completion.

The highest-earning program is a much smaller one: Electrical Engineering, with 28 degrees awarded, where graduates earn $90,152. Mechanical Engineering follows at $88,188 from 24 degrees awarded, and Computer and Information Sciences at $87,792 from 79 degrees awarded.

Nursing, the second-largest program, also appears among the top earners at $82,603. The pattern here is one of breadth rather than concentration: the largest programs are not the highest-earning, and the highest-earning programs are small.

Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering together award just over fifty degrees a year, while Liberal Arts and General Studies awards more than two hundred. A student drawn to the largest departments should know that the earnings picture is strongest in the smaller, technical fields. Across all programs, 11.6% of degrees awarded are in STEM.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 220 degrees awarded
$49,383
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 155 degrees awarded
$82,603
Psychology, General 153 degrees awarded
$47,937
Security Science and Technology 149 degrees awarded
$54,876
Business Administration, Management and Operations 130 degrees awarded
$64,107
Criminal Justice and Corrections 126 degrees awarded
$51,332

Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.

Read the full majors brief

05 / University of Central Oklahoma briefing

How does University of Central Oklahoma serve students from different backgrounds?

At University of Central Oklahoma, Pell recipients in the first-time full-time cohort complete within six years at 43.2%, above the overall six-year graduation rate of 36.8% by 6.4 percentage points. This completion pattern is one part of a mobility pillar that Azimuth places in the 81st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, sits in the 43rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,992 less than the model expects for similar students.

Above-overall Pell completion and below-expected modeled earnings give the mobility picture opposing signals.

At University of Central Oklahoma, entry comes through both admissions and transfer routes: the university admits 78.1% of applicants, and an estimated 38.2% of undergraduates entered as transfers or part-time students. Its undergraduate enrollment is 10,170, with Pell Grants reaching 36.5% of undergraduates.

Azimuth assigns the access pillar to the 85th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The admission pattern, Pell participation, and transfer estimate describe a public university with several entry paths.

06 / University of Central Oklahoma briefing

What colleges are similar to University of Central Oklahoma?[15]

Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. How matching works.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with University of Central Oklahoma.

Admissions peerOklahoma State University-Main Campus75.0% admitted
Comparison with University of Central Oklahoma
MeasureUniversity of Central OklahomaOklahoma State University-Main Campus
Peer earnings · 4 years$54,402$65,492+$11,090 vs University of Central Oklahoma
Average annual net price$18,309$17,447-$862 vs University of Central Oklahoma · lower cost
Admission rate78.1%75.0%
Explore Oklahoma State University-Main Campus →
Higher-admission alternativeOral Roberts University98.9% admitted
Comparison with University of Central Oklahoma
MeasureUniversity of Central OklahomaOral Roberts University
Peer earnings · 4 years$54,402$54,666+$264 vs University of Central Oklahoma
Average annual net price$18,309$25,365+$7,056 vs University of Central Oklahoma · higher cost
Admission rate78.1%98.9%
Nearby alternativeOral Roberts UniversityNearby option · OK
Comparison with University of Central Oklahoma
MeasureUniversity of Central OklahomaOral Roberts University
Peer earnings · 4 years$54,402$54,666+$264 vs University of Central Oklahoma
Average annual net price$18,309$25,365+$7,056 vs University of Central Oklahoma · higher cost
Admission rate78.1%98.9%
Higher-earnings alternativeOklahoma State University-Main Campus$65,492 earnings
Comparison with University of Central Oklahoma
MeasureUniversity of Central OklahomaOklahoma State University-Main Campus
Peer earnings · 4 years$54,402$65,492+$11,090 vs University of Central Oklahoma
Average annual net price$18,309$17,447-$862 vs University of Central Oklahoma · lower cost
Admission rate78.1%75.0%
Explore Oklahoma State University-Main Campus →
Lower-cost alternativeEast Central University$8,683 average net price
Comparison with University of Central Oklahoma
MeasureUniversity of Central OklahomaEast Central University
Peer earnings · 4 years$54,402$53,649-$753 vs University of Central Oklahoma
Average annual net price$18,309$8,683-$9,626 vs University of Central Oklahoma · lower cost
Admission rate78.1%58.2%
Explore East Central University →
Similar profileStephen F Austin State UniversityMatched across several measures
Comparison with University of Central Oklahoma
MeasureUniversity of Central OklahomaStephen F Austin State University
Peer earnings · 4 years$54,402$55,013+$611 vs University of Central Oklahoma
Average annual net price$18,309$14,260-$4,049 vs University of Central Oklahoma · lower cost
Admission rate78.1%94.0%
Explore Stephen F Austin State University →

Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.

Read the full similar schools brief

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.

Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.

Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.

Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com.

Data notes & source fields

Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.

  1. Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.

    Source fields: ADM_RATE

  2. Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.

    Source fields: C150_4

  3. Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.

    Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

  4. Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.

    Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN

  5. National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.

    Source fields: Azimuth rankings

    College Azimuth · Ranking methodology

  6. Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.

    Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV

  7. Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.

    Source fields: PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations

    College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology

  8. Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.

    Source fields: Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios

    College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology

  9. Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

    Source fields: Azimuth statistical model

    College Azimuth · Value-added methodology

  10. SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.

    Source fields: SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG

  11. First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.

    Source fields: RET_FT4

  12. Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.

    Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE

    College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation

  13. Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.

    Source fields: PCTPELL

  14. Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.

    Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF

  15. Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.

    Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

    College Azimuth · Comparison methodology

How to interpret program rankings