Public Graduate Good 67/100

Southwestern Oklahoma State University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Weatherford, Oklahoma

About Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Thinking about Southwestern Oklahoma State University, a college in Oklahoma where more students graduate in Health than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Southwestern Oklahoma State University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Weatherford, Oklahoma. It enrolls 3,514 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
—
Graduation
41.5%
Net Price
$14,459
Median Earnings (10yr)
$45,744
Enrollment
3,514
Student : Faculty
19:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Open / Online), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
67/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 59
Value 49
Affordability 47
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Southwestern Oklahoma State University does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.

Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Southwestern Oklahoma State University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Becoming less selective ↑ 8.9 pts since 2019
91.1%201993.2%202094.1%202176.8%2022100%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $14,459 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$14,459
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
39%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
31%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$8,469
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$8,499
Room & Board (on-campus)
$7,634
Room & Board (off-campus)
$8,162
Books & Supplies
$1,318
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$8,746
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$8,746
Total Cost of Attendance
$23,334

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $10,987
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $10,094
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $12,069
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $17,500
  • Over $110,000
    $19,595

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$2,573
10% percentile
$4,650
25% percentile
$15,954
Median percentile
$18,300
75% percentile
$28,460
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $11,787 ↓ $4,167
No Pell $11,600 ↓ $4,354
Dependent students $10,813 ↓ $5,141
Independent students $12,827 ↓ $3,127
Female students $12,450 ↓ $3,504
Male students $10,823 ↓ $5,131
Pell recipients: 16.8% (2,675 students)No Pell: 16.5% (2,633 students)Dependent students: 15.4% (2,454 students)Independent students: 18.2% (2,911 students)Female students: 17.7% (2,825 students)Male students: 15.4% (2,456 students)Overall Median$15,954
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,648, less than completers ($15,954), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

42% of students who start here finish within six years, and 69% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
42%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
69%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $45,744 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$45,744
Earning > $25K
72%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$42,000$44,000$45,000$46,000$47,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$40,100

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$57,300

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$45,400

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$47,900

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$53,700

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $17,200, about 30% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Stable ↑ 0.8 pts across 6 years
78.4%1yr79.4%3yr81.6%5yr79.2%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 79% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 3,514 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 41% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
3,514
Part-Time
16%
First-Generation
41%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 60.0% 2,108
Hispanic 14.3% 502
Other 14.1% 496
Black 5.2% 182
International 2.0% 71
Asian 1.1% 37
White: 60.0% (2,108 students)Hispanic: 14.3% (502 students)Other: 14.1% (496 students)Black: 5.2% (182 students)International: 2.0% (71 students)Asian: 1.1% (37 students)Total3,514

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Town: Remote Weatherford, Oklahoma
Housing
Partly residential 1,372 beds available
Adult Learners
21% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Education graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Southwestern Oklahoma State University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 49 distinct programs across 20 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

12 Programs
3 Programs
2 Programs
3 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 19 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty
19:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$11,763
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$35M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$70,450
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

190 instructional faculty across 4 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 45 24% $86,821
Associate Professors 43 23% $77,129
Assistant Professors 39 21% $68,032
Instructors 63 33% $55,696

Pros & Cons of Southwestern Oklahoma State University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Southwestern Oklahoma State University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Class sizes are on the higher side
  • Below-average completion rate
  • First-year retention is below typical

Frequently Asked Questions about Southwestern Oklahoma State University

The questions families ask most about Southwestern Oklahoma State University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

How much does Southwestern Oklahoma State University cost?
Budget around $14,459 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Southwestern Oklahoma State University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $45,744 a year against a net price of $14,459, about 3.2 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Southwestern Oklahoma State University known for?
Mostly Nursing, Business Administration, Pharmacy. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Southwestern Oklahoma State University graduates earn?
About $45,744 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Southwestern Oklahoma State University accredited?
Yes. Southwestern Oklahoma State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Southwestern Oklahoma State University?
3,514 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Southwestern Oklahoma State University?
42% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Southwestern Oklahoma State University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Southwestern Oklahoma State University located?
Southwestern Oklahoma State University is located in Weatherford, Oklahoma.
What programs does Southwestern Oklahoma State University offer?
49 different programs, most commonly Nursing, Business Administration, Pharmacy. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Southwestern Oklahoma State University?
19 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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