Oklahoma City University was again included as one of the best schools in the country, according to the annual independent rankings released today by the U.S. News & World Report.
OCU repeated its standing as the highest-ranked school in the state in the Best Regional Universities in the West category, coming in at number 28 overall. The regional category is made up of universities that offer a full range of undergraduate degrees and some master’s degree programs.
Oklahoma City University President Martha Burger said OCU’s standing reflects the university’s commitment to providing high quality education and academic rigor.
“Our ranking among the best schools in the country — by U.S. News and other independent media outlets — is a testament to our culture of quality academics and student achievement,” Burger said. “We encourage our students and give them the tools to succeed not only in the classroom, but also in the community.”
Along with the regional overall list, OCU is also one of only three schools in the state on the Best Value Schools in the West region, one of only two schools in the state on the West regional universities A+ Schools for B Students list, and is on the Most International Students list. OCU’s Meinders School of Business is listed among the top Undergraduate Business Programs in the country.
Schools on the A+ Schools for B Students list are noted for accepting outstanding applicants whose scores are not “A.” The colleges and universities included in the list see great potential in these students and help them achieve their goals.
For the Most International Students list, the report cites its significance as promoting an environment that helps the entire student body learn about different cultures. “In a global culture, befriending and learning to collaborate with students from other countries can be rewarding personally and professionally,” according to the list’s introduction.
The Best Colleges rankings evaluate colleges and universities on 16 measures of academic quality. Each indicator is assigned a weight “based on U.S. News' judgments about which measures of quality matter most,” according to the report.
Regional universities are placed into one of four geographic categories. The West region includes Oklahoma, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, New Mexico, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
