University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is the public flagship in Norman, just south of Oklahoma City, with a collegiate-gothic campus, a fierce football culture, and about 25,000 undergraduates. Admission is accessible by flagship standards: roughly 78% of applicants are admitted, and enrolled first-years carry an average high school GPA near 3.64 with middle-50% SAT scores of 1160–1310. Business and marketing is the largest field at about 30% of bachelor's degrees, and OU pairs low in-state tuition with generous automatic merit scholarships that make it a draw for out-of-state and National Merit students.
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Oklahoma admissions statistics
Acceptance rate
Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.
Admit rate by residency
% admittedEarly action
Oklahoma offers non-binding Early Action — an earlier decision with no commitment to enroll.
Standardized tests
Oklahoma is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Oklahoma supplemental essays — 2026-2027 cycle
The University of Oklahoma believes strongly in educating leaders of communities in Oklahoma, as well as across the country and the world. Please share your leadership experiences and why they are important to you.
The University of Oklahoma is home to a vibrant, diverse and compassionate University community that is often referred to as "the OU family." Please describe your cultural and community service activities and why you chose to participate in them.
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Class rank
Where Oklahoma's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.
Based on the 53.7% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Oklahoma does not publish an average GPA.
Admissions factors
How Oklahoma weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from Oklahoma's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.
Financial aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Frequently asked questions about Oklahoma admissions
OU admitted about 77.6% of applicants for Fall 2025, offering admission to roughly 22,700 of 29,200 applicants and enrolling about 6,200 first-years. It is accessible for a public flagship, though competitive majors and the Honors College hold a higher bar than the overall rate suggests.
No — out-of-state applicants are admitted at a slightly higher rate than Oklahoma residents. For Fall 2025, OU admitted about 80% of out-of-state applicants versus 76% of in-state applicants, with international admits near 48%. State residency is listed only as a 'considered' factor in OU's review, so where you live carries little weight at the point of admission.
Enrolled first-years average a 3.64 high school GPA, and academic GPA and the rigor of your course load both rank as very important factors. There is no published cutoff, but roughly 58% of admitted students who reported a class rank sat in the top quarter of their graduating class, so solid grades in a demanding schedule matter.
Yes, a 1300 is competitive at OU. It lands just below the 75th-percentile mark of 1310 for enrolled first-years, whose middle 50% scored 1160–1310 on the SAT and 23–28 on the ACT. A score in that band also helps you clear the thresholds for OU's automatic merit scholarships.
Yes. OU is test-optional, and on the application you choose whether your scores are considered. Only about 22% of enrolled first-years submitted the SAT and 43% the ACT. If you do submit, test scores are weighed as a very important factor and can qualify you for merit aid, so strong scores are worth sending.
Out-of-state tuition and required fees run about $28,301 a year, compared with $10,181 for Oklahoma residents. OU offsets the gap with large automatic merit scholarships for strong test scores and GPA, and about 39% of first-years receive need-based grant aid with an average package near $16,939.
Business and marketing is the largest field at about 30% of bachelor's degrees, followed by engineering and computing near 13%. Communication and journalism, the health and life sciences, psychology, and the social sciences round out the most-awarded areas.
Yes. OU rates the application essay as an important factor in its holistic review, alongside class rank and recommendations and just below GPA, course rigor, and test scores. With many applicants clustered around the same grades and scores, a specific, well-revised essay is a real way to stand out.
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Popular majors
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student-faculty ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by gender
Student diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Source: University of Oklahoma Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-25. In-State Cost, Out-of-State Cost, First-Years On Campus, % in Fraternities, and % in Sororities are from the 2024-2025 edition. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Oklahoma. Banner photo by Nicholas Benson, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5). Cite this page as: Esslo College Explorer, “University of Oklahoma admissions statistics, transcribed from the 2025-2026 Common Data Set,” https://www.esslo.org/colleges/oklahoma (retrieved 2026-06-25).