Oklahoma Christian University
Edmond, Oklahoma · Private Nonprofit · 96.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 40/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Oklahoma Christian University scores 40 (Below Benchmark) on the CampusROI scale. The institution is a Churches of Christ-affiliated private college in Edmond, Oklahoma with 1,885 enrolled students. The defining tension in the OC profile is the extreme divergence between the repayment rate sub-score (94, with 89.4% of borrowers reducing principal at three years) and the earnings premium (31) and debt-to-earnings (26) sub-scores. Students who borrow and graduate are managing their debt effectively, but the institutional earnings are low relative to cost: average 6-year earnings of $36,300 against a net price of $21,872 produces a 16.0-year payback period. The completion rate of 55.5% is the other significant issue - nearly half of enrollees do not graduate. The two strongest programs by Scorecard data are Registered Nursing (46 graduates, $69,180 year-one, ROI grade B) and Mechanical Engineering (23 graduates, $65,764 year-one, ROI grade B). The broader program array drags the institutional average: Design and Applied Arts earns a D grade (0.858 DTE), and the largest cohort-eligible program - Liberal Arts and Sciences (39 graduates) - has $39,356 four-year earnings and a C grade. Oklahoma Christian's 96.5% admit rate signals effectively open enrollment in practice.
How Oklahoma Christian University scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score40/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period16 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Oklahoma Christian University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $27,180/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $27,180/yr |
| Average net price | $21,872/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $87,488 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $49,203 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $36,300 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $276 |
| Estimated payback period | 16 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 55.5% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,885 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $27,180/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $21,872/year, or roughly $87,488 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $17,818/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $27,472/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,000, which works out to about $276 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($36,300) and comes to 0.72, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $17,818 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $18,908 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $18,849 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $23,184 |
| $110,001+ | $27,472 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Students in the 0-30000 income bracket pay $17,818 net price per year at OC - approximately $71,272 over four years. The 30001-48000 bracket pays $18,908 - slightly higher, with a modest bump. The 33.0% Pell rate suggests meaningful numbers of students are in these brackets. The value case for low-income nursing and engineering students at this net price is reasonable; liberal arts and design students at any price face more challenging outcomes.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $18,849 per year. The 75001-110000 bracket pays $23,184. Aid decreases are modest through this range, keeping OC affordable relative to sticker price.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
The 110001-plus bracket pays $27,472 per year - approximately $109,888 over four years. Full-pay families who have strong conviction about the OC faith community and who are pursuing nursing or engineering specifically may achieve acceptable outcomes. All other program pathways at full price represent a poor financial investment.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Oklahoma Christian University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $70,909 | B |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $39,356 | C |
| Design and Applied Arts | $56,958 | D |
| Mechanical Engineering | $85,881 | B |
| Teacher Education | $48,101 | C |
| Marketing | $58,241 | C+ |
| Computer Science | $61,272 | - |
| Accounting | $73,871 | - |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $45,738 | - |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $32,564 | C |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing is OC's largest and strongest program: 46 graduates, $69,180 year-one, $70,909 four-year, debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.390 (ROI grade B). Median debt of $27,000 is manageable against $69k year-one earnings. The modest year-one to four-year earnings growth ($69k to $71k) likely reflects the relatively flat early-career RN salary curve in the Oklahoma City market before specialty and advancement premiums kick in. For students committed to nursing in a faith-based environment, OC nursing delivers defensible outcomes.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering has 23 graduates with $65,764 year-one and $85,881 four-year, debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.350 (ROI grade B). Median debt of $23,000 - below the institutional median - produces a favorable debt-to-earnings ratio despite the moderate net price. OC's ME program benefits from proximity to the Oklahoma City energy and aerospace sectors. The four-year earnings trajectory ($85,881) is strong for a small private institution.
Design and Applied Arts
Design and Applied Arts has 31 graduates - the second-largest program with complete data - with $31,466 year-one and $56,958 four-year, debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.858 (ROI grade D). Year-one earnings of $31k represent a significant financial challenge against median debt of $27,000. The D grade reflects elevated debt relative to modest initial earnings in a creative field with limited regional market depth in Oklahoma. Students pursuing design should weigh the debt carefully against career trajectory plans.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 84.4% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 89.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 75.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 77.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Oklahoma Christian University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 96.5% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 510-630 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 500-640 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 19-26 |
| Enrollment | 1,885 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 33.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,798 |
At 96.5%, Oklahoma Christian is effectively open-enrollment for applicants meeting basic eligibility. The SAT and ACT ranges reflect this broad access - 19th percentile ACT at 19 is a very low floor. As with other near-open institutions, the admission rate is not the relevant metric: the 55.5% completion rate is. Students admitted to OC face moderate-to-poor odds of graduating, and those who withdraw carry debt without the credential.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma Christian University (this school) | 40 | $21,872 | $49,203 |
| Central Baptist College | 40 | $12,287 | $46,789 |
| Eastern Nazarene College | 40 | $25,381 | $54,727 |
| East Texas Baptist University | 40 | $23,911 | $52,788 |
| Appalachian Bible College | 40 | $11,579 | $37,467 |
| Hobe Sound Bible College | 30 | $12,074 | $39,863 |
Who Thrives Here
Oklahoma Christian University admits 96.5% of applicants and enrolls 1,885 students in Edmond, Oklahoma (suburban Oklahoma City). SAT Math ranges 510-630, SAT Reading 500-640, ACT Composite 19-26 - a wide range reflecting the near-open admissions profile. The Pell grant rate of 33.0% indicates moderate lower-income representation. OC serves students drawn to the Churches of Christ tradition who are pursuing nursing, engineering, or business in the Oklahoma City market. The 55.5% completion rate is a persistent caution: prospective students who are undecided about program direction or who may face life-disruption risks face meaningful dropout odds.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Oklahoma Christian University scores 40/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $21,872 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $49,203 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 16 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What it has going for it: high loan repayment success. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.72 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $36,300 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.72. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Oklahoma Christian University: Common Questions
Is Oklahoma Christian University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Oklahoma Christian University scores 40/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $21,872 a year after aid against $49,203 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 16 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Oklahoma Christian University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $21,872 a year, or roughly $87,488 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Oklahoma Christian University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $49,203 ten years after enrolling, roughly $7,403 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Oklahoma Christian University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 16 years for Oklahoma Christian University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Oklahoma Christian University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,000, against average earnings of $36,300 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.72. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Oklahoma Christian University?
The six-year graduation rate is 55.5%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.