University of Central Oklahoma
Edmond, Oklahoma · Public · 78.1% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 38/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond posts an overall ROI score of 38 out of 100 - Below Benchmark tier - despite a low in-state sticker tuition of $8,818. The trouble is in two places: the six-year completion rate of just 36.8% (one of the weakest indicators on the report) and a 16-year payback period that follows from median 10-year earnings of $48,351 and a $73,236 four-year total cost. Average earnings six years out are $36,900, the earnings premium over high-school baseline is only 18.2%, and median student debt is $21,000, generating a 0.569 debt-to-earnings ratio. Repayment is mediocre - 66.5% at one year, dipping to 61.8% at five years, recovering to 67.4% at seven years - suggesting a meaningful slice of borrowers struggle in the early career. Net price runs $18,309 because most students live off-campus and pull in significant room-and-board costs. This is a commuter-heavy regional public where the school average masks an enormous spread by major: Nursing, Engineering, and Computer Science grads do well; Music, Theatre, Liberal Arts, and Psychology grads carry similar debt loads for far less earnings. The score punishes the average; individual outcomes depend heavily on major choice and whether the student actually finishes.
How University of Central Oklahoma 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 Score38/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate36.8% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period16 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
University of Central Oklahoma
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $8,818/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $19,704/yr |
| Average net price | $18,309/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $73,236 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $48,351 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $36,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $21,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $223 |
| Estimated payback period | 16 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 36.8% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 10,170 |
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: $8,818/year ($19,704/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $18,309/year, or roughly $73,236 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 $15,275/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $24,183/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $21,000, which works out to about $223 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($36,900) and comes to 0.57, 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 | $15,275 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $15,828 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $17,776 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $23,249 |
| $110,001+ | $24,183 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-30,000 pay a net price of $15,275. The $30,001-48,000 bracket is similar at $15,828. For these households the in-state public profile and Pell eligibility do meaningful work, but $60,000+ over four years against $36,900 in early earnings is still a real stretch. The math depends entirely on whether the student finishes - given UCO's 37% completion rate, family stake on completion is the single biggest risk.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-75,000 bracket pays $17,776, jumping notably to $23,249 in the $75,001-110,000 bracket. That jump reflects the rapid drop-off of need-based aid through the federal Pell ceiling. Total cost for middle-income families runs $71,000-93,000 over four years, against $48,351 in median 10-year earnings. Strong students in high-ROI majors can make it work; the school average does not.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $24,183 per year - roughly $97,000 over four years.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at University of Central Oklahoma with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $49,383 | D |
| Registered Nursing | $82,603 | B |
| Security Science and Technology | $54,876 | C |
| Psychology | $47,937 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $64,107 | C+ |
| Biology | $50,748 | C |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $51,332 | C |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $49,630 | C |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $87,792 | B+ |
| Teacher Education | $46,831 | 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
UCO's strongest documented ROI play - 158 graduates with one-year earnings of $71,438 climbing to $82,603 at four years. Median debt of $26,375 produces a 0.369 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B grade. Nursing graduates here are entering Oklahoma City metro hospitals at competitive starting wages and benefiting from the national RN shortage. For UCO students, this is the single highest-leverage credential available.
Computer and Information Sciences
Seventy-two graduates with one-year earnings of $64,320 and four-year earnings of $87,792 - the program's earnings curve is genuinely strong. Median debt is $20,212 (the lowest among UCO's high-earning programs), producing a 0.314 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B+ grade, tied for the highest on the school list. CS grads here land in OKC tech, defense contractors, and remote-work roles. This is the cleanest financial win at UCO.
Mechanical Engineering
Twenty-eight graduates have one-year earnings of $71,362 and four-year earnings of $88,188. Median debt is $31,000 - the highest among UCO's high-earning majors - producing a 0.434 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B grade. The energy industry concentration in OKC and Tulsa pulls these graduates into oil-and-gas and aerospace roles. Solid ROI even at the elevated debt level.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
The largest applied-business program with 124 graduates. One-year earnings of $46,410 and four-year of $64,107, against $25,000 median debt - a 0.539 debt-to-earnings ratio and a C+ grade. The earnings recovery curve is decent (from $46K to $64K in three years). Business at UCO works best when paired with a specialization (Finance, MIS, Accounting) that lifts students into the higher-earning bands.
Music
Forty graduates with one-year earnings of just $19,162 and four-year earnings of $42,355 against $23,125 median debt - a 1.207 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F grade. This is the worst documented ROI on UCO's list. Many music graduates pursue performance, music ed, or grad school, which means the early-career number is structurally low, but the debt load is high enough that students need a very clear post-grad plan (graduate school, music ed certification) to make the math work.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 66.5% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 69.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 61.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 67.4% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How University of Central Oklahoma’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 | 78.1% |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 18-24 |
| Enrollment | 10,170 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 36.5% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,207 |
UCO admits 78.1% of applicants, an open-access regional public profile. SAT mid-ranges are not reported, but ACT composite mid-range is 18-24 - a band that includes both college-ready and academically marginal students. That academic spread tracks the 36.8% six-year completion rate: many students who enroll are not adequately prepared to finish. Prepared students with ACT scores at or above 24 should expect dramatically better completion odds than the institutional average.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Central Oklahoma (this school) | 38 | $18,309 | $48,351 |
| East Central University | 45 | $8,683 | $44,962 |
| Eastern Michigan University | 42 | $15,407 | $51,793 |
| Eastern Kentucky University | 39 | $11,040 | $45,795 |
| Coastal Carolina University | 36 | $13,966 | $47,258 |
| Cameron University | 20 | $10,912 | $40,118 |
Head-to-Head ROI Comparisons
See University of Central Oklahoma side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
Mid-sized regional public, enrollment 10,170, located in the Oklahoma City metro. Pell rate is 36.5%, indicating a working-class student body. The school heavily serves commuters, adult learners, and transfer students - populations that statistically complete at lower rates than residential freshmen, which partly explains the headline completion number. Students who want a pre-professional path (Nursing, Engineering, Accounting, Computer Science) and who plan to graduate in 4-5 years can extract real value; students drifting between liberal arts majors carry the same costs but face dramatically weaker earnings outcomes.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, University of Central Oklahoma scores 38/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $18,309 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $48,351 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 to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 36.8% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 69.7% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $21,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $36,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.57, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
University of Central Oklahoma: Common Questions
Is University of Central Oklahoma worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. University of Central Oklahoma scores 38/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $18,309 a year after aid against $48,351 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 University of Central Oklahoma 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 $18,309 a year, or roughly $73,236 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 University of Central Oklahoma graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $48,351 ten years after enrolling, roughly $6,551 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 University of Central Oklahoma?
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 University of Central Oklahoma. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do University of Central Oklahoma graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $21,000, against average earnings of $36,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.57. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at University of Central Oklahoma?
The six-year graduation rate is 36.8%. 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.