University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
Chickasha, Oklahoma · Public · 65.8% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 37/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) scores 37, landing in the Below Benchmark tier despite very low costs. This is Oklahoma's public liberal arts college, a small selective-by-Oklahoma-standards school in Chickasha. In-state tuition is just $9,000, net price drops to $6,624, and total four-year cost is roughly $26,496. The problem is on the earnings side: average earnings six years after entry are only $30,400 climbing to a median $41,913 by year ten. Debt-to-earnings is 0.715 (sub-score 26). Completion rate is 44.1% (sub-score 28). The 74.6% three-year repayment rate is moderately healthy. USAO works well only in the narrowest case: a low-income Oklahoma student getting Pell-covered tuition who completes a teacher-education or business credential and uses the degree for stable local employment. The liberal-arts identity does not translate to earnings premium in the rural Oklahoma labor market.
How University of Science and Arts of 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 Score37/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period24.1 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $9,000/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $20,190/yr |
| Average net price | $6,624/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $26,496 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $41,913 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $30,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $21,750 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $231 |
| Estimated payback period | 24.1 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 44.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 941 |
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: $9,000/year ($20,190/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $6,624/year, or roughly $26,496 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 $3,493/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $14,413/year. If money is tight, that matters: this school gives low-income students enough aid to land well below the sticker price.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $21,750, which works out to about $231 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($30,400) and comes to 0.71, 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 | $3,493 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $3,548 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $7,223 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $13,352 |
| $110,001+ | $14,413 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-30,000 pay just $3,493 net per year (about $13,972 over four years). This is essentially fully covered by Pell, making USAO effectively free for the lowest bracket. With 51% Pell enrollment, this is the modal case and is the strongest argument for the school.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-110,000) face a real price step: $7,223 in the $48,001-75,000 bracket jumps to $13,352 in the $75,001-110,000 bracket - a near-doubling of net price. Four-year cost runs $29,000-$53,000.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $14,413 per year ($57,652 over four years). This is still cheap by national standards but a 4x increase from the lowest bracket.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $35,647 | - |
| Teacher Education | $44,218 | - |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $28,426 | - |
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.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration graduates 16 students with $35,647 first-year earnings; four-year earnings, debt, and ROI grade are not reported, likely due to small cohort size. This is among USAO's larger programs and the first-year number is in the typical range for rural Oklahoma business graduates.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education graduates 5 students with $39,848 first-year earnings and $44,218 by year four - typical flat Oklahoma teacher salary curve. Debt and ratio data are not reported due to small cohort. This is the school's clearest pipeline into stable local employment, even if the earnings ceiling is low.
Fine and Studio Arts
Fine and Studio Arts graduates 5 students with $14,912 first-year earnings and $28,426 by year four. Debt data is not reported. The very weak first-year earnings reflect the rural Oklahoma art labor market; this is the kind of program that defines USAO's liberal-arts identity but produces the weakest financial outcomes.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 73.4% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 74.6% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 59.7% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 63.9% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How University of Science and Arts of 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 | 65.8% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 510-580 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 580-700 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 21-26 |
| Enrollment | 941 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 51.2% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,356 |
USAO admits 65.8% of applicants with SAT mid-ranges of 510-580 (math) and 580-700 (reading) and ACT composite mid-range of 21-26. The reading SAT scores are notably higher than the math scores, consistent with the school's liberal-arts and humanities identity.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
USAO's score is 37.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (this school) | 37 | $6,624 | $41,913 |
| Wright State University-Lake Campus | 48 | $11,081 | $49,500 |
| Peru State College | 41 | $11,632 | $47,071 |
| New Mexico Highlands University | 39 | $14,838 | $45,937 |
| University of Central Oklahoma | 38 | $18,309 | $48,351 |
| Cameron University | 20 | $10,912 | $40,118 |
Who Thrives Here
Enrollment is small at 941 with a 51.2% Pell rate. This is a high-need, rural Oklahoma student body. USAO works for low-income Oklahomans entering teacher-education or business who plan to work locally and use Pell to keep out-of-pocket cost near zero. It is less defensible for students drawn to the school's fine arts or humanities offerings, where the credential does not produce meaningful earnings improvement against local wages. The 73% one-year repayment rate suggests graduates are servicing debt but at modest income levels.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma scores 37/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $6,624 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $41,913 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 24.1 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: its 44.1% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $21,750 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $30,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71. 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.
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma: Common Questions
Is University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma scores 37/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $6,624 a year after aid against $41,913 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 24.1 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does University of Science and Arts of 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 $6,624 a year, or roughly $26,496 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 Science and Arts of Oklahoma graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $41,913 ten years after enrolling, roughly $113 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 Science and Arts of 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 24.1 years for University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $21,750, against average earnings of $30,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71. 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 University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma?
The six-year graduation rate is 44.1%. 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.