Oklahoma College Enrollment Holds Steady As Numbers Decline Nationally

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center says more than 1 million fewer students are enrolled in college now than before the pandemic started. Oklahoma is seeing a different trend, the enrollment numbers are holding steady.

National averages show college enrollment is down 3% across the country, but many Oklahoma colleges and universities are not following that trend. 

Researchers say the pandemic, an increase in tuition, and students not wanting to attend college have impacted enrollment numbers across the country. Out of four main Tulsa and Oklahoma college options, two schools have seen a slight decrease in enrollment, while the other two have seen an increase.

The University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University show a 1% increase in enrollment for the spring semester compared to the previous year. OSU leaders say this year's freshman class is the largest in their history. 

OSU increase: 22,662 to 22,916 students from 2021 to 2022.

OSU leaders say they are encouraged to see students choosing OSU for their higher education journey.

“It’s an exciting time at OSU. While enrollment numbers are trending downward nationally, OSU’s enrollment numbers are growing. OSU is a welcoming community and offers students a life-changing academic springboard and the opportunity to engage in public impact research. The current OSU enrollment trend is a reflection of the quality of our academic programs, our dedicated faculty and staff, visionary leadership and the cornerstone of the Cowboy family — our students.”  

OU increase: 26,327 to 26,620 students from 2021 to 2022.

University of Oklahoma leaders released a statement saying they are looking forward to the future.

“Despite the challenges of last year, the University of Oklahoma experienced an increase in Spring 2022 enrollment compared to Spring 2021. An OU degree is a building block toward success for our students, and prospective students and their families understand the opportunities an OU degree can bring. Thanks to the hard work of our students, staff, and faculty, the University is growing in positive momentum, and our students recognize the value of choosing OU.”

Tulsa Community College is seeing a 2% decrease in overall enrollment.

TCC decrease: 13,129 to 12,813 students for the spring semester specifically. They educate about 21,500 students per school year as a whole. The college said they are working toward increasing those enrollment numbers every day. 

”TCC continues to help individuals remove barriers to enrolling in college. These numbers show how hard TCC is working during the past 22 months to do better than the national average and keep students on the path to a college degree. We continuously look at what our students need and how we can support them to become a college graduate.”

The University of Tulsa shows numbers holding steady the past three years, with only a decrease of 300 students since the spring of 2020.

TU decrease: 4,070 to 3,710 to 3,707 students from 2020 to 2022.

TU officials say they have many great initiatives they are working on in the coming year to make the school an even better place for a student to choose.

“We have the free text book initiative for incoming freshman, several recruiting events, and more to keep showing high school students that TU is the place to be. We are always looking at ways to improve and get enrollment numbers increasing.”

All four school representatives say they are grateful Oklahoma colleges haven't taken a big hit during the pandemic and they hope higher education is able to bounce back as more students enroll.