2024 Top Online Colleges in Oklahoma

At first glance, Oklahoma isn’t as packed with virtual higher education options as other states. But money-saving initiatives and program options are there, waiting to be discovered. And we’ve uncovered them. We’ll explain where to find a ton of online degrees and courses in one place, how to complete an online degree if you have prior coursework, and where to get tuition-free college credit while you’re still in secondary school. We’ll also unveil our list of the state’s most affordable colleges as well as inform you of schools with shaky accreditation status.

Online Degrees in Oklahoma: What to Know

1. Discover Online Programs Throughout the South

Want more choice? Oklahoma is one of 15 states participating in the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Electronic Campus. SREB maintains an online program & course catalog, so it’s easy to see what’s available. Use the Electronic Campus to find cheaper programs across the South. Any program labelled “E” charges the electronic rate, which is the same for all students regardless of their residency.

A similar SREB initiative — the Academic Common Market-Electronic Campus (ACM-EC) — lets you pay in-state tuition for specific out-of-state degrees not available in Oklahoma. To take advantage of the lower tuition, you must be admitted to the university and get certified as an Oklahoma resident. Read the instructions on the website.

2. “Reach Higher” for Degree Completion

Are you an adult with a bunch of coursework to your name but no degree to show for it? Reach Higher, the state’s degree completion program, may be able to help. Apply for admission to one of 14 community colleges or eight public universities, transfer in earned credits, and then work toward finishing your degree. You have two options: a two-year degree in Enterprise Development or a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership.

There are five class start dates per year and each class is eight weeks long; the accelerated pace means you can finish quickly. Plus, to increase flexibility, the participating schools have placed many courses online. At some schools, you can take most of the program online, whereas others skew toward evening and weekend work. To help you out, we’ve pointed out the schools on our list that offer Reach Higher degrees and noted which learning format they take.

Affordable Online Schools in Oklahoma

Oklahoma must be doing something right. Several public universities met our criteria for quality, flexibility, cost and financial aid. (See the CAG Score next to the school’s profile in the rankings.) To see how these schools stack up against others in the state, visit College Scorecard, a government website that lets you compare graduation rates, costs and earnings potential.

• Oklahoma State University-Main Campus

  OCampus links prospective students to OSU’s online degree and certificate options as well as an online course search tool. (Remember to filter for online or hybrid classes.) Virtual students can take advantage of many of the same resources as their on-campus peers, including free writing and math tutoring. Of course, they have to pay for their studies just like traditional students do. The Office of the Bursar spells out tuition and fees while the Financial Aid Office works with students to lower the net cost.

• University of Central Oklahoma

  The Center for eLearning and Continuing Education is your portal to UCO’s online course catalog as well as info about self-paced online courses (SPOC) that allow flexibility. Since UCO doesn’t do fully online programs, you’ll have to register as a traditional student and pay according to the established tuition and fee schedule. Financial aid is available, even for self-paced coursework.

  But what about higher education outside the traditional ages? UCO’s got you covered. Juniors and seniors in high school may receive a tuition waiver if they pursue concurrent enrollment at UCO, though this does not apply toward flex-ed (SPOC). On the other end of the educational spectrum, adult learners can enroll in the BS in Organizational Leadership program, which is part of the Reach Higher initiative. Not all courses are online, but even the “traditional” courses are offered at times and in formats that maximize accessibility for working adults.

• University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

  OU Outreach is the place to find the school’s online degrees. Follow the links to the College of Liberal Studies to access tuition, scholarship and financial aid info. There, you’ll discover that nonresident military and homeland security law enforcement personnel can get a tuition waiver that brings the cost down to the same rate as Oklahomans. For individual courses, search the catalog.

  Still in secondary school? Concurrent enrollment is a cheap route to accumulating college credits before you even start filling out applications. Just use the same course catalog and check the box for “concurrent enroll options.”

  OU has a couple of other options if financial aid eligibility isn’t a deal breaker. One is its online self-paced courses. They aren’t eligible for financial aid, but nonresidents can take them at the in-state rate. The other is online career training. OU maintains a catalog of 1,000+ individually priced career training courses/programs.

Online Schools in Oklahoma with Accreditation & Quality Concerns

Do yourself a favor and take accreditation seriously. For one thing, it’s a stamp of approval from other educators. For another thing, attending an accredited school makes your life easier when it comes to receiving financial aid and transferring credits. We’ll explain:

• The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is the regional accrediting body for Oklahoma colleges and universities. HLC accreditation is desirable for two simple reasons: Students at HLC-accredited institutions are eligible for federal financial aid and can usually transfer their credits to other schools (even if they only count as electives). You can see all the current and former HLC institutions in Oklahoma on the HLC website.
• On the HLC website click on any “Public Disclosure Notices.” In short, these explain any negative actions the HLC has taken against a school and what the school must do to avoid losing its accreditation status.
• Many career colleges opt for national accreditation. Going this route allows their students to apply for federal financial aid. However, many regionally accredited schools don’t accept credits from nationally accredited ones, so take caution if your academic plan involves transferring. For a full list of all regionally and nationally accredited institutions, check the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) Database.

The overwhelming majority of Oklahoma institutions provide a first-rate education to their students. There are a few, however, who have run afoul of government regulators and/or accreditors … or who have avoided accreditation altogether:

• DeVry University

  For-profit DeVry is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, but that status can always change. In 2016, the Federal Trade Commission sued DeVry for misleading advertising relating to graduate employment and income claims. Later that year, the Higher Learning Commission, while not taking direct disciplinary action against the university, did request information related to the FTC’s claims, according to a public disclosure notice.

• Eastern Oklahoma State College

  In 2014, the U.S. Department of Education (DoE) reviewed the school and discovered that an off-campus learning site was offering degrees without government authorization. As a result, the DoE ordered Eastern to pay back a lot of financial aid money. It also placed the school on heightened cash monitoring 2 (HCM2), which essentially means the school’s on a short leash when it comes to doling out financial aid. The school reports that it’s working with the DoE to correct the issue, but that the HCM2 system has occasionally “caused a delay in students receiving their financial aid and loans.”

• Heartland Baptist Bible College

  Heartland, which offers correspondence courses through its extension studies department, states that it chooses not to seek accreditation for religious reasons. Therefore, it is not in the CHEA database or on College Scorecard.

Oklahoma Online Education Resources

Accreditation

• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC): Call it SACS for short. SACS is the regional accreditor for the Sooner State’s colleges and universities.

Distance Learning Resources

• Oklahoma State Department of Education: Mostly, the agency handles standard K-12 issues, but you may want to look at its list of the state’s public virtual charter schools.
• Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education: Go to the student section to learn more about the Reach Higher adult degree completion program. You can also find out about tuition waivers for high schoolers who concurrently enroll in college courses. One more note: The course equivalency tables are essential for transfer students.

Online Degree & Course Catalogs

• Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Electronic Campus: See all the same degrees and courses from the Online College of Oklahoma plus those from 14 other Southern states. If you’re coming from out of state, you’ll be able to see which ones don’t charge nonresidents extra.