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OKLAHOMA CITY – The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents today approved the university’s fiscal year 2026–2027 budget, strategically investing in OU’s excellence by expanding opportunities for students, growing its research capacity, further aligning with Oklahoma’s workforce needs, and ensuring the long-term competitiveness of the state.
“At OU, we remain committed to a simple but profound goal—to build the nationally competitive flagship university Oklahoma deserves,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “We have paid attention to the things that matter most: excellence and affordability. Together, they create value for Oklahoma students and families that is unparalleled in higher education today—all while building Oklahoma’s workforce of tomorrow.”
Six years after the university launched its first Strategic Plan, the results of its focus on value are visible across every part of our institution, Harroz said: record enrollment and ongoing demand for an OU education, faculty excellence, capital investments, a thriving academic health system, growing research, and a vibrant campus community.
OU continues to lead the state by attracting students in record numbers. The University is on track for a fourth straight year of record Oklahoma freshman enrollment and a sixth consecutive record total freshman class. Today, 27% of OU students – and 36% of Oklahoma students – are first-generation college students, underscoring the life-changing power of access to higher education. With applications at an all-time high, the university is on pace to enroll 40,000 students by Fall 2027, marking its fastest enrollment growth in more than 50 years.
At the same time, OU remains one of the strongest affordability stories in higher education. While tuition has increased modestly over time, student aid has grown at a significantly faster rate, making a degree from OU more affordable today for Oklahoma students than it was seven years ago. Over those seven years, need-based aid has increased 39%, annual scholarship support for resident undergraduates has increased 38%, and the average annual net tuition and fee cost for resident undergraduates has declined 20%.
“Our commitment to excellence has never come at the expense of affordability,” Harroz said. “As Oklahoma’s flagship university, we have a responsibility to remain competitive among the nation’s leading institutions while ensuring that an OU education remains accessible to students with the talent and drive to succeed. Now, it is incumbent upon us to build on the foundation we have created and continue delivering on our purpose of changing lives.”
Among its other successes, Harroz touts OU’s student outcomes. Today, 58% of OU undergraduates graduate debt-free compared to 45% nationally, and graduates achieve a four-year median income of $73,280, exceeding SEC and Big 12 averages.
The university’s research enterprise has grown more than 70% in six years, making OU one of the fastest-growing research universities in the nation. Project 200 is accelerating our rise as a leading research university, and with research expenditures expected to exceed $500 million this year, OU is well on its way toward becoming a $1 billion research institution. At the same time, OU Health has emerged as a national model for transformation, expanding access to care and strengthening health outcomes across Oklahoma.
To support these priorities, the university’s budget for fiscal year 2026–2027 includes a 3% increase in tuition and mandatory fees for undergraduate and graduate students on the Norman campus. On the Health Campus, tuition and fee changes vary by program, with most increasing by approximately 3%.
Revenue generated through these adjustments will sustain the momentum OU has built in recent years, including continuing to strengthen the university’s role as a key economic engine for the state and supporting record enrollment growth in high-demand fields like nursing, engineering, business and medicine, where total enrollment will reach all-time highs in Fall 2027.
The budget supports a fifth consecutive year of salary increases, four of which have been merit-based, extending continued investment in the faculty and staff who make OU exceptional. It will also advance priorities that strengthen academic programs, student success, workforce development, experiential learning, and research growth. These investments help ensure OU remains a nationally competitive flagship university while delivering meaningful benefits for Oklahoma.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
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