NORMAN – For the second year in a row, the University of Oklahoma has set an all-time record of over 92 percent freshman-to-sophomore retention, ranking OU among the top universities in the nation, both public and private. Of the first-year students who entered OU in the fall of 2016, 92.1 percent returned for their sophomore year beginning fall 2017. This places OU in the top 30 public research institutions in the nation currently reporting retention rates of 92 percent or higher.

“OU continues to demonstrate extraordinary commitment to retaining our first-year students,” said OU President David L. Boren. “Our students return each year because they know there is a community of people here who care about them. Our students were recently ranked the happiest of any public university in the nation. This accomplishment is further evidence that when we put students first, the University of Oklahoma can stand as a leader in public higher education.”

Although the latest nationwide figures are not yet available, only 34 research universities – 30 public and 4 private – currently report retention rates of 92 percent or higher. They include Cornell University, University of Southern California and New York University among others.

OU was recently ranked among the top 50 public colleges and universities in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. For the 2018 Best Colleges rankings, the publication based its findings on several key measures of quality, including the rate of freshman retention.