Oklahoma City University

Private · Moderately Selective · OK

Photo: Matthew Rutledge (CC BY 2.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationOK · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads1,514

Student:faculty11:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate57.1%

6-yr grad rate64.9%

Drop-out rate16.1%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$36k

Out-of-state tuition$36k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity39.1%

Gender diversity66.2%

International5%

IdentityUnited Methodist

Overview

Oklahoma City University is a United Methodist university near downtown Oklahoma City, best known nationally not for its size but for one program: musical theatre. Its Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment and Wanda L. Bass School of Music have sent a disproportionate number of graduates to Broadway and national tours relative to the university's overall enrollment.

Academics

Musical theatre, dance, and vocal performance are the marquee programs, taught with a conservatory-style intensity uncommon at a general university, and students in these programs often perform in fully staged, professionally mounted productions as undergraduates. Business, law, and nursing are substantial programs in their own right and make up most of the university's enrollment, even though the performing arts draw the outside attention.

Campus & student life

The campus sits close to downtown Oklahoma City, giving performing arts students easy access to the city's professional theater and arts scene for auditions, internships, and informal training beyond the classroom. Life for performing arts majors tends to be demanding and insular — rehearsal schedules dominate — while the broader student body experiences a more conventional mid-size university campus.

Getting in

Performing arts admission runs on a separate track from general admission, requiring an audition or portfolio review that is often more selective and more determinative than academic credentials alone; a strong GPA does not substitute for a strong audition in these programs.

After graduation

The Broadway and touring-company pipeline from OCU's musical theatre program is real and frequently cited — Kristin Chenoweth and Kelli O'Hara are both graduates — and alumni networking within the professional theater world is an active part of how the program sustains its reputation.

okcu.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate77%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1050–1260 · ACT 21–27

Test policyoptional

Rec letters1

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying