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Bizzell Library, University of OklahomaBizzell Library, University of Oklahoma · Photo: T3h wookiee · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Norman

Norman is a college town: 19 of every 100 residents are students

The University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus (24,774 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Oklahoma, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town19% of residents are studentsUniversity of Oklahoma-Norman Campus

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Norman. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
3
29,915 students on campus
Nearest college
6 mi
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
Residents in college
19%
Above OK (6%)
Nearest community college
14.6 mi
Rose State College · $5,030 tuition
Nearest public university
6 mi
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus · $9,797 in-state
Students on campus in Norman
24,774
next to 130,943 residents

What stands out about college in Norman

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town19 of every 100 Norman residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.A university in NormanThe University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus has 24,774 students on campus in Norman, 75% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusLiving in Oklahoma, the University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus charges $9,797 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $27,377. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 14.6 miles awayRose State College in Midwest City: tuition and fees $5,030 a year for Oklahoma residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Norman

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

19 of every 100 Norman residents are in college (OK: 6).

24,774students on campus at University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus, next to 130,943 residents (dorm students count as residents)
17,431college students live in Norman households rather than dorms
32.5median age · OK 37.0
47%of homes rented · OK 34%
$1,090median rent · 7% above the state
Cost of living$1,090/mo median rentCSafetyCrime reported to the FBICHealthCDC estimatesBJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC+HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Norman’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C+

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 16.7% of Norman residents are below the poverty line, 11.1% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 2 points either way). 49% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living C

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 19%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health B

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Norman’s median age is 32.5 (Oklahoma 37.0), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety C

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Norman

One private college within 9.2 miles, one public college within 6 miles, and Rose State College 14.6 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miUniversity of Oklahoma-Norman CampusRose State CollegeRandall UniversityNorman
University or collegeCommunity college
University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusUniversity or college · Public · 24,774 on campus · In Norman77%admitted$15knet price75%graduate$63kearningsEarnings are reported for all 2 campuses that file with it.Randall UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 209 on campus · 9.2 mi · Moore58%admitted$16knet price26%graduate$42kearningsRose State CollegeCommunity college · Public · 4,932 on campus · 14.6 mi · Midwest City$12knet price20%graduate$38kearningsTuition and fees: $5,030 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Norman’s median household income ($67,704) falls.

Rose State College14.6 mi · Midwest City · sticker $18,655 · tuition $5,030$13,521a year
University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusIn Norman · sticker $28,872$14,536a year
Randall University9.2 mi · Moore · sticker $26,126$14,832a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Norman: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusRandall UniversityRose State College
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus75% graduate$63k earnings*$21k typical debt
Rose State College20% graduate$38k earnings$10k typical debt
Randall University26% graduate$42k earnings$23k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus (2).

Majors

What students study in Norman

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 26%Engineering 10%Communication 9%Psychology 7%Interdisciplinary 6%Social sciences 6%Everything else 36%

Biggest programs

Marketing347 graduates a year
$78k4 yrs out
Human Resources Management and Services330 graduates a year
$66k4 yrs out
Psychology, General322 graduates a year
$56k4 yrs out
Finance and Financial Management Services244 graduates a year
$107k4 yrs out
Zoology/Animal Biology228 graduates a year
$56k4 yrs out
Journalism224 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities203 graduates a year
$65k4 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services182 graduates a year
$85k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Norman

Is Norman a college town?

Yes. 19 of every 100 Norman residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Oklahoma. The University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus has 24,774 students on campus, next to 130,943 residents.

What colleges are in Norman?

The University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus is inside the city. Rose State College is 14.6 miles away in Midwest City.

Why is Norman’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 16.7% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 11.1% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 2 points).

What is the closest community college to Norman, and what does it cost?

Rose State College in Midwest City, 14.6 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,030 a year for Oklahoma residents; the federal net price, $12,148, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into the University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus?

The University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus admitted 77% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,140–1,330 on the SAT.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Norman. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →