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Science BuildingScience Building · Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 3.0
Colleges in and near Weatherford

Weatherford is a college town: 21 of every 100 residents are students

Southwestern Oklahoma State University (3,145 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Oklahoma, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town21% of residents are studentsSouthwestern Oklahoma State University

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 Weatherford. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
3,145 students on campus
Nearest college
1.3 mi
Southwestern Oklahoma State
Residents in college
21%
Above OK (6%)
Nearest community college
39.9 mi
Redlands · $5,385 tuition
Nearest public university
1.3 mi
Southwestern Oklahoma State · $8,469 in-state
Students on campus in Weatherford
3,145
next to 12,005 residents

What stands out about college in Weatherford

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

A college town21 of every 100 Weatherford residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oklahoma.A university in WeatherfordSouthwestern Oklahoma State University has 3,145 students on campus in Weatherford, 40% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Southwestern Oklahoma StateLiving in Oklahoma, Southwestern Oklahoma State University charges $8,469 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $8,499. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 39.9 miles awayRedlands Community College in El Reno: tuition and fees $5,385 a year for Oklahoma residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Weatherford

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

21 of every 100 Weatherford residents are in college (OK: 6).

3,145students on campus at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, next to 12,005 residents (dorm students count as residents)
1,725college students live in Weatherford households rather than dorms
26.8median age · OK 37.0
58%of homes rented · OK 34%
$804median rent · 21% below the state
Cost of living$804/mo median rentC+SafetyCrime reported to the FBIA−HealthCDC estimatesB−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Weatherford’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: 20.3% of Weatherford residents are below the poverty line, 12.0% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 6 points either way). 64% 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 21%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health B−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Weatherford’s median age is 26.8 (Oklahoma 37.0), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety A−

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 Weatherford

It is public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Weatherford.

5 mi10 mi15 miSouthwestern Oklahoma StateWeatherford
University or collegeCommunity college
Southwestern Oklahoma State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 3,145 on campus · In Weatherford$14knet price40%graduate$46kearnings

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 Weatherford’s median household income ($54,704) falls.

Southwestern Oklahoma State UniversityIn Weatherford · sticker $23,334$12,069a 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 Weatherford: 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 →Southwestern Oklahoma State
Southwestern Oklahoma State University40% graduate$46k earnings$16k 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.

Majors

What students study in Weatherford

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

Health professions 39%Business 18%Liberal arts 10%Education 7%Parks & recreation 6%Interdisciplinary 4%Everything else 17%

Biggest programs

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing222 graduates a year
$90k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations127 graduates a year
$52k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods56 graduates a year
$43k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness34 graduates a year
$46k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas32 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Health and Medical Administrative Services30 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management22 graduates a year
$51k4 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 Weatherford

Is Weatherford a college town?

Yes. 21 of every 100 Weatherford residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Oklahoma. Southwestern Oklahoma State University has 3,145 students on campus, next to 12,005 residents.

What colleges are in Weatherford?

Southwestern Oklahoma State University is inside the city. Redlands Community College is 39.9 miles away in El Reno.

Why is Weatherford’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 20.3% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 12.0% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 6 points).

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

Redlands Community College in El Reno, 39.9 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,385 a year for Oklahoma residents; the federal net price, $5,964, counts housing and food at full cost.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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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 Weatherford. 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 →