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Colleges of Distinction: Oklahoma

University of Tulsa

Tulsa, Oklahoma

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A Better Fit for a Better Tomorrow

The University of Tulsa offers students a rare combination—the resources and opportunities of a large university with the personal attention and mentoring typically found at a much smaller college. A warm classroom environment and state-of-the-art facilities give students an engaging college experience.

The University of Tulsa is a private, doctoral-degree granting, accredited, coeducational institution founded in 1894.

Get to know University of Tulsa

3,343
Degree-Seeking Undergraduates
Enrolled female students
44%
 
Enrolled male students
56%
 
Gender Ratio
Full-time students
96%
 
Part-time students
4%
 
Full-time to Part-time Ratio
-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
Retention rate
Full-time faculty
77%
 
Adjuncts
23%
 
Faculty Ratio
11:1
Student/teacher ratio
$40,484
Full-time tuition cost
-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
4-year graduation rate
-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
5-year graduation rate
-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
6-year graduation rate
Rolling
Application deadline
-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
Acceptance rate
-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
Out-of-state students

College Highlights

Engaged Students
Great Teaching
Vibrant Communities
Successful Outcomes
Admission & Aid
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Engaged Students

TU students apply their classroom skills to real-world problems: They have planned and built sources for clean running water in Bolivia, addressed the impact of trauma on journalists and victims of domestic violence, examined the early stages of human development in Jordan, and have regularly taken the top prize in Oklahoma’s Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup. TU is a place for intellectually curious students with an active approach to their education…

STUDY ABROAD

A partner in the Generation Study Abroad Initiative, TU is committed to doubling study abroad numbers over the next five years through educational opportunities for study, research, and internships. TU students from every major may participate in education abroad experiences that enhance their personal and professional growth. They have excellent means to do so, enjoying access to a network of preeminent and internationally known university exchange partners.

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH & SERVICE LEARNING

Students admitted to the Tulsa Undergraduate Research Challenge program (TURC) have the opportunity to combine research and community service. TURC students take advanced classes, conduct research with top TU professors, and develop and lead service projects both in Tulsa and abroad, making valuable use of their skills and talents.

HONORS PROGRAM

The university’s four-year honors program for academically exceptional students emphasizes critical reasoning and in-depth inquiry through small, specialized classes and individual tutorials. The program culminates with an individual research project that students design and execute during their senior year. Honors students receive an annual Honors Program scholarship.

SERVICE-LEARNING

The University of Tulsa was named twice (2009, 2013) to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, a federal recognition for a college or university’s commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement. In the 2016-17 academic year, TU students, faculty, and staff volunteered more than 70,000 hours, worth approximately $1.6 million, to various local entities. Service learning, which is heavily integrated into the TU curriculum, is a cornerstone of the award-winning Tulsa Undergraduate Research Challenge. Each year, the entire undergraduate freshman class and first-year law students perform community service throughout Tulsa. Additionally, each spring, students organize a Service Learning Day. TU’s student volunteers plant trees for Up With Trees, work for Habitat for Humanity, help kids through Reading Partners, visit residents in nursing homes, paint rooms and playground equipment in parks and schools, strip and recycle used bicycles for Tulsa Hub, and help with animals at the Tulsa SPCA.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

TU students learn by doing: For example, the Student Investment Fund provides students real-world experience making investment decisions and managing a real portfolio currently valued at more than $5 million. In the School of Art, the student-run graphic design agency, Third Floor Design, provides award-winning promotional materials to Tulsa-area nonprofit organizations.

The College of Arts and Sciences is home to several major scholarly journals (e.g., the James Joyce Quarterly, Tulsa Studies in Women’s Literature and Nimrod), all of which afford undergraduates opportunities to learn about the business of publishing. They can gain experience in editing, public relations, database management, and fact checking. Students also help with the TU/Brown University Modernist Journals Project (MJP), producing digital editions of culturally significant magazines from the early 20th century.

EVOLVING PROGRAMS FOR CONTEMPORARY INTEREST

Student interest in the burgeoning energy management field factored into the creation of the School of Energy Economics, Policy, & Commerce. This program prepares undergraduates for careers in upstream and midstream sectors of the global energy industry.

ENROLLMENT BY ETHNICITY
Nonresident aliens: 20%
Hispanic/Latino: 6%
Black or African American, non-Hispanic: 5%
White, non-Hispanic: 57%
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: 3%
Asian, non-Hispanic: 5%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: 0%
Two or more races, non-Hispanic: 3%
Race and/or ethnicity unknown: 2%

Great Teaching

TU’s innovative curriculum challenges students to explore their majors in depth, producing responsible, successful citizens.

A CUTTING-EDGE EDUCATION WITH A BROAD FOUNDATION

The university offers academic programs through the Henry Kendall College of Arts and Sciences, the Collins College of Business, the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences, the Oxley College of Health Sciences, and the College of Law. In addition to their major, every undergraduate must complete the Tulsa Curriculum, which includes a core curriculum focused on basic writing, math, and language competencies. The general curriculum requires students to take courses in three areas, including aesthetic inquiry & creative experience, historical & social interpretation, and scientific investigation.

The TU faculty is a distinguished group of leading scholars and currently includes three National Science Foundation Early Career Development award winners in the engineering and computer science fields. Most recently, Joshua Schultz, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, received an NSF grant to fund the Biological Robotics Group at Tulsa, studying how robotic hands can execute vital motions.

Other faculty include:

  • Akhtar Ali, 2016 Fulbright Scholar
  • Randall Fuller, 2014 Guggenheim fellow
  • J. Markham Collins, a Fulbright Scholar/Lecturer, who shared his expertise in international financial management in Eger Hungary
  • Claire Cornell, assistant director of entrepreneurship, who has advised several TU teams to 1st or 2nd places in the Oklahoma Reynolds Governor’s Cup

INFORMATION SECURITY

TU’s reputation as a leader in information security education and research is well established, unique in its breadth and depth. The university trains federally certified computer security experts. Since 1996, its Institute for Information Security (iSec) has produced some of the country’s leading professionals in information security, digital forensics, Internet security, and telecommunications security.

INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTS

TU has programs in film studies and arts management. The interdisciplinary arts management program combines study in the fine or performing arts with business and management courses. As a result of the university’s management of the city-owned Gilcrease Museum, the two entities have developed a master of arts in both museum science and management program.

GREENHOUSE FOR CREATIVITY

The Collins College of Business is home to Studio Blue, a self-described greenhouse for creativity. Students from every discipline use this campus resource to exercise their right brains in innovative problem solving.

GUEST LECTURES

Every year, TU brings distinguished and internationally recognized artists to campus, including Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist George Will; actor and film director Tim Blake Nelson; acclaimed writers Jonathan Franzen and Michael Ondaatje; playwrights Tony Kushner and Stephen Sondheim; critic Frank Rich; journalists Evan Osnos, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward and three-time Grammy winner, memoirist, and activist Angélique Kidjo.

Vibrant Communities

There’s a lot to choose from at TU. With all the events, programs, and activities on campus, it’s easy to fill a calendar. The city of Tulsa adds a first-rate cultural life and numerous attractions. TU’s small size fosters a strong sense of community that helps students to feel right at home…

NEW FACILITIES

The university’s latest construction includes a 67,000+ square-foot fitness center, on-campus apartments, a 77,000 square-foot performing arts center, and two new buildings in the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences. The recently renovated student union has multiple food venues, and Hardesty, a residence hall that also houses the Holmes Student Center.

CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS

With more than 160 clubs, organizations, and intramural sports, TU ensures that students are hardly ever bored. TU’s student-groups offer something for everyone, including numerous activist, intellectual, and special interests groups,

Greek life is also strong at TU. Its seven national fraternities and eight national sororities on campus provide a solid foundation of leadership and service opportunities.

TULSA

The New York Times called the city of Tulsa “a new economic hotbed.” Newsweek has named Tulsa one of 10 “New Frontier” technology cities. Southern Living once declared Tulsa one of its five favorite cities for its southern charm. Tulsa offers all the attractions of a big city, including opera, festivals, over 1,000 restaurants, eclectic shopping venues, a world-class zoo, and the Oklahoma Aquarium.

TU HOUSING

Residential life options include furnished residence halls that offer both traditional and co-ed options, modern apartment complexes for upperclassmen and graduate students, and a variety of independently operated Greek houses. There are also theme floors that allow students with similar interests and goals to live together.

ATHLETICS

NCAA Division I, American Athletic Conference. 18 varsity sports (8 men’s: basketball, cross-country, football, golf, indoor track, outdoor track, soccer, tennis; 10 women’s: basketball, cross-country, golf, indoor track, outdoor track, rowing, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball); and more than 40 intramurals.

Successful Outcomes

TU produces students with the skills and experience that employers and graduate schools want. Alumni also have a phenomenal success rate, earning prestigious awards and fellowships, indicating the excellence and value of a TU education.

CAREER SERVICES

The Office of Career Services provides a range of services from job fairs to individual counseling. Faculty also have long-standing relationships with industry leaders who provide students with internships and real-world opportunities that often open career doors.

INTERNSHIPS

Internships are a significant part of TU’s academic programs. The university has working relationships with many area and regional organizations and prominent businesses, giving students the chance to gain professional experience before they graduate. Most recently, students have interned with Tulsa Opera, ConocoPhillips, H.A. Chapman Institute of Medical Genetics, Samson, Indian Health Care Resource Center, the Oklahoma State Treasurer’s Office, and WPX Energy, among many others.

STUDENT AWARDS

Over the years, TU students have won highly competitive national scholarships and fellowships: 62 Goldwaters, 66 National Science Foundation, 11 Trumans, 9 Dept. of Defense, 9 Udalls, 18 Fulbrights, 5 British Marshalls, and 11 Phi Kappa Phi fellowships and 3 Rhodes Scholars.

ALUMNI SUCCESS

TU’s distinguished alumni include successful professionals like Gordon Matthews, the inventor and patent-holder for voicemail, and Mark Radcliffe, who co-founded the 1492 Films production company and produced two Harry Potter films and “The Help.” Other alumni range from actress Mary K. Place to roboticist Daniel Wilson.

TU graduates go on to some of the nation’s top graduate schools, including programs at California Technical Institute, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia University, Duke University, Georgetown University, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University, Purdue University, Stanford University, Tulane University, Washington University, and Yale University.

Admission & Aid

Admission

FRESHMAN PROFILE
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
25th Percentile: 590 | 75th Percentile: 720
SAT Math
25th Percentile: 560 | 75th Percentile: 720
ACT Composite
25th Percentile: 25 | 75th Percentile: 32
ACT Math
25th Percentile: 24 | 75th Percentile: 30
ACT English
25th Percentile: 25 | 75th Percentile: 34

Tuition & Cost

Tuition: $40,484
Fees: $1,025
Room: $6,394
Board: $6,412

Contact University of Tulsa

Contact Admissions

admission.utulsa.edu
(918) 631-2307
admission@utulsa.edu

Campus Location

800 S. Tucker Drive
Tulsa, OK 74104

(918) 631-2000

Visit TU Online

utulsa.edu

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