OBU Campus Recognized as One of the Nation's Most Beautiful

OBU was recently recognized as having one of the most beautiful campuses in the nation, ranking on a list of the “50 Most Beautiful Christian Colleges and Universities 2016.” The list was compiled by Christian Universities Online, an independent online resource for students and families researching Christian higher education. The website publishes rankings and reviews of the best Christian colleges and universities, information about Christian scholarships and financial aid, and many other resources for finding, getting into, and paying for a quality Christian education.

The methodology behind this ranking began with schools that are either members of or eligible for membership in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). Each of these schools were then evaluated and scored on the continuity of campus, architectural style, presence and appearance of signature buildings, and their natural setting. The total score from these criteria was then used to rank the schools.

OBU ranked number 47 in the nation. Christian Universities Online described the OBU campus, also known as “Bison Hill,” and its setting within the community of Shawnee. “Set on an urban, 200-acre campus, OBU is conveniently located right next to Shawnee Regional Airport and is bordered by local residential areas. Featuring classic-revival style architecture with its beautiful red brick and white pillars, OBU’s campus is well laid out and dotted with deciduous trees and three small ponds.”

Christian Universities Online ranks the beauty of college campuses because they know that students make their college choices based on a multitude of factors. “The natural surroundings, layout and beauty of the campus have considerable weight in this decision,” the website stated. “With this understanding, we are pleased to offer up this ranking that focuses purely on location and aesthetics rather than the facts or figures normally used to evaluate schools. We also understand that there is an element of truth in the expression, ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’ This list serves as an attempt to highlight what we consider to be the 50 most beautiful Christian college and university campuses in the nation.”

This ranking comes on the heels of other national and regional recognitions for OBU, including a spot as the highest ranked private university in Oklahoma on Great Value College’s rankings of 50 Great Affordable Colleges in the Midwest; honors as a top 10 regional college in the West by U.S. News and World Report for the last 24 years; and Oklahoma’s highest rated regional college in the U.S. News rankings for 22 consecutive years. OBU was also recently named the top Christian college in Oklahoma for the lowest debt burden for its graduates.

For the full list of the “50 Most Beautiful Christian Colleges and Universities 2016,” visit www.christianuniversitiesonline.org/most-beautiful-christian-colleges-2016/.