OBU Ranks Highest Among Oklahoma Institutions in 2027 U.S. News Best Regional Colleges in the West

Oklahoma Baptist University achieved standout marks in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings and led Oklahoma institutions across multiple categories within the Regional Colleges (West) classification.

OBU has been ranked on the list of Best Regional Colleges in the West for 35 consecutive years and has been ranked the top Oklahoma institution in its category for 32 years.

Overall, OBU ranked No. 11 among Regional Colleges (West) — the highest of the five Oklahoma schools appearing in this ranking of the top 50. Among Top Private Colleges in the Regional Colleges (West) category, OBU placed No. 8, leading the three Oklahoma institutions recognized in the top 25. OBU ranked No. 10 on the Best Value Schools list for Regional Colleges (West) and was the only Oklahoma school in this ranking.

In Top Performers on Social Mobility, OBU placed No. 17 among the top 36, highest among the five Oklahoma schools in this category. This assesses how well schools graduated economically disadvantaged students. The ranking factors, which feed standalone Top Performers on Social Mobility rankings, were computed by aggregating two distinct ranking factors assessing graduation rates of students who were awarded Pell Grants.

And in Best Colleges for Veterans, OBU was the only Oklahoma school recognized. This ranking reflects which schools are affordable for veterans and active-duty service members based on the benefits available to them.

This report comes as OBU’s Fall 2026 figures show enrollment reached 1,987 students, marking a 16.7% increase year over year, compared with 1,702 students in fall 2025.

The sustained five-year climb reflects gains across all three of the university’s primary enrollment areas: in-person undergraduate, online undergraduate and graduate programs. Final enrollment figures will rise as dual enrollment numbers are added and online and graduate enrollment remains underway throughout the semester.

OBU President Dr. Heath A. Thomas is grateful for the recognition these rankings bring to the transformational, world-class education found on Bison Hill and for the value an OBU education offers to graduates.

“We are grateful to once again be recognized by U.S. News & World Report as not only an institution of the highest academic quality but also one of tremendous value for our students,” Thomas said. “We are grateful for our faculty, who care about their students in a meaningful, personal way while leading them to passionately seek knowledge through the lens of biblical truth in their disciplines. We are likewise grateful for the legacy of Christian liberal arts education, which began on Bison Hill more than 115 years ago. As our students learn to think critically and form a distinctively Christian worldview, they grow and mature into the future shapers who will one day transform our world as they live all of life, all for Jesus."