The best part about the University of Oklahoma is that the fees are not exorbitant and it has a great reputation. It ranks at #133 in National Universities according to US News. The upper division classes are small which will help you build valuable relationships with your professor. In my sister’s experience with Biochemistry, the department is a close knit circle and you will also learn to develop connections and network. 

Location:

The institute is located in Norman, Oklahoma which is a free-thinking town with affordable housing and you will have a large campus to explore. It is littered with gyms, libraries and fine arts spaces with really good architecture. The college also has an active football scene and in my opinion, you will definitely end up at a game or two.

Classes:

Depending on the course you choose, your course classes may have 500+ students to small classes with just 30 students in a class. The faculty is also quite approachable and genuinely cares for students and their academics.

Placements:

On an average, their graduates make about USD 70,929 per year so you can expect to make an amount closer to this. OhioHealth and JP Morgan and Chase are some of the popular companies that hire students. 

You can expect to have a good career after graduating from the program and have a great college life as well. Just research a little about the program you want to go to and give it a shot!

Oklahoma is known for the oil and gas industry and the college being the flagship campus of the state has more opportunities, so you should consider UO over UTD. While the two schools are not similar to one another, you should look into the criteria you are considering prior to applying to either colleges. UT Dallas was traditionally a commuter campus with on campus housing being recently built in the last 15 years.

Rankings & Tuition:

This is usually the two most important factors students consider. According to US News and World Report:

Popular programs:

University of Oklahoma: From my experience, OU is primarily known for its Petroleum Engineering and Meteorology programs. The business school is quite good too with programs in Business, Management and Marketing being some of the popular ones.

UT Dallas: If you are looking into research programs, Dallas has some really good research options with top tier faculty available. Additionally, the MBA program at UTD is also very popular among students. Other programs that are sought after include biological sciences, engineering and other business related programs.

Additionally, if you’re looking at campus and room and board, OU at Norman is much more affordable and a quaint town with a good football scene at the campus compared to UTD. Nevertheless, my advice to you would be that you should zero down on a program and look at which institute offers it better before making a decision.

The greatest asset of University of Oklahoma is its professors. The faculties are brilliant, especially in honors and engineering/science colleges. You will get networking opportunities with professors who genuinely want to see you grow. 

OU offers ample opportunities to carry out undergraduate research. You can apply for undergraduate research funding and present your work at the annual conference of the university. These opportunities can do wonders to your resume. 

OU has a good connection to the Texas job market. You can leverage these connections to receive good recruitment opportunities. A recent Georgetown University study states OU offers the best long-term ROI. Around 87% of students receive job offers within six months of graduation. The median salary for OU graduates is $57,000. 

OU offers a great community and atmosphere. The campus experience it offers is enviable.  If you are a bibliophile, you will love the reading clubs of the university. From Harry Potter to Freakonomics, you will certainly find books from any genre that you find interesting. 

Football is an integral part of life in the state of Oklahoma. OU is a part of this culture. It actively competes in the football rankings. 

OU offers its students all the academic advantages of elite schools and gives them freedom to experiment with different disciplines. 

Overall, University of Oklahoma has a great life based in the town of Norman. It has a beautiful campus with good landscaping and huge trees. You will definitely love walking to classes in spring. Additionally, the architecture has a sort of Gothic feel to it with a huge library. Do check out the Great Reading Room in the library. 

There are also some fraternities and sororities on campus. Rent and housing prices are also quite affordable since the town is small. The old homes near the campus are pricier. Some amazing things you should know about OU:

• There is a good football life on campus and the enthusiasm is quite contagious. Do go watch the Sooners play if you get the chance.
• There is beautiful Cherokee Gothic architecture around the campus which is quite popular among the masses.
• The university is also affiliated with Universities Research Association, Association of Public Land grant universities and is also accredited by Higher Learning Commission.
• There are rumours that the college lacks cultural diversity but is listed as a Tier 2 institute.

The campus is quite big (Around 3000 acres I think) and you will be able to avail a number of student services too. You should definitely visit the campus library and museums. Another major perk is that cars are allowed on campus, which will help you navigate around faster.

Norman is a great town and is quite safe. Best part is, it will probably take you about 20 minutes to get from one end of the town to another. There are a couple of Walmarts, Targets and Victoria’s with grocery stores littered all over the town. Overall, you can expect to have a decent university life and affordable living at Norman and University of Oklahoma.