“Private General Baptist university in Oakland City, Indiana with 50+ concentrations”
Oakland City University (OCU) is a small private Christian university in Oakland City, Indiana, founded in 1885 by the Educational Board of General Baptists as Oakland City College on ten acres donated by Colonel William M. Cockrum. It remains the only General Baptist-affiliated college or university in the United States. Classes began in 1891, the institution gained state accreditation as a teacher-training school in 1907, earned full Higher Learning Commission accreditation at college status in 1977, and became a university in 1995. Today OCU enrolls roughly 1,000 students (about 700 undergraduates) and offers five graduate degrees plus 40+ undergraduate programs across the Chapman School of Religious Studies, the School of Arts & Sciences, the School of Education, the School of Business, and a Criminal Justice/Behavioral Sciences program. The university's identity is anchored in faith-based liberal-arts instruction, a long teacher-preparation tradition (Indiana granted it teacher-training accreditation more than a century ago), and a strong seminary heritage through the Chapman Divinity School. Professional programs in Business, Criminal Justice, Education, Nursing (pre-nursing pathway), Religious Studies/Ministry, and Psychology are the most popular majors; an MBA, an MS in Education, and Master of Divinity degrees round out the graduate offerings. The 25-acre main campus in rural Gibson County sits about 30 miles northeast of Evansville, Indiana, on flat farmland ringed by oak trees - a quiet, low-cost setting where the average class has fewer than 15 students and most faculty know undergraduates by name. Student life is small and community-oriented. OCU competes as the Mighty Oaks in NAIA athletics (River States Conference) with football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, and cross-country teams that form the social backbone of campus. Chapel services, Bible studies, Christian service trips, and General Baptist ministry involvement are central to student culture, but OCU is open to students of all faiths. For international students, OCU offers a straightforward admission path, test-optional review for most applicants, a moderate TOEFL iBT 70 / IELTS 6.0 English requirement, and the personal attention that comes with a small campus - trade-offs against limited STEM OPT-designated programs and a rural location with fewer big-city internship options.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Social Mobility
OCU homepage
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceFall (International)
Priority for visa processing
Spring (International)
Rolling (Domestic)
Open admission review throughout the year
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$27,900
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
OCU's oldest and most historically significant program, state-approved for teacher licensure since 1907. Prepares Indiana-licensed educators in elementary, secondary, and special education.
Small professional business school offering bachelor's degrees in accounting, management, and marketing plus an MBA. Emphasizes Christian ethics in business decision-making.
Seminary and undergraduate religious-studies school that trains General Baptist pastors and ministry leaders. Offers Master of Divinity and Master of Ministry degrees.
Houses the liberal-arts core plus majors in Criminal Justice, Psychology, Biology, English, and History. The most enrolled major outside education and business.
4 years
Century-old teacher-preparation program leading to Indiana teaching licensure; built-in classroom-observation hours begin freshman year.
4 years
One of the university's fastest-growing programs; tracks include law enforcement, corrections, and homeland security.
3 years
Chapman Divinity School's flagship graduate degree, preparing students for General Baptist pastoral ministry and chaplaincy.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $27,900
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
