“Oklahoma's public honors liberal arts university — Drovers community with exceptional affordability and small-college character on the Chisholm Trail.”
The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) is a public liberal arts college founded in 1908, located on a 75-acre campus in Chickasha, Oklahoma — about 40 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. USAO is Oklahoma's designated public liberal arts university and an honors college, combining exceptional affordability (Oklahoma in-state tuition of just $8,280) with the academic rigor of a distinguished public honors college. With approximately 700 undergraduates and a 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio, USAO offers a personally engaged public honors liberal arts experience. USAO's curriculum emphasizes integrated liberal arts and sciences through the distinctive Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) program — every student completes a sequence of interdisciplinary courses complementing their major. Strong programs include business, biology, education, and the natural sciences. The Drovers name and brand reflect Chickasha's historic position along the Chisholm Trail, where cattle drovers (cowboys) historically drove herds through the area. Campus life at USAO centers on the Drovers community in NAIA athletics through the Sooner Athletic Conference. Students live on campus in residence halls, with extensive opportunities for engagement with Chickasha and the Oklahoma City metro. The Drover Green and Historic Gold school colors define athletic identity. With its combination of public honors liberal arts designation, exceptional Oklahoma affordability, and distinctive Chisholm Trail heritage, USAO offers uniquely valuable public liberal arts education.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
National Universities
US News 2026
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceEarly Action
Non-binding
Regular Decision
Rolling
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
$8,280 – $19,470
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$19,470
/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.
USAO's signature required interdisciplinary sequence complementing all majors.
Biology, chemistry, pre-health pathways.
Business and teacher preparation.
Programs in English, art, music, communication.
Psychology, political science, sociology.
4 years
USAO's signature required sequence of interdisciplinary courses spanning liberal arts — every student completes this core.
4 years
Practical business education complementing IDS core.
4 years
Pre-health pipeline to Oklahoma medical schools.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $20,190
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.
