Cameron ranked as best value university in Oklahoma

Financial technology company Smart Asset recently ranked Cameron University in the top five of Oklahoma’s Best Value Colleges through a study that examined, tuition, living costs, scholarship offerings, retention rates and starting salaries.

“It’s rewarding for Cameron to be recognized by a national financial organization as a ‘Best Value,” university President John McArthur said. “This study validates our commitment to providing a top quality education at an affordable cost. A Cameron University degree continues to be one of the best values among institutions of higher education anywhere.”

In its considerations, Smart Asset used data from the 2014 National Center for Educational Statistics, the 2016 Payscale and the 2014 College InSight. The company weighted starting salary, tuition and living costs, which includes factors like room and board, books, supplies and transportation costs at 25 percent, while scholarships and grants and retention rates were weighted at 12.5 percent. Tuition, where applicable, was based on the in-state rates for public schools.

According to the study, Cameron had the lowest tuition for the top five universities in Oklahoma for the 2013-14 academic year – $5,055, compared to the state average of $9,276. The university also exceeded the state average in terms of average scholarships and grants offered to students, who had lower living costs than the state average.