A majority of graduates from Oklahoma’s public universities and colleges stay and enter the state’s workforce, contributing to its economy.
According to the 2023 Employment Outcomes Report from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, 87% of graduates were working and living in Oklahoma one year after graduation. Five years after graduation, 75% still remained in the state.
In 2018, the Regents reported that 74% of graduates were employed in Oklahoma, and 65% remained after five years. The 2023 report shows an increase of at least 10% from 2018 in retaining graduates both one year and five years after graduation.
The report, which is based on the 2023 tax year, shows that nonresidents stay in Oklahoma at a lower rate than residents of the state, but about 61% still stay in Oklahoma for the first year after graduation.
“Year after year, data show that the vast majority of resident graduates from our public institutions – and over half of non-resident graduates – decide to make a living and build a life right here in Oklahoma,” Higher Education Chancellor Allison Garrett said in a statement. “Even five years after graduation, these individuals are helping us meet our workforce needs in healthcare, engineering, computer science, education, business, and numerous other key fields.”
The report included retention rates for graduates in critical occupations, or career fields in high demand with projected growth including STEM, engineering, nursing and teaching.
One year after graduation, 83% of graduates with a bachelor’s in a STEM field are living and working in Oklahoma. After five years, 64% remain.
For graduates with a bachelor’s in engineering, just over 79% are working in Oklahoma after a year. About 57% are still working in the state after five years.
Just over 94% of nursing graduates with a bachelor’s stay in Oklahoma after one year, and this number only drops to about 85% five years after graduation.
Almost 92% of graduates with a bachelor’s for teaching are working in Oklahoma classrooms after one year. After five years, about 80% are working in Oklahoma.
Graduates who were part of Oklahoma Promise, a scholarship program offering qualified Oklahoma students an opportunity to earn a scholarship for college tuition, have one of the highest retention and employment rates.
Almost 95% worked in Oklahoma one year after graduating, and almost 84% were still employed in the state after five years.
“The state system of higher education remains focused on meeting Oklahoma’s critical workforce demands,” said Regent Dennis Casey, chair of the board, in a statement. “This report validates the state’s investment in public higher education – our graduates learn here and earn here. When college and university graduates choose to stay in Oklahoma, they join our labor force and contribute in their communities, which strengthens our economy.”
Oklahoma Voice is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence.
