More selective than 22% of Michigan colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $25,182. College Scorecard.
Higher than 48% of Michigan colleges we cover and 58% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 75% of Michigan colleges we cover and 66% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
OU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 12,398 applicants, Oakland University admitted 8,708 and 2,236 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1030–1230 on the SAT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
OU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Michigan residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What OU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Oakland University took 4.5 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Michigan. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $4,422 | $19,987 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $4,560 | $20,611 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $6,711 | $30,334 | 1.2 years |
| $75–110k | $11,874 | $53,670 | 2.1 years |
| $110k+ | $19,217 | $86,861 | 3.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (34% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($58,612) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $25,201 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
OU majors, earnings & careers
Oakland University offers 74 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Health & Medicine · 12
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 12
- Humanities & Languages · 11
- Business & Finance · 10
- Science & Math · 9
- Arts & Design · 7
- Engineering · 7
- Communications & Media · 3
- Education · 2
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at OU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial Engineering | $102,222 | $29,750 |
| Electrical Engineering | $99,967 | $26,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $97,444 | $25,000 |
| Computer Engineering | $95,843 | $26,125 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $90,737 | $26,500 |
| Management Information Systems | $88,497 | $26,000 |
| Management Science / Analytics | $87,119 | — |
| Public Health | $85,266 | $30,750 |
Quick list of all 74 majors
- Accounting$82,699
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$63,925
- Anthropology$46,628
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biological / Biosystems Engineering—
- Biology$55,991
- Business$68,496
- Business Administration$84,052
- Business Economics—
- Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences—
- Chemistry—
- Communications$55,662
- Computer and Information Sciences$90,737
- Computer Engineering$95,843
- Criminal Justice$60,027
- Dance—
- Dietetics—
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Economics$71,874
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$48,396
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical Engineering$99,967
- Engineering Chemistry—
- Engineering Physics—
- English$48,101
- Environmental Science / Conservation$59,922
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography$43,186
- Finance$79,127
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services—
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$47,432
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other$54,767
- Health Sciences—
- History$48,990
- Homeland Security$63,858
- Human Resources$70,347
- Industrial Engineering$102,222
- International Relations—
- Journalism$46,680
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Legal Studies / Paralegal$48,323
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$63,534
- Linguistics—
- Management Information Systems$88,497
- Management Science / Analytics$87,119
- Marketing$69,448
- Mathematics$57,531
- Mechanical Engineering$97,444
- Medical Laboratory Science$70,486
- Music—
- Nursing$81,667
- Nutrition Science—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Physiology—
- Political Science$51,129
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology$45,141
- Public Administration—
- Public Health$85,266
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Security / Homeland Security—
- Social Work$55,754
- Sociology$47,873
- Sociology and Anthropology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$41,443
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$44,270
- Theatre$39,442
- Visual and Performing Arts—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Human Resources → HR specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Detroit
Overall prices in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,459. Housing costs 5% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 34 inches of rain a year, 36 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (very high); river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Oakland County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Oakland County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare OU with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Michigan by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland University | 88% | $9,120 | 58% | $58,612 | This school |
| Western Michigan University | 85% | $15,273 | 58% | $53,562 | |
| Central Michigan University | 90% | $17,597 | 59% | $55,874 | |
| Wayne State University | 81% | $12,766 | 58% | $53,493 | |
| Eastern Michigan University | 80% | $15,407 | 46% | $51,793 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Oakland University would cost you $6,153 less per year than Western Michigan University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Oakland University, mostly from more Oakland University students living at home, which lowers its average (−$3,202).
- Oakland University gives aided families $2,098 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Michigan resident | OU | WMU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $15,262 | $15,252 | +$10 |
| Books & supplies | $700 | $1,128 | −$428 |
| Housing & meals | $11,309 | $11,713 | −$404 |
| Personal & travel | $2,600 | $2,631 | −$31 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$4,689 | −$1,487 | −$3,202 |
| Sticker price | $25,182 | $29,237 | −$4,055 |
| Average grants | −$16,062 | −$13,964 | −$2,098 |
| You pay | $9,120 | $15,273 | −$6,153 |
“+” means OU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about OU
What is the OU acceptance rate?
Oakland University accepts 88% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 8,708 of 12,398 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1030–1230 on the SAT.
How much does Oakland University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $25,182 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $9,120 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $4,422 and families earning $110k+ pay $19,217.
How much do OU graduates earn?
Former Oakland University students earn a median $58,612 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the OU graduation rate?
58% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 78% return for their second year.
How long does a OU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Oakland University costs about $30,334 after grants ($6,711 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $58,612 ten years after starting, $25,201 more than high school graduates in Michigan ($33,411), so the cost is repaid in 1.2 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is OU the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing OU with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Oakland University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/oakland-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).