National Recognition
Oakland University is a nationally recognized university offering students a personal, high-quality education through flexible class schedules, new facilities, student services, classroom technologies, labs, internships, co-ops, research opportunities with corporate partners, and degree and certificate programs.
OU students work side by side with faculty mentors and research investigators on projects funded by prestigious organizations such as the National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Education as well as numerous partners in business and industry. Under the tutelage of faculty and community mentors, students gain valuable knowledge and experience in teaching, nursing, solving business problems, performing on stage and so much more.
Thanks to the reputation it is gaining within the region and beyond, Oakland University has been recognized by several national organizations.
The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education categorizes Oakland University as a "Doctoral/Research University." Produced by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the classification reflects OU's strong commitment to graduate education through its doctoral programs as well as its extensive undergraduate programs. Oakland University offers students opportunities to work directly on research projects with expert faculty who bring current knowledge right to the classroom.
This classification places OU among other public and private institutions such as San Diego State University, Pepperdine University, DePaul University, Ball State University, Dartmouth College, Hofstra University, Wake Forest University, Baylor University, George Mason University, the University of San Diego, University of Colorado at Denver, University of Maryland-Baltimore, University of Massachusetts-Boston, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and College of William and Mary.
Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1905 and chartered in 1906 by an Act of Congress, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching is an independent policy and research center whose charge is "to do and perform all things necessary to encourage, uphold, and dignify the profession of the teacher and the cause of higher education." The foundation is a major national and international center for research and policy studies about teaching.
Oakland University was ranked one of the nation’s most underrated schools in the last edition of "The Unofficial, Unbiased Guide to the 328 Most Interesting Colleges," published by Kaplan Publishing/Simon and Schuster. Oakland appears on a list of the 20 most underrated schools in the United States, according to a national survey of public and private high school guidance counselors. Universities were judged on classroom experience, campus environment and student life. The list also includes the University of Arizona, Duke University and the University of Chicago, among others.
Kaplan Inc. is one of the nation's premier providers of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Kaplan offers preparation for 35 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school as well as English language and professional licensing exams. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and college and graduate admissions consulting services.
America’s Best Colleges
U.S News and World Report lists Oakland University with national universities in its annual " America's Best Colleges" report. Prior to 2002, Oakland was ranked among the top universities in the Midwest region.
Best Graduate Schools
Oakland University’s Beaumont Graduate Program of Nurse Anesthesia was recognized as 11th in the United States in the 2007 edition of U.S. News and World Report’s America’s Best Graduate Schools.
The program, which provides an exceptional educational environment for training certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), started in 1991 as a collaborative initiative to address the nurse anesthesia shortage. Currently, there are 86 graduate programs of nurse anesthesia in the United States with four in Michigan.
U.S. News began its annual rankings of American colleges and universities in 1983 with the fall of 1987 marking the first publication of the newsstand book, "America’s Best Colleges." "America’s Best Graduate Schools" came on board in 1994. In 1983, rankings were purely reputational, based on an opinion survey of 662 college presidents. Since then, rankings have been modified more than a dozen times to include measures such as selectivity, strength of faculty and SAT scores.
The Oakland University School of Business Administration is recognized in the U.S. News and World Report's "Best Grad Schools" 2016 edition under the specialty of Best Part-Time MBA Programs.
The Princeton Review 2016 edition of "The Best 295 Business Schools" as well as highlighted as one of the Best Business School in the Midwest. See the Business School website for more information.
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