Oklahoma retains declining share of its college graduates

OKLAHOMA CITY — Graduates of Oklahoma public colleges are remaining in the state’s workforce at a declining rate, a new report shows.

A year after graduation, 76.5% of graduates from all fields of study and degree levels were still working in Oklahoma, according to a 2025 Employment Outcomes Report the state Regents for Higher Education released Monday.

That number has fallen from 83% in 2024 and 87% in 2023, previous editions of the report show.

Even fewer remained five years after graduation. In 2025, 70.8% of graduates were still part of Oklahoma’s workforce after five years, similarly showing a steady decline from 2024 and 2023. 

After 10 years, 65.8% remained.

Those who were Oklahoma residents before college tend to stay at a higher rate, according to the report. The latest report shows 87.5% of Oklahomans who graduated in-state remained after one year. That dropped to 81% after five years and 75% after 10 years.

“This report demonstrates the lasting impact of public higher education on Oklahoma’s future,” the state regents’ chair Courtney Warmington said in a statement. “When graduates of our state system colleges and universities choose to build their lives and careers here, they strengthen our labor force and boost our economy, which secures a brighter future for generations of Oklahomans to come.”

The report also tracks remaining graduates of fields the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission deemed critical to economic growth. That includes degree programs in science, technology, engineering and math, as well as teaching and nursing.

About 73% of all STEM graduates, from associate to doctoral degrees, stayed in Oklahoma a year after graduation. Their numbers fell to 63.6% after five years and to 59.6% after 10 years.

After completing a bachelor’s degree, 85% of teachers continued working in Oklahoma a year later and 77.3% remained five years later, the 2025 report shows.

Nursing programs show the highest rate of graduate retention among all “critical occupations,” according to the data. Eighty-nine percent of all nursing graduates were employed in the state a year after graduation, followed by 81% after five years and 76% after 10 years.

Strong retention rates among critical workforce fields “indicate that our institutions are preparing students for career success while helping meet our state’s most pressing employment needs,” Oklahoma Higher Education Chancellor Sean Burrage said.