As of Oct. 23, there were 357 degree programs offered at Oklahoma state colleges and universities that produced fewer than an average of five graduates within five years, according to a recent review conducted by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

That represented 21 percent of the 1,714 programs offered at all Oklahoma colleges.

Of the 357 low-producing degree programs, 41 are now being eliminated, while another 21 are being suspended. The remaining 295 low-producing programs will continue under a range of exceptions allowed by the regents, including 193 that will be retained with plans to boost enrollment and productivity.

Even so, officials say the elimination or suspension of 62 low-producing programs is a step towards greater efficiency and less waste of financial resources in Oklahoma’s college system.

“Our institutions have shown remarkable leadership throughout the review process,” said State Regents’ chair Courtney Warmington. “This effort underscores the state system’s commitment to aligning academic offerings with workforce demand, elevating student success, and prioritizing responsible stewardship of state resources.”

The agenda for the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education’s Dec. 4 meeting notes that the organization requires all academic programs to be reviewed by faculty on a five-year cycle. Since January 1996, the State Regents Academic Program Review policy has required that degree programs meet minimum productivity standards or be triggered for early review.

The State Regents’ policy establishes minimum productivity standards based on the number of majors enrolled and degrees conferred.

For Associates in Arts or Sciences degrees, the regents require that at least 25 students be enrolled majors with an average of five degrees issued within five years.

For Associates in Applied Sciences degrees, at least 17 majors must be enrolled and an average of five degrees issued.

For Baccalaureate degrees, at least 12 majors must be enrolled with five degrees issued.

For Master’s degrees, the expectation is for six students to be enrolled with three degrees issued.

For a Doctoral program, at least four students should be enrolled and two degrees issued.

When those standards were first imposed, the review found that 25 percent of the programs offered in Oklahoma in 1996-97 fell below the minimum productivity standards, a slightly higher rate than the 21 percent that fell short in this year’s review.

This year’s review found that 21 percent of degree programs at the University of Oklahoma are considered low-producing, while the figure at Oklahoma State University was 14 percent. At the University of Central Oklahoma, the review found 10 percent of programs were low-producing.

At OU, 16 of 62 low-producing degree programs are being eliminated or suspended. At OSU, three of the school’s 36 low-producing degree programs are being deleted. At UCO, none of the 13 low-producing degree programs is being deleted or suspended.

Among 102 low-producing programs, a release issued by the Regents said more than 80 percent reflect STEM or other high-need fields, including engineering, education, computer science, health professions, and natural sciences. The Regents’ policy is designed to preserve such programs even when they produce few graduates.

“By phasing out programs that no longer meet student or workforce needs and shielding programs in STEM and other crucial fields, we are ensuring that public higher education remains future-focused and responsive,” said Chancellor Sean Burrage.

The Regents’ policy includes several exemptions that allow low-producing programs to continue.

For example, several Oklahoma colleges requested “grow the program” exemptions, including OU, which requested that exemption for its Bachelor of Arts in Russian and Bachelor of Arts in African and African American Studies programs, among others. In November, the OU Daily reported that officials had declared OU’s African and African American Studies program “not salvageable” in emails earlier this year, before reversing course to preserve the program. The OU Daily reported the African American Studies program awarded just three degrees during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Institutions have indicated that the following programs have been deleted or are scheduled to be deleted.

University of Oklahoma

• Doctor of Philosophy in French
• Master of Arts in Drama
• Master of Arts in French
• Master of Arts in German
• Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Programs
• Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Programs
• Bachelor of Science in Plant Biology
• Bachelor of Arts in French
• Bachelor of Arts in German
• Bachelor of Music in Piano Pedagogy
• Bachelor of Science in Geography
• Bachelor of Arts in Geography
• Bachelor of Arts in Chinese
• Bachelor of Arts in Arabic

OU Health Sciences Center

• Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders
• Master of Science in Rehabilitation Sciences

Oklahoma State University

• Doctor of Education in Higher Education
• Doctor of Philosophy in Photonics
• Master of Arts in Theatre 

OSU-OKC

• Associate in Applied Science in Architectural Engineering Technology
• Associate in Science in Police Science
• Associate in Applied Science in Technical Spanish/Translation and Interpretation

Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology

• Associate in Applied Science in Toyota T-TEN

 East Central University

• Master of Education in Secondary Education

 Langston University

• Master of Science in Visual Rehabilitation Services
• Bachelor of Arts in Music
• Associate in Science in Financial Planning

Northeastern State University

• Bachelor of Arts in Spanish
• Bachelor of Arts in Education in Spanish Education

Northwestern Oklahoma State University

• Bachelor of Arts in Spanish
• Bachelor of Arts in Music

Oklahoma Panhandle State University

• Bachelor of Science in Physical Science

 Rogers State University

• Associate in Arts in Secondary Education

 Southeastern Oklahoma State University

• Bachelor of Arts in English Education

 Connors State College

• Associate in Arts in Arts and Letters

 Eastern Oklahoma State College

• Associate in Science in Forestry and Natural Resources Management
• Associate in Science in Horticulture 

Murray State College

• Associate in Applied Science in Child Development

 Oklahoma City Community College

• Associate in Applied Science in Child Development
• Associate in Applied Science in Engineering Technology

 Seminole State College

• Associate in Arts in Social Sciences

Institutions have indicated that the following programs have been suspended or are scheduled to be suspended.

University of Oklahoma

• Doctor of Philosophy in Geological Engineering
• Master of Science in Geological Engineering

 OU Health Sciences Center

• Doctor of Philosophy in Communication Sciences and Disorders

 Cameron University

• Bachelor of Arts in International Languages

 Langston University

• Bachelor of Science in Education
• Associate in Science in Electronics
• Associate in Science in Drafting

 Northeastern State University

• Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business Management

 Southeastern Oklahoma State University

• Bachelor of Science in Health, Physical Education

 Carl Albert State College

• Associate in Arts in History, Political Science, and Pre-Law

 Connors State College

• Associate in Arts in History
• Associate in Science in Mathematics, Physical Science, and Engineering
• Associate in Science in Physical Education
• Associate in Arts in Political Science/Pre-Law

 Northern Oklahoma College

• Associate in Applied Science in Office Management
• Associate in Applied Science in Information TechnologyAssociate in Applied Science in Health Services Technology
• Associate in Science in Enterprise Development

 Seminole State College

• Associate in Arts in Enterprise Development
• Associate in Science in Enterprise Development

 Tulsa Community College

• Associate in Arts in Enterprise Development