Higher Education

Cameron University
Lawton cameron.edu
Cameron promises that those achieving bachelor’s degrees will qualify to work anywhere in their respective disciplines. The Cameron Guarantee “provides additional education, at no expense to the graduate or employer, to baccalaureate graduates who enter the workforce and whose employers identify a deficiency in core employment areas in the graduate’s major field of study.”

Mid-America Christian University
OKC macu.edu
Many attribute the enrollment growth and financial stability at Mid-America Christian University to John Fozard, the college’s president since 1999. The liberal-arts school has an issues-based curriculum that provides a creative, practical approach to all disciplines. Mid-America also appeals to non-traditional students with a heavy dose of evening and online classes.

Northeastern State University
Tahlequah nsuok.edu
A diverse population, a rich history shared with the Cherokee Nation and the beautiful, laid-back city of Tahlequah make Northeastern State a winner in the eyes of many. NSU is large enough to have 54 undergraduate and 24 graduate degree programs, but small enough that everyone seems to know each other.

Oklahoma Baptist University
Shawnee okbu.edu
OBU, ranked No. 2 among private schools by Great Value Colleges, is a small, liberal-arts university 45 minutes east of Oklahoma City. OBU students have the choice of 87 areas of study, the opportunity to work and study abroad, and the chance to engage faculty mentors. All of this occurs in a “supportive, Christian community; one that’s dedicated to the highest intellectual and ethical standards,” the college says.

Oklahoma City Community College
OKC occc.edu
Unlike many community colleges these days with separate campuses in different parts of a metropolitan area, OCCC has kept its south Oklahoma City location since opening to 1,049 students in 1972. The formula has worked: more than 28,000 students attend myriad classes and programs in a dozen centers spread across 143 acres.

Oklahoma City University
OKC okcu.edu
OCU has survived moves of the campus (from Guthrie to Oklahoma City), economic booms and busts, and highs and lows of enrollment. The liberal-arts school perseveres and that is seen in its faculty and students. OCU will undergo another transition in 2018, when Robert Henry, president since 2010, retires.

Oklahoma State University
Stillwater okstate.edu
OSU calls itself America’s Brightest Orange, with metaphorical fires fueled by academic passion and a reputation rivaling other major schools with orange as their primary color. As the university expands with campuses in Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Okmulgee, it still wants all students and faculty to identify collectively as OSU Cowboys or Cowgirls.

Oral Roberts University
Tulsa oru.edu
For a school with 3,800 students, ORU’s appeal is geographically vast. Outside of Oklahomans, the most likely Golden Eagles by state come from Texas, California, Florida and Colorado; plus, students matriculate from 90 foreign countries. ORU’s top major is ministry and leadership, and its missionary programs are among the best in the country.

Rogers State University
Claremore rsu.edu
As long-time state Sen. Stratton Taylor, now retired, says, “We wanted in on the deal.” Taylor authored legislation creating RSU in 1998 atop College Hill, where its previous incarnations (Eastern University Preparatory School, Oklahoma Military Academy and Claremore College) sat. RSU continues to grow and expand each year as a result.

Tulsa Community College
Tulsa tulsacc.edu
TCC’s Metro, Southeast, Northeast and West campuses are all fully equipped and can function as separate entities. However, TCC has an integrated curriculum and much centralization, so a student can find a home at one campus … or take some classes near home and others near work without missing a beat.

University of Central Oklahoma
Edmond uco.edu
UCO’s Vision 2020 lays out in detail what the university wants to become in the next few years. Key to this is creating a culture of collaboration and change, and redefining UCO as Oklahoma’s metropolitan university. Central is well on its way by emphasizing transformative learning among its students and faculty.

University of Oklahoma
Norman ou.edu
The University of Oklahoma has big shoes to fill because President David Boren will retire at the end of the spring semester in 2018. Using his experiences as a Rhodes scholar, Oklahoma governor and U.S. senator, Boren transformed OU into the nation’s leader in attracting National Merit Scholarship winners. The number of endowed professorships increased from 100 to 564 in his 24-year tenure as president, the second-longest in school history. Boren raised the university’s academic profile to equal that of its storied athletic department; 31 major programs and $2 billion in construction projects have been added since Boren took the helm in 1994.

University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
Chickasha usao.edu
USAO’s core belief is to integrate knowledge from many disciplines for each of its students. That’s not usual for a small, liberal-arts school. What makes USAO unique is that it’s also a public university (not private), one of a handful like it in the United States. Like most liberal-arts schools, USAO fosters closeness throughout the campus. President John Feaver calls USAO “an institution for the commonwealth of Oklahoma.” That word, commonwealth, pervades the campus, faculty, staff and students. In addition, Chickasha has a down-home, small-town feel, even though Oklahoma City is only 45 minutes away. The town and the university operate closely together.

University of Tulsa
Tulsa utulsa.edu
The University of Tulsa, with 4,500 students, takes pride in offering an array of programs typical of much larger universities. Its status in NCAA Division I, especially in football, is unique for an institution of its size. TU also manages the city-owned Gilcrease Museum. Academically, TU’s Undergraduate Research Challenge integrates its youngest students into advanced research.

Human Resources and Employment Services

American Checked
Tulsa americanchecked.com
As a nationally accredited background screening service, American Checked has developed software that helps to differentiate the types of red marks that can appear on someone’s history. This woman/native-owned company has some well-known clients, such as the U.S. Forest Service, the City of Tulsa, Hickory Farms and the Cherokee Nation.

Express Employment Professionals
OKC expresspros.com
Focusing on a determination to do business differently since its founding in 1983, Express Employment Professionals has a culture of caring — from the international headquarters in Oklahoma City to every local office. Express Employment Professionals employed a record 510,000 people in 2016 through its nearly 800 franchise locations worldwide.

HireCall
Tulsa hirecall.com
HireCall provides temporary, temporary-to-hire and direct-hire placements in dozens of industries. Other services include background screening, skill- and job-fit testing, training, payroll and risk management. HireCall also prides itself on what it calls its “over-the-top, borderline-ridiculous customer service.” The company began as Premier Staffing in 1996.

Hogan Assessments
Tulsa hoganassessments.com
Hogan Assessment Systems is an international authority in personality assessment and consulting, which helps businesses reduce turnover and increase productivity by hiring the right people. Founders Robert and Joyce Hogan launched the business in 1987 and have grown it over the next 30 years across 56 countries.

Key Personnel
Tulsa/Bartlesville keyjobs.com
Key has six specialized divisions to place workers: administrative, financial, legal, technical, industrial and medical. This Certified Woman Owned Company has provided job placement for everyone from entry-level workers to experienced professionals. Key focuses on contract, direct-hire and temporary-to-hire placements. Key Personnel says it takes the time to screen applicants for specific jobs that fit the personalities of its client companies. It offers employment strategies to assist clients in their hiring needs. The company’s website offers many testimonials from client companies about the employees hired via Key Personnel.

Paycom
OKC paycom.com
Paycom celebrates its employees’ individuality and their successes with annual events just for them, including year-end parties, family-friendly fall and winter parties and National Payroll Week festivities. Paycom boasts numerous workplace awards, largely based on the impressive benefits that employees enjoy and the supportive culture Paycom offers.

ProRecruiters
Tulsa prorecruiters.com
ProRecruiters has made its mark, even though it began in 2008. Its business model is centered around its values: a balance of working effectively and efficiently; engagement of clients with potential candidates for hire; accountability and ownership of its recommendations; professional behavior at all times; and creative, intelligent use of resources.

Robert Half
Tulsa/OKC roberthalf.com
The Tulsa and Oklahoma City offices focus on placements for accounting, finance, technology and administrative positions, but Robert Half as a national company has a global reach in its placements. Robert Half also offers clients a booklet called The Secrets of the Happiest Companies and Employees.

Insurance

American Fidelity Assurance
OKC americanfidelity.com
C.W. Cameron and son C.B. Cameron launched American Fidelity in 1960 as a spinoff of an insurance agency that the father started in Oklahoma City in 1930. Bill Cameron is now chairman and CEO. “I like the feeling that I am adding to the foundation that my grandfather and father built,” he says.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma
Tulsa bcbsok.com
Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the largest health insurer in Oklahoma. It began in 1940 as Group Hospital Services of Oklahoma, but quickly adopted the Blue Cross name and logo. The Blue Shield Companion Plan, initially known as Oklahoma Physician’s Services, began in 1945.

CommunityCare Oklahoma
Tulsa ccok.com
Saint Francis Hospital and St. John Medical Center created CommunityCare in 1993 as a joint venture, Tulsa’s first health maintenance organization. It has expanded significantly (with a preferred-physician organization, a Medicare HMO and a Medicare supplemental plan) in its Tulsa and Oklahoma City offices. It provides services to more than 500,000 people.

GlobalHealth
OKC globalhealth.com
Serving federal, state, municipal and school employees, GlobalHealth represents more than 44,000 people in all 77 counties in Oklahoma. GlobalHealth has a comprehensive network of providers: 5,600 physicians and hospitals. Through its innovative, predictive analytics, GlobalHealth says it has reduced hospital re-admissions by 22 percent, emergency room visits and admissions by 18 percent, and per-member monthly medical costs by 16 percent. In October, GlobalHealth was the only Oklahoma HMO to receive a rating of 3 (out of 5) from the National Committee for Quality Assurance. “We are driven by our passion to deliver the best health-care coverage in the industry,” CEO Scott Vaughn says.

Oklahoma City makes Top 25 list

According to Glassdoor.com, Oklahoma City ranks 15th out of the top 25 best cities for jobs in 2017.

The list is compiled by ranking U.S. metropolitan areas based on three factors equally: how easy it is to get a job (hiring opportunities), how affordable it is to live there, and how satisfied employees are working there.

Oklahoma City scored a 4.1 out of 5 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania topped the list at 4.4), with 43,898 job openings, a median base salary of $36,000, and a job satisfaction rating of 3.4 out of 5.

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