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Oklahoma sports some great universities but choosing one may have just gotten easier for adult learners who are 25 or older.

Northeastern State University in Tahlequah has made the list of the top colleges in the United States for people going to college for the first time after working first or returning to college after a long absence. According to data collected by federal educational agencies, more than a third of university students are now over 25 and the numbers of late-start university students is growing.

ABOUND, a college website that tracks university life and costs, says that the increasing cost of attending college is causing many to delay entering a university until they have worked and saved money to avoid incurring too much debt. The website also says that when asked, older students will also say they chose a college because of its flexibility in either the curriculum, degree options, or attendance requirements. Northeastern State University offers both affordabilty and flexibility according to the criteria used to rank universities for the list of top colleges for adult learners.

Dr. Jerrid Freeman, NSU vice president of student affairs and enrollment manager, released a statement after the ranking. "It is pretty hard to beat NSU in the three categories of cost, quality and service. We are proud of the produce we offer and the effort of our faculty and staff to meet the needs of students."

Freeman says the university has worked hard to learn about the struggles and obstacles to adult learners and then fashion a degree plan and educational support system that provides an investment into the services that maintain the quality of education while allowing more freedoms than a younger student might need or desire.

Northeastern State University is a public instutition funded partly by the state of Oklahoma. It was founded in 1846 and currently has a little over 5000 students enrolled. It's in-state tuition fees are less than $9000 as of 2021 and out-of-state tuition is one of the lowest in the US at only $16,984.