Colleges and universities in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

Broken Arrow, located in northeastern Oklahoma just outside Tulsa, is home to two universities and a community college that serve the postsecondary educational needs of residents.

While Broken Arrow itself does not have any major public universities located directly within the city limits, its proximity to Tulsa provides access to several large universities in the region. Let’s take a closer look at the higher education options available to students living in and around Broken Arrow.

Northeastern State University – Broken Arrow

Northeastern State University (NSU) is a public university based in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, with satellite campuses located throughout the eastern portion of the state. The NSU Broken Arrow campus offers a wide selection of undergraduate and graduate degree programs tailored toward working adult students and delivered through evenings and weekend classes, online courses, and hybrid formats.

History and Overview

NSU first established its Broken Arrow campus in 1996 to bring affordable and flexible higher education options closer to residents of the growing Tulsa metropolitan region. Initially operating out of rented space in the Central Park South Office Complex, the campus relocated a decade later to its current home in the Main Street Building located downtown.

With nearly 1,000 students enrolled, NSU Broken Arrow allows area residents to access the resources of Oklahoma’s oldest institution of higher education close to home. The campus focuses its academic offerings on high-demand fields relevant to the regional economy. Students appreciate the flexibility to take courses fully online or through blended formats balancing online and face-to-face learning.

Academic Programs

NSU Broken Arrow offers undergraduate majors leading to Bachelor of Science degrees in:

• Applied Business Data Analytics
• Criminal Justice
• Health Organizations Administration
• Information Systems
• Nursing

At the graduate level, students can pursue Master of Science degrees in Data Analytics and Information Systems, as well as alternative teacher certification in fields like elementary education.

The campus provides all the necessary student services on-site, including enrollment counseling, academic advising, financial aid assistance, tutoring, library resources, computer labs, and more. Courses are taught by faculty from the main NSU campus.

With low tuition rates and scholarships available, NSU Broken Arrow gives area students an affordable path to advancing their careers without leaving the city. The flexible schedule options make higher education possible for working professionals with family responsibilities managing busy lives.

Tulsa Community College – West Campus

Tulsa Community College (TCC), known for its high-quality academics and affordable tuition, brings the choice of two-year associate degree and certificate programs directly to Broken Arrow through the West Campus location at West New Orleans Street. Students can complete the first two years of their bachelor’s degrees or train for careers in technical fields without ever leaving Broken Arrow.

History and Overview

The West Campus in Broken Arrow originally opened in 1986 on Main Street as a TCC satellite site before relocating to the current location, featuring more spacious classrooms, labs, and other amenities. With over 5,000 students attending each semester, it serves as TCC’s second-largest campus.

The campus occupies a sprawling, lush 78-acre property in western Broken Arrow near the Creek Turnpike. The state-of-the-art facilities provide an ideal learning environment and plenty of room for future expansion. Recently constructed buildings include the Center for Creativity and the Center for Health Professions, focused on studio arts and healthcare career education respectively.

From this convenient Broken Arrow location, TCC West Campus grants students access to a full college experience, with courses transferable toward bachelor’s degrees at four-year universities or direct career and technical training readying graduates to enter Oklahoma’s essential skilled workforces.

Academic Options

TCC West Campus in Broken Arrow delivers the complete selection of TCC academic programs. Students can pursue:

• Associate in Arts and Associate in Science Degrees – Transfer degree plans allowing students to complete general education requisites before transferring into targeted bachelor’s degree majors at four-year universities.
• Associate in Applied Science Degrees – Career and technical education credentials preparing students to enter the workforce in fields like computer information systems, nursing, physical therapist assisting, radiography, and more.
• Certificate Programs – Short-term specialized training in areas such as child development, computer-aided drafting, cybersecurity, medical office assisting, and other high-demand skills.

With small class sizes, students receive personalized attention from talented, credentialed faculty guiding them through the curriculum options. The campus maintains transfer partnerships with colleges and universities across Oklahoma and surrounding states streamlining the transition process.

Through TCC West Campus, Broken Arrow residents of any age can discover an accessible and affordable path to advancing their lives and careers without leaving town.

Rhema Bible College

For Broken Arrow residents interested in pursuing religious vocations, Rhema Bible College offers accredited higher education rooted in Christian ministry training. The interdenominational Evangelical school’s main campus stretches across 110 acres in southern Broken Arrow.

History and Mission

Established in 1974, Rhema Bible College emerged out of the teachings of evangelists Kenneth E. Hagin and his son Kenneth W. Hagin, leaders in the Word of Faith movement centered around biblical promises of health and prosperity through faith. The college aims to prepare graduates to serve, teach, and lead within Pentecostal and Charismatic Christian traditions.

Remaining committed to its founding values, Rhema Bible College continues under the leadership of Kenneth W. Hagin’s son and daughter-in-law, Craig and Denise Hagin Wommack. The institution seeks students drawn to Christian ministry, teaching them to share their faith and provide spiritual guidance to others.

Campus Life

The expansive Rhema Bible College campus contains not only classrooms and offices but also student dormitories, a cozy dining hall, fitness center, bookstore, auditoriums for guest speakers, and elaborate landscaping for reflection and prayer.

Students attend daily on-campus chapel services together as part of Rhema’s emphasis on spiritual development and community. They can get involved with activities like intramural sports, campus clubs, musical ensembles, and Christian service organizations.

Degree Programs

Rhema offers a single degree program for on-campus students: the Bachelor of Biblical Studies (B.B.S.). Students take courses in bible study, church history and polity, homiletics, pastoral ministry and counseling, world missions, and areas tailored to specializations like pastoral education, worship ministries, world evangelism, youth ministries, and assistant pastoring.

For transfer students with at least two years of undergraduate credit, Rhema provides a streamlined 2-year track to earn the biblically focused degree. All graduates walk away thoroughly equipped for ministry careers or further graduate study in divinity programs.

Conclusion

While Broken Arrow contains no large public state universities within its city limits, locals can readily access undergraduate and graduate degrees programs from Northeastern State University’s established satellite campus in downtown Broken Arrow. From associate degrees up to master’s programs, professionals can obtain career-relevant credentials fitting around busy work schedules through NSU.

Additionally, Broken Arrow houses a full-service campus of Tulsa Community College providing everything from transfer-oriented associate degrees to terminal technical certificates allowing students of any age to train for Oklahoma’s vibrant job markets in two years or less.

For those called to religious vocations, Rhema Bible College grants immersive ministry preparation steeped in Evangelical teachings from its immense Broken Arrow central campus. Across the board, Broken Arrow offers higher learning for life!