Oral Roberts University

What Oral Roberts University does

Oral Roberts University (ORU) is a private, nonprofit Christian university headquartered at 7777 South Lewis Avenue in Tulsa, Oklahoma, founded in 1963 and operating under the governance of a Board of Trustees with Dr. William M. Wilson as President. The university delivers undergraduate, graduate, online, and virtual degree programs across seven colleges — Arts & Cultural Studies, Business, Education, Health Sciences, Science & Engineering, Theology & Ministry, and Nursing — plus dual-enrollment Advantage pathways for high school students. Its "Whole Person" educational philosophy integrates intellectual, spiritual, physical, and social development, reinforced by mandatory chapel services, a Prayer Tower, a Worship Center, and the Holy Spirit Resource Center (one of the largest Pentecostal/charismatic research collections globally).

ORU's core technology stack is built on standard higher-education SaaS: Ellucian Banner (VISION) for student information and registration, Touchnet for billing and payment processing, Handshake for career services, YouVisit for immersive virtual campus tours, Zoom for virtual recruitment and instruction, and Google Analytics for web traffic analysis. The university operates NCAA Division I athletics (Golden Eagles) and ancillary campus services managed through partnerships with Sodexo (dining) and Barnes & Noble College (bookstore).

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition and fees, required residential room and board (Sodexo-managed meal plans), auxiliary services (Eagle Bucks, parking, bookstore), private gifts and donations, and government grants — notably a $2.2 million five-year U.S. Department of Education grant awarded in October 2023 to support at-risk students. ORU distributes its offerings through a territory-based admissions counselor network (freshmen, transfer, graduate, online, international, military, and Advantage), in-person recruitment events (Quest Days, SummerQuest, Eagle Days), its own ORU Application portal, and the Common Application. The university markets heavily on social platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok) and serves a student body representing more than 170 nations and all 50 U.S. states. No revenue figure is publicly disclosed in the available source data.

Name

Oral Roberts University

Legal name

Oral Roberts University

Website

https://oru.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Oral Roberts University is a private, nonprofit Spirit-empowered Christian university in Tulsa, Oklahoma, delivering undergraduate, graduate, online, and virtual degree programs across seven colleges to a student body drawn from more than 170 nations, with revenue sourced from tuition, room and board, auxiliary services, donations, and government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Affiliated Private Research Universities (EDAHABAJ)

Keywords

• Christian higher education
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate theological education
• Online university degrees
• Ncaa division athletics

Headquarters

HQ city

Tulsa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate tuition for on-campus, online, and virtual programs. Merit-based and need-based scholarships available; nearly 100% of full-time undergraduate students receive scholarships and grants from ORU.
2. Room and Board: Required residential meal plans for all on-campus students. Meal plans offered in several options with varying meal swipes and Sodexo Bucks. Cafeteria and retail dining locations operated by Sodexo.
3. Auxiliary Services: Revenue from bookstore (Barnes & Noble College), Eagle Bucks dining dollars, parking permits, and other campus services. Student health fees, parking fees, and various administrative fees.
4. Government Grants: ORU received a $2.2 million five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support at-risk students, fund faculty development, and student mentorship initiatives.
5. Private Gifts and Donations: Fundraising through the Give section of the website, parent engagement programs, and alumni giving programs supporting scholarships and campus expansions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Oral Roberts University is a private Christian university that delivers Spirit-empowered higher education through on-campus residential, online, and virtual degree programs. It offers undergraduate programs across seven colleges, graduate and doctoral programs, and a flagship Quest Whole Leader Scholarship program covering up to full tuition. Supporting services include career counseling, health and wellness, library resources, and NCAA Division I athletics, serving a student body from more than 170 nations.

Product overview

Oral Roberts University (ORU) is a Christian university offering a comprehensive educational ecosystem with three primary delivery formats: traditional on-campus residential undergraduate programs across seven academic colleges, online degree programs for flexible self-paced learning, and synchronous virtual degree programs combining live instruction with remote accessibility. Graduate and doctoral programs are available at both residential and online levels. The university's flagship financial product, the Quest Whole Leader Scholarship Program, provides competitive full-tuition scholarships through a nomination, essay, and interview process. Supporting the academic mission, ORU operates the VISION enrollment management system, career services through Handshake integration, health and counseling services, the J.D. McKean Library with extensive digital resources, and campus facilities including the Aerobics Center and regular chapel services. The institution serves a globally diverse student body from more than 170 nations, emphasizing whole-person development integrating spiritual, intellectual, physical, and social growth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Golden Eagles: Athletic teams mascot and branding for Oral Roberts University
• Quest Whole Leader Scholarship
• ORUFlex

Products and services

• On-Campus Undergraduate Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• $2.2 million grant from U.S. Department of Education for at-risk student support
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SodexocoreOthersSodexo operates campus dining services including the main cafeteria in Hamill Student Center, Chick-fil-A, Cinnabon, Dolce Sweet Shoppe, Moe's Southwest Grill, Panera Bread, and Uttermost Grounds. Students use meal plans and Sodexo Bucks for dining. Sodexo Bucks also accepted at Subway at CityPlex Towers.
• Barnes & Noble CollegecoreOthersBarnes & Noble College operates the campus bookstore located on LRC-3, offering textbooks, supplies, merchandise, clothing, electronics, and snacks. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with special hours during registration and finals.
• Common AppcoreTechnology or IntegrationORU accepts applications through the Common Application platform (apply.commonapp.org), allowing prospective students to apply alongside other member institutions through a standardized application process.
• ElluciancoreTechnology or IntegrationEllucian provides the VISION student information system (Banner-based) for enrollment, registration, financial aid, and academic records. Also powers the course schedule selection system (vision9.oru.edu).
• CityPlex TowersminorOthersORU shares a 5-million-square-foot campus with CityPlex Towers in Tulsa. Smart building technology at CityPlex (utilizing Radix IoT's Mango platform) has achieved significant energy savings, with approximately $20 million in cumulative savings through 15,500 sensors.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Regional players

• Oklahoma Christian University: Faith-affiliated private university in Oklahoma City with similar size, NCAA athletics, and undergraduate focus, directly competing with ORU for Oklahoma-region students.
• Southern Nazarene University: Faith-affiliated private university in Bethany, Oklahoma with on-campus and online programs at a similar scale, competing in the same Oklahoma metropolitan recruiting market as ORU.
• Oklahoma Baptist University: Faith-affiliated private university in Shawnee, Oklahoma with undergraduate and graduate programs in the same regional recruiting geography as ORU, competing for Oklahoma faith-based students.

Direct peers

• Biola University: Christian private university in La Mirada, California offering undergraduate, graduate, and online programs with a faith-integrated curriculum, comparable to ORU in mission and academic structure.
• Regent University: Faith-affiliated private university in Virginia Beach with on-campus, online, and graduate programs across multiple colleges. Most directly comparable to ORU in mission, delivery model, and Spirit-led identity.
• Wheaton College: Prominent evangelical Christian liberal arts college in Illinois with NCAA athletics, residential undergraduate focus, and faith-integrated curriculum—a comparable faith-affiliated peer, though smaller and more selective.
• Dallas Baptist University: Faith-affiliated private university in Texas offering on-campus, online, and graduate programs with similar scholarship and dual-enrollment programs, competing in the same regional and faith-based student pool as ORU.
• Liberty University: Large faith-affiliated private university in Lynchburg, Virginia with extensive online programs, NCAA Division I athletics, and scholarship-driven undergraduate recruitment directly comparable to ORU's scale and format mix.
• Azusa Pacific University: Faith-affiliated private university in California with multiple colleges, online and graduate programs, and NCAA Division II athletics—a comparable mid-sized Christian university with multi-format delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Oral Roberts University (broader higher-ed peers via online segment): Grand Canyon University: Large faith-affiliated private university with significant online enrollment competing with ORU's online and graduate programs; broader scope and scale than ORU but a relevant incumbent for the same online-faith student market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OralRobertsU
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/OralRobertsUniversity
• Facebookfacebook.com/80023746467
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/165330
• Instagraminstagram.com/oralrobertsu
• TikToktiktok.com/@oralrobertsu

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Oral Roberts University