Spears Business sets enrollment records following rankings surge
Monday, August 18, 2025
Media Contact: Stephen Howard | Director of Marketing & Communications | 405-744-4363 | stephen.howard@okstate.edu
With highly ranked programs and impactful scholarship funds, the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University continues to set enrollment records.
Spears Business started the 2025-26 school year Monday with 6,670 students, the most in the school’s 111-year history and the highest enrollment of any OSU college.
A record freshman class of 1,047 plays a key part in this growth. Spears Business enrolled more than 1,000 freshmen for the second consecutive year.
"We're honored by the continued confidence students and families show in Spears Business,” said Dr. Jim Payne, Spears Business dean. “This growth reflects our continued focus on program quality and value in serving our land-grant mission of preparing the next generation of leaders.
“Our climb in national rankings demonstrates that we're delivering the education and experiences students need to succeed in today's business environment. While we're proud to continue as OSU's largest college, what matters most is that our dedicated faculty and staff are building an environment where students can grow into the leaders our communities and industries need."
Spears Business is among the top 6% of the world’s schools offering business degrees.
U.S. News & World Report ranked Spears Business in a tie for No. 8 on its most recent list of Best Online Bachelor’s in Business Programs, the business school’s highest placement in the rankings’ history. The online MBA also achieved its best-ever U.S. News & World Report ranking, tied for No. 11.
In Fortune.com’s rankings, the Spears Business master’s in business analytics and data science (MS BAnDS) program skyrocketed to No. 2 in the nation, trailing only Harvard University. The School of Hospitality and Tourism Management is No. 8 nationally and No. 22 globally, according to ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.
In addition to these historic rankings, Spears Business awarded students $2.9 million in scholarships during the 2024-25 school year. In June, the OSU/A&M Board of Regents voted to hold OSU tuition and mandatory academic fees flat for the fourth consecutive year, maintaining a commitment to accessible, high-quality education.
This year’s record number of Spears Business undergraduate students includes:
- 5,538 total undergraduate business students, the most in the school’s 111 years
- 1,047 freshmen, the most in school history
- 346 transfer students, a 5.49% increase since last fall
- 4,088 returning students, a 1.06% increase since last fall
Spears Business graduate programs, encompassing the Stillwater and Tulsa campuses, include:
- 1,077 total graduate students
- 115 new graduate students at OSU-Tulsa, a 66.67% increase since last fall
- 136 returning graduate students at OSU-Tulsa, a 47.83% increase since last fall
Spears Business’ presence in Tulsa has grown significantly. The number of Spears Business students at OSU-Tulsa, including undergraduate and graduate, climbed to 313 for a 44.91% increase since last fall.
Visit the website to learn more about Spears Business programs.