The University of Oklahoma is #1 per capita among public universities in the number of freshman National Merit Scholars enrolled, and for the past 17 years has been in the top 20 of all public and private institutions in the entire country. OU is home to nearly 600 currently enrolled National Merit Scholars.

Almost twenty years ago, The University of Oklahoma made a commitment to the recruitment and retention of National Merit Scholars with the creation of our department, National Scholars Programs. The University's commitment has not wavered, and our national rankings in the recruitment of some of the nation's most outstanding students attest to that fact. Our success was built on a number of important factors; some of them include the personalized attention we give our Merit Scholars such as early enrollment privileges and specialized academic advising, our Honors College, study abroad opportunities, and an exceptional scholarship package.