About OCPA

Is higher education a public good? Of course, a well-educated public is a public good. It is a catalyst for economic prosperity and, far more important, it is necessary for the long-term survival of a self-governing society. But not everything labeled “higher education” actually does any of this.

The question is: How well do Oklahoma’s government-run colleges and universities do at producing a well-educated public? And just as important: How efficient are they? Even if the product is good, are taxpayers and tuition-payers getting a good deal?

OCPA believes in asking these hard questions. The legislature should compel state colleges and universities to make students their top priority, promoting both academic rigor and economic efficiency. No Oklahoman should be forced to subsidize someone else’s luxuriant lifestyle, even if that someone else is a university employee or student. Government-run institutions should not compel students or taxpayers to subsidize non-educational activities. And Oklahoma universities should not be patronage factories where former politicians get sweetheart deals at public expense.