Cameron University has earned its highest-ever placement in the U.S. News&World Report Best Colleges rankings, landing at No. 86 among Regional Universities in the West for 2027. That’s up from No. 96 in 2025, a ten-spot climb in just two years. The university also ranked No. 43 among Top Public Institutions.
The number that may resonate most with southwest Oklahoma families is Cameron’s No. 41 national placement in Top Performers on Social Mobility. That measure looks at how successfully schools graduate students who receive Pell Grants, many of them first-generation college students or working adults. Programs like Open Doors and Upward Bound, which serve local students, are part of that story. U.S. News assessed nearly 1,500 American colleges on up to 17 measures of academic quality, including graduation rates, retention, student outcomes, and faculty resources.
Cameron president Dr. Shane Hunt credited the work happening across campus and the university’s commitment to students and to the future of southwest Oklahoma. For a community anchored by Fort Sill and the Wichita Mountains, having a record-ranked university in town is a point of pride that could also draw more students, alumni support, and economic activity to the area. What would a stronger Cameron mean for Lawton’s future? Let us know in the comments.
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Local Lawton
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