Historic Week at ORU: Largest Freshman Class, Renovated Residence Halls and 83,000-Square-Foot Daystar Dining Hall and New Residence Halls

ORU President William M. Wilson with the Class of 2030.

Class of 2030 Breaks Last Year’s Enrollment Record with the Largest Freshman Class. ORU’s Campus Improvements Exceed $185 Million since 2020.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, August 17, 2026—Oral Roberts University (ORU) closed out one of the most consequential weeks in its 63-year history, celebrating the arrival of its largest freshman class ever just days after unveiling newly constructed residence halls and the brand-new Daystar Dining Hall — a landmark addition to campus life. During ORU’s traditional “Welcome Home” service, held in the newly updated Christ’s Chapel, ORU President Dr. William M. Wilson formally welcomed the Class of 2030. The freshman class stepped onto a transformed campus, with improvements of over $185 million made in the last 6 years, all debt-free and without using any tuition dollars.

"This class arrives at a defining moment in their lives and for ORU,” said Dr. Wilson.  “They're not just our largest full-time freshman class in history — they're the first to call our new residence halls home, the first to bond in the Daystar Dining Hall, and the first to worship in the remodeled Christ's Chapel. It is not a coincidence that our enrollment and our campus are both growing.  Students are choosing ORU because they want more than a degree; they want a community that shapes who they become. We built this campus for them, and we built it because we know they are worth it.”

This year's incoming class builds on a run of unprecedented growth: 

• 17 consecutive years of enrollment increases,
• Students arriving from all 50 states 
• Students from 176 nations over the last 7 years, 
• Total enrollment that surpassed 7,500 for the first time last spring.  

The eldest student welcomed by ORU is 57 years old and the youngest is 16 years old. The top 10 states represented by the incoming class are:

1.     Oklahoma       6. Missouri

2.     Texas              7. Kansas

3.     Colorado         8. Arkansas

4.     Florida            9. Illinois

5.     California        10. Tennessee 

The top 10 nations are:

1.     Brazil              6. Canada

2.     China              7. El Salvador

3.     Guatemala      8. Spain

4.     Honduras         9. Colombia

5.     Peru                 10. France

The top majors for this incoming class are:

Prior to move-in day, ORU opened the remodeled and updated Ellis Melvin Roberts (EMR) and Claudius Priscilla Roberts (Claudius) residence halls and the prestigious Daystar Dining Hall with its adjoining new student housing facilities.  The dining hall is more than a place to serve meals — it's a gathering hub where students can share a table, a conversation, and a sense of belonging. Paired with the new residence halls, the project represents one of the largest single investments in student life infrastructure in University history.  

Vice President of Enrollment Management Alison Vujnovic shared, "This is the most exciting welcome week we've ever had — but the story isn't finished. There is still time to enroll at ORU, and scholarships are available for students who want to be part of what's happening here.  Every year we meet students who assume the door has already closed.  It hasn’t.  We are committed to making ORU the premier choice for Spirit-empowered students.  We would love to welcome you home before this class is finalized in just a few weeks.”

The final Fall enrollment numbers will be released for the state census on September 18. 

Together, the record freshman class and the campus improvements tell a story: ORU isn't just growing — it's building the future that students are choosing. For a University with 17 straight years of enrollment growth, this week ORU welcomed its newest record-setting class — to a campus designed to empower them to impact their world. 

For more information about Oral Roberts University, visit www.oru.edu.

 

Nationally Ranked, Globally Recognized

ORU is a Christian, Spirit-empowered, interdenominational university in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with 17 years of consecutive enrollment growth. Regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ORU offers over 150 majors, minors, concentrations, and pre-professional programs at the bachelor’s level, ranging from business and engineering to nursing, ministry, and more. In 2024, the Carnegie Foundation recognized ORU with a “Leadership for Public Purpose” award, a distinction earned by only 25 universities nationwide. Under the leadership of President Dr. William Wilson, ORU is preparing students from all 50 states and 176 nations in the last 7 years to be whole leaders for the whole world.