The first higher education institution in the territory is what is now Northeastern State University, which was founded on May 7, 1851 as the Cherokee National Female Seminary.

Sacred Heart College was founded with the permission of the Vatican in 1877 and later gained approval from the territorial government in 1883.

The institution was rechartered as the Henry Kendall College in 1894 under the auspices of the Presbyterian Women's Board of Home Missions.

The United States Congress mandated that the Territory have access to three different types of colleges: a liberal arts and professional education college, an agriculture and mechanical arts college to meet the provisions of the Morrill Act of 1862, and a normal school college On December 19 of 1890, the first Governor of Oklahoma Territory George Washington Steele signed the bill that created the Oklahoma Territorial University at Norman (now the University of Oklahoma), the institution designated to provide the liberal arts and professional education, as the first university in Oklahoma.

Although no more state institutions were created for nearly 50 years, the names, functions or governing structures of the public colleges and universities was in almost constant change.

As early as 1913, the second governor of Oklahoma, Lee Cruce, pleaded with the legislature for consolidation of institutional functions and the abolition of some of the smaller schools.

In 1929, Governor William J. Holloway recommended to that the legislature reduce the number of institutional governing bodies and called for a central coordinating agency.

Early in 1933, Governor William H. Murray, by executive order, created a nine-member committee to coordinate public higher education.

Marland, Murry's successor, left the positions until and never made any new appointments during his four-year term of office.

Working off the board's recommendation, the 1941 Legislature proposed an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution establishing Article XIII-A.

The State Regents also determine functions and courses of study at public colleges and universities, grant degrees, and recommend proposed fees within limits set by the Legislature.

The State Regents use a three tier classification system to establish a framework for overarching goals and objectives of the public institutions of higher education.

Institutions of higher education can be categorized into one of three classifications: The State Regents prescribe academic standards of higher education, determine functions and courses of study at state colleges and universities, grant degrees, recommend to the Oklahoma Legislature budget allocations for each college and university, and recommend proposed fees within limits set by the Legislature.