[3][5] After Oklahoma was admitted to statehood in 1907, the new state legislature was tasked with establishing institutions of higher education in the former Indian Territory.

This came about because a probate judge, under the mistaken impression that the "Industrial Institute" was a reform school, sentenced an "incorrigible young woman" to serve time there.

[11] Between 1910 and 1927, the school was the southwest terminus of the Chickasha Street Railway, the trolleys of which could take the ladies into town or all the way to the Rock Island railroad depot.

[14] Though the institution's original name implied strictly industrial training, over the next couple decades, it gained a focus on a broad liberal arts education.

[17] On June 6, 1955, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education adopted the policy that all state-supported institutions would be racially integrated.

The legislature made the institution coeducational in 1965, and the school was renamed Oklahoma College of Liberal Arts.

[20] The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education assigned a new mission to the college: it was to be "experimental in nature" and was to "enroll a select group of students whose aspirations and abilities fit them for an intellectually rigorous and accelerated course of study.

Over the next several years, several construction projects were completed, including renovations to Gary, Austin, and Davis Halls and Nash Library.

Since 2005, USAO, with the support of the State Regents for Higher Education, has embarked on a Mission Enhancement Plan intended to emphasize the institution's unique role as the public liberal arts college in Oklahoma.

[23][24] As part of the plan, USAO has raised its admission standards so they are the highest in the state of Oklahoma, increased the percentage of full-time students, and created new faculty positions.

[5] Many are Public Works Administration buildings designed by different prominent Oklahoma architects, including Paul Harris, Solomon Andrew Layton, John Duncan Forsyth and J.O.

[5][28][29][30][31] The Historic District also includes three brick entry gates and the stone bench near Willard Hall donated by the class of 1924, which are designated contributing objects.

[5] University property also includes the 145-acre Habitat Area, which is three miles west of the main campus and is used as an outdoor classroom.

[38][39][40] The Core Curriculum Courses are distributed throughout a student's four years at USAO, culminating in a Senior Seminar class and completion of an interdisciplinary research project.

[41] While working through the core curriculum, students simultaneously pursue traditional majors in a variety of subject areas.

The college operates on a trimester schedule, which makes it possible for a full-time student to complete a degree in three years or fewer.

[43] An additional five-week "independent study" period in late April and May is used for educational trips within the US and internationally, creative projects, and special topics courses.

[47] Students may also opt for a locked $195/credit hour tuition rate, which is guaranteed to remain the same throughout their next four years of college attendance.

[53][54][55] The institution has been accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and its successor, the Higher Learning Commission, since 1920.

[61][62][63][64] Students participate in roughly thirty organizations, including political advocacy, religious, academic, and special interest groups.

[73] The Scholastic Meet is an academic competition for high school students; around 1000 students compete every year in a wide range of academic disciplines, which include languages and literature, math, science, social sciences, art, theater, and music.