Oral Roberts University

The information on this page was last updated 7/1/2026. If you see errors or omissions, please email: [email protected]


Summary



Oral Roberts University is a charismatic university, founded in the fires of evangelism and upon the unchanging precepts of the Bible. The University was founded as a result of the evangelist Oral Roberts' obeying God's mandate to build a university on God's authority and the Holy Spirit.


Contact information

Mailing address:
Oral Roberts University
7777 South Lewis Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74171

Website: oru.edu

Phone: 918-495-6161

Email: [email protected]


Organization details

EIN: 730739626

CEO/President: William M Wilson

Chairman: Joe Dobbins

Board size: 32

Founder: Oral Roberts

Ruling year: 1964

Tax deductible: Yes

Fiscal year end: 04/30

Member of ECFA: Yes

Member of ECFA since: 2009


Purpose

God's commission to Oral Roberts was to "Raise up your students to hear My voice, to go where My light is dim, where My voice is heard small, and My healing power is not known, even to the uttermost bounds of the earth. Their work will exceed yours, and in this I am well pleased."


Mission statement

The mission of Oral Roberts University - in its commitment to the Christian faith - is to educate the whole person in spirit, mind, and body, thereby preparing its graduates to be professionally competent servant-leaders who are spiritually alive, intellectually alert, physically disciplined, and socially adept. The University seeks to synthesize the best practices of liberal arts, professional, and graduate education with a charismatic emphasis to enable students to go into every person's world with God's message of salvation and healing for the totality of human need.


Statement of faith

1. We believe the Bible to be the inspired, authoritative, and infallible Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16).
2. We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (1 John 5:4-7).
3. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father and in His personal return in power and glory (1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 Peter 2:21-24; John 3:16).
4. We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful man, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential (Romans 3:21-30; Galatians 4:4-7).
5. We believe the redemptive work of Christ on the cross provides healing for body, mind, and spirit in answer to believing prayer (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24; James 5:14-16).
6. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer and operates in all believers in the power of the gifts of the Spirit manifesting them as He wills (John 14:16; Acts 1:5, 8; 2:2-4; 1 Corinthians 12-14; Galatians 5:22-23).
7. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation (John 5:24, 28-29).
8. We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, and seek community together, to "become more and more in every way like Christ who is the Head of his body, the church" (Ephesians 4:15-16).

Donor confidence score

Show donor confidence score details

To understand our donor confidence score, click here.


Transparency grade

C

To understand our transparency grade, click here.


Financial efficiency ratings

Sector: Colleges/Universities

CategoryRatingOverall rankSector rank
Overall efficiency rating288 of 142323 of 155
Fund acquisition rating232 of 142326 of 155
Resource allocation rating649 of 142367 of 155
Asset utilization rating542 of 142467 of 155

According to the organization's Form 990, it received $1,189,349 in government grants in 2025.

To understand our financial efficiency ratings, click here.


Financial ratios

Funding ratiosSector median20252024202320222021
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts =
Fundraising expense /
Total contributions
13%5%5%4%3%5%
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total revenue
2%1%1%1%1%1%
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance =
Total contributions /
Total revenue
15%22%27%31%34%25%
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio =
Fundraising expense /
Total expenses
2%1%1%1%1%2%
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance =
Total other revenue /
Total revenue
85%78%73%69%66%75%
 
Operating ratiosSector median20252024202320222021
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio =
Program services /
Total expenses
84%85%86%83%86%84%
Spending ratio Spending ratio =
Total expenses /
Total revenue
96%92%89%86%76%87%
Program output ratio Program output ratio =
Program services /
Total revenue
81%78%76%71%65%73%
Savings ratio Savings ratio =
Surplus (deficit) /
Total revenue
4%8%11%14%24%13%
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate =
Surplus (deficit) /
Net assets
2%6%8%11%21%11%
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio =
Management and general expense /
Total expenses
14%14%13%16%13%15%
 
Investing ratiosSector median20252024202320222021
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total assets
0.520.560.560.550.550.62
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment =
Total assets /
Total current assets
2.732.532.552.422.202.63
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover =
Total expenses /
Total current assets
1.451.421.431.321.201.63
 
Liquidity ratiosSector median20252024202320222021
Current ratio Current ratio =
Total current assets /
Total current liabilities
8.184.504.584.484.184.85
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio =
Total current liabilities /
Total current assets
0.120.220.220.220.240.21
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level =
(Total current assets -
Total current liabilities) /
(Total expenses / 12)
6.996.576.567.047.615.86
 
Solvency ratiosSector median20252024202320222021
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio =
Total liabilities /
Total assets
20%11%11%13%17%16%
Debt ratio Debt ratio =
Debt /
Total assets
10%0%0%0%0%0%
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio =
Net assets /
Total expenses
148%159%158%159%153%135%

Financials

Balance sheet
 
Assets20252024202320222021
Cash$98,493,452$72,974,706$73,268,583$99,469,040$60,851,210
Receivables, inventories, prepaids$9,830,851$13,731,105$11,501,812$8,897,086$6,314,538
Short-term investments$19,469,306$33,430,915$34,323,019$13,296,623$15,388,261
Other current assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total current assets$127,793,609$120,136,726$119,093,414$121,662,749$82,554,009
Long-term investments$7,944,231$9,426,468$12,123,341$15,161,031$17,927,343
Fixed assets$181,160,919$170,060,852$151,689,726$126,155,192$113,455,941
Other long-term assets$6,385,634$6,493,600$5,115,466$4,491,857$3,164,659
Total long-term assets$195,490,784$185,980,920$168,928,533$145,808,080$134,547,943
Total assets$323,284,393$306,117,646$288,021,947$267,470,829$217,101,952
 
Liabilities20252024202320222021
Payables and accrued expenses$25,138,495$23,681,961$23,860,869$25,959,507$13,942,549
Other current liabilities$3,276,441$2,522,562$2,730,757$3,123,999$3,070,445
Total current liabilities$28,414,936$26,204,523$26,591,626$29,083,506$17,012,994
Debt$55,809$36,524$47,231$46,963$28,759
Due to (from) affiliates$0$0$0$0$0
Other long-term liabilities$5,936,780$7,777,717$11,348,272$15,308,279$18,177,092
Total long-term liabilities$5,992,589$7,814,241$11,395,503$15,355,242$18,205,851
Total liabilities$34,407,525$34,018,764$37,987,129$44,438,748$35,218,845
 
Net assets20252024202320222021
Without donor restrictions$152,400,049$112,083,273$90,196,103$88,832,162$88,168,231
With donor restrictions$136,476,819$160,015,609$159,838,715$134,199,919$93,714,876
Net assets$288,876,868$272,098,882$250,034,818$223,032,081$181,883,107
 
Revenues and expenses
 
Revenue20252024202320222021
Total contributions$44,177,984$52,487,579$57,915,856$64,395,074$37,845,876
Program service revenue$145,981,424$134,175,727$123,451,023$120,038,832$112,437,091
Membership dues$0$0$0$0$0
Investment income$4,772,841$4,713,640$1,251,010$5,554,853$1,501,259
Other revenue$2,589,825$1,553,877$1,354,033$1,950,774$2,278,476
Total other revenue$153,344,090$140,443,244$126,056,066$127,544,459$116,216,826
Total revenue$197,522,074$192,930,823$183,971,922$191,939,533$154,062,702
 
Expenses20252024202320222021
Program services$154,343,564$146,942,500$130,582,157$124,983,941$112,588,609
Management and general$24,688,360$22,465,995$24,644,955$19,009,978$19,680,056
Fundraising$2,343,978$2,371,416$2,356,960$2,061,425$2,050,887
Total expenses$181,375,902$171,779,911$157,584,072$146,055,344$134,319,552
 
Change in net assets20252024202320222021
Surplus (deficit)$16,146,172$21,150,912$26,387,850$45,884,189$19,743,150
Other changes in net assets$0$0$0$0$0
Total change in net assets$16,146,172$21,150,912$26,387,850$45,884,189$19,743,150

Compensation

NameTitleCompensation
William M WilsonPresident$735,121
Kathaleen Reid-MartinezProvost/Chief Academic Officer$356,911
Neal StenzelAssistant Treasurer/CFO$334,049
Timothy PhilleyChief Operations Officer$327,618
Keith SpringmannMen's Head Basketball Coach$278,598
Tim JohnsonAthletic Director$265,484
Ryan FolmarHead Baseball Coach$235,492
R Michael CarterVP Development/Alumni$225,096
Michael MathewsVP Global Learning & Innovation$219,827
Alison VujnovicVP of Entrollment Management$176,824
Janice ScottAssistant Secretary$68,713

Compensation data as of: 4/30/2025


Response from ministry

No response has been provided by this ministry.


The information below was provided to MinistryWatch by the ministry itself. It was last updated 7/1/2026. To update the information below, please email: [email protected]


History

ORU was birthed as the result of a mandate God gave founder Oral Roberts to "...build Me a university based on My authority and the Holy Spirit." God's commission to Oral Roberts was to "Raise up your students to hear My voice, to go where My light is seen dim, My voice is heard small, and My healing power is not known, even to the uttermost bounds of the earth. Their work will exceed yours, and in this I am well pleased." This private Christian liberal arts institution held its first classes in 1965 with 300 undergraduate students. The university dedication took place in 1967, with the Reverend Dr. Billy Graham as the keynote speaker.


Program accomplishments


Needs