Western Oklahoma State College was founded in 1926 under the name Altus Junior College. In 1974 state legislature changed its name to the present Western Oklahoma State College. In 2012, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported that NCAA athletes had been taking 10-day online courses from Western Oklahoma when they don't meet academic standards at their own institutions. Western Oklahoma president Phil Birdine defended the program, saying the school was "not a course mill." The college ceased offering the courses in early 2013 after the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education recommended the courses be immediately discontinued. Nevertheless, the college's regional accreditor placed the college on probation in April after they "found the college's 10-day accelerated online courses don't meet quality and rigor standards required of compressed-format courses."

Western Oklahoma State College is committed to providing exemplary educational opportunities to meet the needs of the individual and the community in an increasingly global society.

Rural