Oakland University

Oakland is on a 1,444-acre campus in the suburban setting of Rochester, Michigan, not far from Detroit.

Oakland Student Activities

There are many activities and organizations for Oakland students to join – including band, chorus, theater groups, a campus newspaper, a radio station and more.

Interested in Greek life? Oakland has fraternities and sororities.

Oakland has the Grizz Gang. In fact, more students participate in the Grizz Gang than any other on-campus activity.

Other popular student organizations at Oakland include Student program Board, Collegiate DECA, Alternative Spring Break and Beta Alpha Psi.

The Oakland community comes together each year for Welcome Week, OU Has Talent show and Casino Night.

Oakland Housing

This table offers information on housing at Oakland.

Oakland offers on-campus housing. Students are not required to live on campus. First year students are given priority for on-campus housing.

Most Oakland students live off campus. In 2022, 11% of undergrads at Oakland lived in some kind of on-campus housing and 89% of students lived off-campus or commuted to Oakland. There are 3,424 spots available in on-campus housing for all 13,771 undergraduates. In the 2021-2022 school year, 1,676 students chose to live on-campus. On the weekends, about 50% students stay on-campus. First year students are allowed to park a car on campus.

Oakland offers coed housing and housing for students with disabilities.

Oakland Athletics

At Oakland there are a variety of athletic options for students interested in joining a sports program.

Intercollegiate sports are the highest tier of college sports and can be very competitive. Intercollegiate teams are regulated by the NCAA, funded by the university, and compete against teams from other universities. The division of a sports team depends on the size of the university, funding, and competition level. An intercollegiate school team will be Division I, II or III, with Division I being the highest level.

Club sports are not regulated by the NCAA and are a great option for students not interested in trying out for an intercollegiate team. Club sports are usually student run but can also be funded by the university.

Intramural sports are the most casual and informal. Intramural sports are often free and require very little time commitment.

Let's take a look at the athletic options available at Oakland:

Is Oakland Safe?

College is like a home away from home. Whether you're walking to class or coming back from late-night studying (or partying!), it's important to feel safe on campus.

Oakland University is patroled 24 hours a day by trained security. The Oakland campus has emergency telephones or alarms for students to use anytime of day or night. The school also has student security patrols.

Oakland offers late-night transportation or safety escorts for students. Campus housing is secure and dorms can only be accessed with secure key cards.

Additionally, Oakland has state certified police officers, security lighting, extensive camera system, self-defense/alcohol abuse classes.

Plan a Visit to Oakland

Visiting colleges is one of the best ways to get a sense of the campus and student body. If you'd like to visit Oakland, take I-75 to Rochester, MI. If you need to fly, book your flight to Detroit Metropolitan airport.

While you're planning, check out other schools in Michigan you may want to visit too. Click the heart at the top of each school's page to save it to your college list.

Want to visit but can't make the trip? Explore Oakland's campus without leaving home by taking a virtual campus tour

Keep Reading About Oakland

To learn more about Oakland, choose from the options below:

Overview

Admissions

Academics

Tuition & Aid

Visit the College Confidential forums to join the conversation about Oakland.