Rogers State University’s first branch campus, RSU-Pryor was established in 1986, when the School on the Hill was still going by the name of Rogers State College. It’s the only university serving the Pryor and Mayes County area, and some 350 students come through its doors each semester.

Echoing the connection between higher education and the military that characterized one of RSU’s predecessors, the Oklahoma Military Academy, RSU-Pryor is a cooperative venture with the Oklahoma National Guard. From the beginning, the Guard provided two buildings for the school on the grounds of the Whitaker Education and Training Center.

In March of 2008, RSU officials broke ground on the $1.3 million expansion that more than doubled the size of the original Pryor campus. Funding for the 7,400-square- foot expansion included a $300,000 grant from the Oliver Dewey Mayor Foundation, along with contributions from private citizens and a portion of a statewide higher- education bond issue. The expansion included five new classrooms, five offices, a computer lab, and a commons area, among other improvements.

Students at the Pryor campus take general education classes and can earn a two-year degree in business administration. Many of those students go on to finish a four-year degree program at RSU’s main campus in Claremore.