Murray State College (MSC) in Ardmore, Oklahoma, has announced a $5 million grant from the Southern Oklahoma Memorial Foundation (SOMF) to help fund development of a nursing education center.

The grant will support construction of a 57,000 square-foot facility that will include simulation labs, classrooms, lecture halls, collaborative study spaces, and offices for faculty and student services. The education center—estimated to cost $25.5 million when complete—will create an additional 38 training positions and have the capacity to train 300 nurses each year. The project is expected to break ground in 2025.

According to the college, Oklahoma has only 7.5 nurses per 1,000 residents—46th in the United States—and an estimated 174,000 new nurses will be needed in the state over the next six years. Since 2022, MSC has increased its nursing graduates from 90 to 200, with 85 percent currently practicing in the region.

“Our goal is to transform the region and improve health outcomes for our communities,” said MSC president Tim Faltyn, noting that the center aims to become the “premier hub for nursing education in southern Oklahoma.”

“[The foundation] is pleased to support the expansion of health-related education in Ardmore,” said SOMF president Mary Kate Wilson. “We look forward to joining with others to make this project a reality and ultimately increase the number of nursing graduates.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Murray State College)