Frequently Asked Questions

Oklahoma College of Court Reporting has always offered a self-paced training approach to the study of court reporting. Since 1994, we have offered students the option to finish in less time and move into their new career sooner. Although each student is signing up for 24 months of training, they can still finish earlier.

It all depends on the state that you plan to work in. In Oklahoma, it is mandatory that you pass the Oklahoma court reporters test or a similar state test to work in the state. Each state has their own testing and licensing requirements. In the Midwest region of the country, every state will require certification to work.

Excellent. The job market is plentiful and graduates are able to choose immediate employment from many firms in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa areas. Some courthouses around Oklahoma are also hiring and currently offering a $15,000 sign-on bonus to work in the rural counties of our state. The job demand around the country is strong in every major U.S. city.

The U.S. Department of Labor statistics currently show the average yearly income for court reporters at approximately $53,000. First and second year freelance reporters can make approximately 35 to $40,000 and then increase by $10,000 each year. Typically a freelance court reporter of five years earns over $70,000. An official court reporter in Oklahoma starts at $40,000 per year plus all state benefits, to include healthcare and retirement. A freelance court reporter sets their own schedule and need not have to work every day.

Here are a few facts you need to know about community college/technical college training in Oklahoma. In the past eight years, four community colleges have closed their doors to court reporting training, most recent, Gordon Cooper Technical College in Shawnee and Kiamichi Technical College in McAlester. Rose State in Oklahoma City and Tulsa Technology Center both closed many years ago leaving many students stranded.

Currently two community colleges offer training in Oklahoma, with one not yet producing a graduate since starting their new program and the other has only produced 5 in 3+ years of training. Colleges offering 300+ courses do little to focus on you and your training needs. Oklahoma College of Court Reporting has been training court reporters for 27 years. We have the most proven track record in our state and our graduates fill the courthouses and deposition firms of Oklahoma. We are also the only court reporting program that offers graduates immediate employment with our court reporting firm, City Reporters.

We currently do not offer government backed student loans nor FAFSA, but we do offer a simply solution to paying for tuition while you attend classes. We work with each student individually to set up a down payment and monthly payment plan that is affordable with no interest or credit check. We don’t pry into your personal income or parent income to see if you are eligible or not. You can pay as you are attending classes. The average amount set up for monthly tuition payment plans is roughly $350. It’s simple and we can change at any time.

Oklahoma College of Court Reporting has been offering on line training since 2015 so we have a proven method of training. Because of COVID, we are currently offering only on line classes. Your in-person classes will be for interning at our court reporting firm, City Reporters, or another court reporting firm in your area. Courthouse interning is also available.

Our online classes use Skype/Zoom and you will feel a part of a live class at each scheduled class. Your instructor is on the entire time guiding through the lessons and answering questions in a live environment. You won’t find pre-recorded classes here that require you to playback and work alone without the aid of an instructor.

For starters, you will be using one of our writers when you enroll, which is part of your tuition. You will have 6 months of no writer expense giving you plenty of time to solidify your decision to become a court reporter. Having to fork out $400-$1800 for a writer Day 1 at another program, or worse, having to buy a new writer just to start is a reckless approach. Driving you into debt early on is not what Oklahoma College of Court Reporting wants to do. After you’ve been on our writer for 6 months you can then make a decision to buy new or used. We can certainly assist you with working with reputable companies.

Your books are also part of your enrollment package so you won’t be faced with the high cost of college books during your training. All you would need to start is a basic computer with internet. Later in your training you will want to purchase student court reporting software with a compatible writer. Both can be purchased from $1,200 to $1,800.