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Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements

Oregon State University has a holistic admissions process that considers the various skills, abilities and achievements of each applicant with the goal of identifying and admitting students who have what it takes to succeed at OSU.  As part of our review, we'll be looking at:

  • Your high school grades, courses taken and rigor of coursework (considered in the context of options at your school)
  • Grades in any college or dual-credit courses
  • Information provided in your personal statement on the application
  • Your responses to one of our available application essay prompts
  • Experiences and diverse perspectives that you may share with our campus
  • Special talents and achievements

OSU is test-optional. Test scores, if you elect to submit them, are never the sole or primary reason for an admissions decision; they are always considered in context and as supplemental information.

OSU does not require letters of recommendation except when a student is appealing a denial.  Letters of recommendation provided may be reviewed in our holistic review process.

Applicants wishing to be admitted directly into an Engineering degree should note our requirements in Math outlined below.

High school students must graduate from standard (private) or regionally accredited (public) high schools. If you are not graduating from an accredited high school see Home School Requirements and nontraditional student requirements for additional information.

Preferred Subject Area Courses

LANGUAGE ARTS
  • Minimum Units: 4 years
  • Students must successfully complete (with a C- or better) the equivalent of 4 years of language arts courses, which focus principally on reading comprehension, writing and composition, and/or literary study in any language, including English.
  • OSU allows and encourages students with strong proficiency in multiple languages to take language arts courses in a secondary language.  These courses will count toward our language arts course requirement so long as they focus on the criteria above.  Note that most coursework at OSU is taught in English, therefore your application materials will be evaluated to ensure you are able to succeed in coursework taught in English.
MATHEMATICS
  • Minimum Units: 3 years, with 4 years encouraged
  • Oregon State requires that students successfully complete (with a C- or better) at least three years of math, with four years encouraged, to be competitive as an applicant and to be prepared for success here as a student.
  • Cumulatively these courses should cover strong fundamentals in algebra, geometry and data sciences with higher level math taken in courses that focus on advanced algebra, statistics, data science,  pre-calculus or calculus.  Coursework taken in 8th grade will count toward this requirement.
  • New freshmen wishing to enroll in Engineering  must have taken pre-calculus or calculus in order to be admitted directly into Engineering. Students who are not prepared to take Calculus at OSU in their first term may still be admitted to OSU, but will need to get themselves ready to take Calculus before being admitted into their desired Engineering major.  Learn more about this requirement to be admitted directly into an Engineering major.
  • Students intending to study in other STEM majors where calculus is required as part of the degree should strongly consider taking pre-calculus and/or calculus in high school if possible, but it is not currently a requirement of admission.
  • Please feel free to reach out to discuss recommended high school math coursework as you plan for your studies at OSU.
SOCIAL STUDIES
  • Minimum Units: 3 years
  • Grades received must be C- or above in each class
SCIENCE
  • Minimum Units: 3 years
  • Grades received must be C- or above in each class with at least one year each of two different sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, etc.)
SECONDARY LANGUAGE (not required if high school graduation or GED date prior to 1997)
  • Minimum Units: 2 years
  • May be met in any one of these ways:
    • Take two years of high school-level foreign/secondary language and earn an average of C- or better in each year. This may be in the same language or two different languages (new for students applying for Summer 2025 and beyond).
    • Earning grade of C- or better in a third year-level foreign language course in high school
    • Earning a C- or better in two consecutive quarters or semesters of the same college-level foreign language
    • Earning a satisfactory score on an approved assessment of foreign language knowledge
    • Demonstrating proficiency in American Sign Language (ASL)
    • Earning an Oregon Seal of Biliteracy
    • Completion of grades 1-7 at a school in which all courses are taught in a language other than English. (Documentation is required.)
  • Students applying without meeting this requirement may be selected for admission.  If admitted without meeting this requirement, you will be required to take two terms of the same foreign language at OSU as part of your graduation requirement (regardless of major). Explore additional information on how to meet foreign language deficiencies.

Additional Considerations

Considering that something extra in our applicants

Oregon State is also looking for students who bring unique views and experiences to our campus.  We are looking for students who go above and beyond the minimum whether in talent, academic ability or potential.  Combined with academic strengths, evidence of these characteristics may be considered in our review of applicants for admission.

Students ineligible to enroll at a previously attended college

Applicants who are ineligible to re-enroll at any college or university that they attended within the last seven years for student conduct reasons will be automatically declined admission at OSU.  Applicants who are unable to re-enroll at a previous college or university for academic reasons will be considered for admission only if they meet OSU’s minimum academic requirements.

U.S. Citizens with coursework taken outside of the United States

Students who completed a significant amount of their education in a country outside the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, English-speaking Canada, or New Zealand may be asked to submit English proficiency test scores. The tests must have been taken within the last two years from the term you are applying for.

High School Graduates or GED holders with less than 24 (quarter) transfer credits

Applicants who have already graduated high school or received a GED and have earned fewer than 24 transferable quarter college credits (16 semester credits) will be reviewed for admissibility based on BOTH high school work or GED scores, and any transferable coursework. Applicants who have already graduated high school are not required to submit SAT/ACT scores to be reviewed for admission.  Learn more about GED student requirements or nontraditional student requirements.

  • Applicants may review their application status via Beaver Basecamp.  
  • Each application is given full holistic review and some applications take longer to review than others. OSU Early Action and Regular Application/Priority Round applicants are reviewed according to the same holistic review process, and there is no advantage given to applicants in either pool by nature of the deadline selected.
  • Applications may be held for consideration depending on the size and competitiveness of the applicant pool and additional information may be requested before a decision can be rendered. For example, some Early Action applications may be considered as part of the Priority Round pool to allow time for students to strengthen their applications with additional academic work (7th semester or mid-year transcripts).
  • The application for admission is the application for admission-based scholarships. Additional scholarships can be pursued via OSU ScholarDollars.
Email and Beaver Basecamp are our two primary modes of communication regarding the admissions and enrollment process. It is important that applicants take the following steps to ensure you are receiving our communications: 
  • Keep a valid e-mail address on file with the Office of Admissions at all times.
  • Check their e-mail at least once a week during the admission process.
  • Ensure they can receive e-mail from [email protected] and [email protected] by adding that address to their address book and/or safe senders list.
  • Applicants should check their Beaver Basecamp portal for updates and requests frequently!

Navigating which application to choose can be tricky, as it depends on your citizenship, visa type, etc.  Please be prepared to provide the following information as requested as soon as you apply so that we can ensure your application gets reviewed appropriately.

  1. If you are a permanent resident of the united states, please submit a copy of the front and back of your Permanent Resident Card. If your card is expired, please submit a copy of your expired card and your extension approval document.

  2. If you are an asylee or refugee, please submit a copy of the letter from USCIS confirming your status approval. If your asylee or refugee application is still pending, please submit a copy of the letter from USCIS confirming your application was received, and contact your admissions advisor or our customer service team so we can assist you. We will ask you what your current immigration status is and advise you accordingly.

  3. If you have Temporary Protected Status and are currently on a valid visa, please apply through our Office of International Admissions. If you have Temporary Protected Status and are not on a valid visa, please submit a copy of the letter from USCIS confirming your status approval with your application to Domestic Admissions.

  4. If you are an undocumented student, please reach out to your admissions advisor for further assistance.

  5. If you are a Citizen of American Samoa, Palau, the Republic of Marshall Islands, or the Federated States of Micronesia, please submit a copy of your passport or I-94 document.

  6. If you will need a visa to attend OSU, or are currently in the United States on any kind of visa, please apply through our Office of International Admissions.

  7. Depending on your situation, it may be necessary to provide parent or guardian information for us to appropriately determine residency for tuition purposes. If needed, this additional information will be requested in your Beaver Basecamp and/or via email.

 

Oregon State University requires all applicants to submit official transcripts from any regionally accredited institution they have attended. While it may be possible to conduct an admission evaluation based on unofficial documents, we strongly recommend applicants educated abroad submit their official transcripts as early as possible to avoid delays. In some cases, OSU may require official documents be submitted prior to admissions review. Applicants who are admitted on unofficial transcripts will receive a hold on their student record which cannot be moved until official documents are received. It is in your best interest to submit your official transcripts earlier rather than later so your course registration is not impacted.

Once all documents are received, our specialized international admissions team will review your application. Please note this process may take an additional 2 weeks beyond OSU’s standard admissions review time. We encourage applicants who are educated abroad to apply early whenever possible.

As a general rule, you will be asked to submit whichever documents are standard for your country in the college/university application process. Oregon State University strongly recommends you submit your official documents at the time of your application. Although we may be able to conduct a review based on unofficial documents, you will receive a hold preventing course registration on your student record which cannot be moved until all official documents are received. Generally, these documents might include, but are not limited to:

  • A Level/O Level Results
  • GCSE Results
  • Secondary School Certificate
  • Higher School Certificate
  • Official Transcripts
  • Official Degree Statements

If your documents are not issued by your institution in English, we will request an official copy of your documents in the Native Language, as well as a certified English translation.

Oregon State University does not accept WES or any other external evaluations

Visit this page for details on sending transcripts and other documents.

Admission Deadlines

In addition to application requirements, please review our admission deadlines page, which contains details about when application materials need to be submitted.

Admission Deadlines for All Terms

 

Fall Early Action and Priority Application Deadlines for New First-Time Students

Oregon State's Early Action option provides some applicants with an earlier admission decision and scholarship notification (if eligible) and allows applicants more time to make campus visits and to consider their options.

  • Our Early Action deadline is November 1st.
  • Early Action is non-binding; it does not obligate applicants to select Oregon State if admitted.
  • Early Action and Priority Round applicants are reviewed according to the same admission criteria and procedures in the holistic review process.
  • Early Action applications not completed by November 1 are considered as part of the Priority Round pool if completed by Feb. 3.

New freshmen wishing to be considered for admission as part of the Priority Application round must apply by February 3. Documents required to make a student’s file complete must be received by the Office of Admissions by February 15.

  • Applicants who do not meet these deadlines will be considered for admission on a space-available basis and will likely wait to get a decision on their admission to OSU (Corvallis) until mid-March.

  • Applications must be submitted before 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time to meet the deadline.

  • A complete application consists of the application, fee, and all required supporting documents (i.e. transcripts, test scores if you opted to include them, citizenship documents, etc.). It can take days or weeks for your transcripts and test scores to arrive, so we recommend requesting these items be sent to our office well in advance of the deadline date.

  • You are responsible for submitting all materials well in advance of the deadline in order to avoid complications/delays in delivery and because additional information may be required before your application can be fully processed and reviewed.