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Building for Over 150 Years
Oregon State University was founded more than 150 years ago as a land grant institution, building on the idea that everybody deserves access to an education that transforms their lives.
We're proud to be one of only three land, sea, space and sun grant universities in the United States. This honor reflects our deep connection to the natural world and all who depend on it.
3 campuses, 11 colleges, 12 experiment stations, 300+ academic programs — COUNTLESS IMPACTS.
Read Jon Boeckenstedt's blog, Out Here in Oregon (Vice Provost of Enrollment Management).
Representing Oregon and the World
Oregon State is an international public research university (R1) that draws people from all 50 states and more than 100 countries.
Total students in fall 2023: 36,636
- 30,021 Undergraduate (84%)
- 5,387 Graduate and Professional (15.7%)
First-year students in fall: 5,006
First-year student residency in fall 2023:
- Oregon (55%)
- California (11%)
- Washington (10%)
- Colorado (3%)
- Hawai'i (3%)
See the full New Student Profile Report.
Students create a vibrant, welcoming community
- Men/Women/Non-Binary: 50.2% / 49.2%/0.6%
- First-generation: 1,012
- Students of color: 10,559
- International students: 2,214
- Average first-year high school GPA: 3.67
Viewbooks and Brochures
Unique Academic Opportunities
Exploring New Frontiers
Forestry Excellence
The College of Forestry offers six top-ranked academic programs in a small, friendly environment where students get personal attention and guidance from faculty, staff and advisors.
Oregon State consistently ranks among the top in the world for forestry, natural resources, recreation and wood science research. The programs were recently ranked number two in the world in forestry by the Center for World University Rankings and ranked third in the nation for natural resources studies by College Factual.
The college owns 15,000 acres of research forests across the state where students learn, study and work. The Mentored Employment Program enables faculty to hire undergraduate students for research and other projects with an expectation of at least one hour of direct mentoring per week.
Through the generosity of donors, the college regularly awards more than $500,000 in undergraduate scholarships each year.
Learn more about the College of Forestry.
Embracing the Oceans
Through both the College of Science and the College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State embraces the natural sciences and environmental studies. Located in Newport, Oregon, Hatfield Marine Science Center is the university's marine lab serving as a base for oceanographic research and education.
The center provides academic programming that explores coastal and ocean environments, fieldwork techniques, and natural resource conservation. The world-class facility supports marine biology, bioresource research, fisheries, wildlife and conservation sciences, marine studies and ocean sciences programs.
The Gladys Valley Marine Studies building is designed to help develop a vibrant learning community for students, faculty, and partners to convene on ocean and coastal issues.
In addition to an existing fleet of ships, we are proud to be building the next generation of regional-class research vessels for the U.S. scientific fleet. The first of three new ships we are building, which CEOAS will operate, will be named R/V Taani.
Learn more about COS Programs or CEOAS Programs.
New Facilities and Construction
Oregon State is actively updating and expanding its academic and campus resources.
- Reser Stadium Expansion
- PRAx (Arts and Education Complex)
- Cordley Hall Renewal (Integrative Biology, Under Construction)
- Gladys Valley Marine Sciences Building
- Upper-Division Undergraduate and Graduate Student Housing (Opens Fall 2024)
- Jen-Hsun Huang and Lori Mills Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex (Opens 2026)
Honors College Opportunities
The Honors College offers the personal feeling of a small college within a major research university. Students conduct original research projects through their honors thesis and have the option to live in one of three residence halls.
The college has a diverse community of about 1,800 students. The 350+ honors courses average between 10 and 20 students that have the opportunity to interact with professors who frequently become valued mentors. Students graduate with the Honors Baccalaureate, Oregon State's most prestigious undergraduate degree.
Learn more about the Honors College.
Academic Theme Information
With over 100 majors, it is difficult to highlight each experience in one place. We break our programs into concept themes to start students down a path of interest.
- Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
- Business-related
- Engineering, Computer and Information Systems
- Health and Wellness
- Oceans, Coasts and Marine Studies
- Pre-Health
- Science and Natural Resources
- Teacher Education
If a prospective student has not chosen a major before arriving at Oregon State, they can select "University Exploratory Studies Program" as their academic home until they are ready to declare a specific major.
Costs and Financial Support
Making Education Accessible
WUE Program Benefits
Oregon State is a participating institution in the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program. With the WUE Scholarship, residents from American Samoa, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Guam, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau, and the Northern Mariana Islands may be eligible for tuition at 150% of resident tuition (renewable for 4 years).
New incoming students are considered for WUE based on the info they provide in the admissions process. Awards are competitive and not all students from these participating states and territories are chosen to receive WUE rates.
Read detailed WUE Program Information.
A Smart Investment
Oregon State University students receive an excellent value from their hard work, and it pays off. According to PayScale, Oregon State graduates earn a median early career salary of $57,700 and $104,500 at mid-career.
2023-2024 Student Expenses
- Tuition and Fees
- Resident: $14,487
- Non-resident: $38,457
- Personal Expenses: $2,682
- On-Campus Room and Board: $16,386
- Books and Supplies: $600
More cost estimates with the Net Price Calculator.
Supporting International Study
The Office of Global Opportunities administers several scholarships for students intending to pursue international learning experiences.
Scholarships may be used to: (1) offset the additional financial costs of studying abroad, (2) fund travel to pursue educational experiences, (3) conduct research internationally, or (4) reduce the program costs on a sponsored program, among other reasons.
Learn more about scholarships for global study.
Student Life
Corvallis, Cascades
and the Coast
Life in Corvallis
Location is one of the most important factors affecting your decision to attend Oregon State. Corvallis is consistently ranked among the top 10 college towns in the nation and is known for innovation, education, entertainment, sustainability, and overall livability. Corvallis embodies the spirit of the Northwest, with beautiful landscapes, friendly citizens, and an outstanding quality of life.
The city is about 50 miles northwest of Eugene, 90 miles south of Portland, and has a population of about 58,000. Small, local businesses surround the Oregon State campus, and major national retail stores are only a short drive away.
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#1 College Town in the Pacific Northwest (Worldatlas, 2023)
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Most Innovative School in the PNW (USNWR, 2024)
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No. 1 Safest College (ADT Security Systems, 2018)
- No. 2 Friendliest College Town in America (Great College Deals, 2016)
- No. 3 Top 100 Best Places to Live (Livability, 2018)
- No. 5 Most Beautiful College Town in America (Travelers Today, 2017
Learn more about Corvallis. (Corvallis on Google Maps)
Life in Bend
We love Bend. We think you will, too. Bend and Central Oregon inspire the artist, innovator and outdoors person in each of us. Bend is a great place to get out there. Students get the best of both worlds at OSU-Cascades: the personal attention of a small campus, plus the strengths of Oregon’s leading public research university.
Bend is located in the Cascade Range on the Deschutes River and is about 128 miles southeast of the Corvallis campus along US-20. It is about 29 miles east of Mt. Bachelor along the Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway.
- No. 1 Best Small City for Business and Careers (Forbes)
- No. 1 Mountain Biking Town in the U.S. (Mountain Bike Action)
- One of the country's top five ski towns. (Travel & Leisure)
- No. 6 Best Trail Running Town (Outside)
- The 10 Coolest Places to Go in the Next 10 Years (Forbes, 2021)
- Top 10 Universities for Ski Bums in 2021 (College Magazine, 2021)
- Best Performing Small City (Milken Institute, 2020)
Learn more about Bend. (Bend on Google Maps)
One University, Three Campuses and Thousands of Stories
The student experience at Oregon State is as unique as the person. While we strive to show what a typical student can expect during their undergraduate experience, there are so many stories that need to be told. Take a few moments to view videos of our students' stories.
Living and Learning on Campus
Living-Learning Communities are academic programs that partner with residential communities on campus. In addition to living among students in the same major, college, academic focus or program, we hold events in each community that are related to the students' area of interest.
Oregon State is part of the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative. The vision of Menus of Change is to collaborate on research and education in support of culinary-centric, evidence-based food systems innovation within and beyond universities. At our dining centers, cafes and campus markets, you'll find organic choices and food from growers around Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, as well as ingredients produced on campus.
Student Resources
Academic advisors are assigned to all students as both an interpreter of the university environment and a facilitator of student experiences that relate to their undergraduate degree. More on undergraduate advising.
The Academic Success Center provides academic support services for all students. There are many services available, including tutoring, study centers, the writing center and academic coaching. Academic coaching is a series of conversations designed to enhance student well-being and improve academic performance. Coaching provides a partnership between students seeking to improve their study strategies and trained peer coaches. More information on the ACS.
Additional Support Resources:
Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Oregon State strives to create a supportive environment so students can be successful inside and outside the classroom. Realizing our commitment to change and dismantling systemic racism requires that we collaboratively work as faculty, staff and students to act, consistent with the mission and the values of Oregon State.
More information:
Cultural Resource Guides
Upcoming Events at Oregon State
If you’re visiting our Corvallis campus, check out what other university events might be going on around campus on your visit day.
Connect with Us
The people and the place
We want to hear from you!
We are happy to work with our IEC colleagues. Please reach out to us and ask any questions.
If you want to hear about the latest news from Oregon State and its undergraduate experience, join our mailing list to receive our periodic newsletters.
Visit Our Beautiful Campuses!
Come see what a typical student day is like. You will have the opportunity to learn about our academic programs, tour the residence halls, and take a student-led tour of campus. Our friendly TOUR Ambassadors are happy to assist you in planning a personalized campus visit.
We also offer tours for high school and independent counselors!
360-Degree Tour of Campus
We understand many of you can't make it to Oregon for a visit. We have a variety of live virtual tours and information sessions or you can take a few moments to take a virtual campus tour where we can show you some of our favorite spots on campus.
Virtual Walking Tour of Campus
Use our mobile application to take a walking tour of the Corvallis campus from your home or when you visit Corvallis. The Guidebook app is free and easy to use. Learn about Oregon State whenever it’s convenient for you!
