Oregon State University

Public · Moderately Selective · OR

Photo: Oregon State University (CC BY-SA 2.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationOR · West

SettingUrban

Undergrads30,743

Student:faculty18:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate47.2%

6-yr grad rate70.1%

Drop-out rate12.2%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$14k

Out-of-state tuition$38k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity36.6%

Gender diversity49.2%

International2.6%

Identity—

Overview

Oregon State, in Corvallis, is Oregon's land-grant university, situated in the Willamette Valley between the Cascade mountains and the Pacific coast. It combines a research-intensive public university with one of the largest online-degree operations among public institutions, giving it a broader and more varied student population than its physical campus size suggests, and it holds Oregon's other major land-grant and sea-grant designations alongside its research-university status.

Academics

Forestry, oceanography, agricultural sciences, and engineering are the clear signature strengths, each backed by serious research infrastructure tied to Oregon's natural resources and coastline, including its own research vessels and forest holdings used directly in coursework. The land-grant mission shows up in strong applied and field-based coursework across the sciences, and the university's Hatfield Marine Science Center on the coast gives marine-focused students direct access to ocean research most inland campuses cannot offer.

Campus & student life

The Willamette Valley setting puts both mountains and ocean within easy reach, and outdoor recreation is deeply embedded in student culture, from hiking and skiing to coastal trips. Corvallis itself is a moderate-sized college town that keeps much of student life centered on campus, with a quieter, more understated social culture than at some larger Pac-12-legacy flagships.

Getting in

Admissions weighs academic record as the primary factor, in keeping with most public land-grant universities, and Oregon State draws heavily from in-state students alongside a meaningful out-of-state and international population, particularly in engineering and agricultural sciences. It is generally less selective than the most competitive West Coast publics, making it a realistic option for solid students who want serious research access.

After graduation

Forestry and natural-resources graduates move into state and federal agencies, timber and agricultural industries, and environmental consulting across the Pacific Northwest. Engineering graduates are recruited by the region's technology and semiconductor employers, and oceanography graduates go on to research institutions and federal ocean and atmospheric agencies. The alumni network is concentrated in the Pacific Northwest.

Worth knowing

Oregon State's Ecampus online degree program is unusually large and well developed for a public research university, giving it a genuinely different profile than most land-grant flagships, with a substantial share of degree-seekers never setting foot on the physical campus. Students choosing the residential experience should know that online-heavy programs mean not every large lecture course looks the same as it did a generation ago.

oregonstate.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate77.3%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1140–1400 · ACT 24–31

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early actionNov 1

Regular decisionFeb 1

Applying (2026-27 cycle)

Interviews: Portfolios, videos, and personal interviews are generally not required for admission.

Verified from the school’s admissions pages ↗