Oregon State University vs. University of Oregon
Oregon or Oregon State comes down to whether you picture yourself in Eugene's design-and-journalism scene or Corvallis's land-grant lab culture. Oregon runs on the energy of a Track Town: Hayward Field draws the country's best runners, the journalism school feeds newsrooms and ad agencies, and the campus tilts toward business, the arts, and the social sciences. Oregon State leans the other way. You'd join a bigger student body built around engineering, forestry, oceanography, and agriculture, the working strengths of the state's land-grant. Corvallis stays smaller and quieter than Eugene, a real college town where the university sets the pace. Both sit in the Willamette Valley, so plan on gray, wet winters either way. The two have played the oldest rivalry in the West for over a century, lately for a Platypus Trophy that splices a duck onto a beaver. Pick the place whose flagship program already matches what you want to study.
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Acceptance Rate
Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.
Admit rate by residency
% admittedEarly Action
Oregon State offers non-binding Early Action — an earlier decision with no commitment to enroll.
Standardized Tests
Oregon State is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Where Oregon State's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.
Based on the 51% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Oregon State does not publish an average GPA.
Admissions Factors
How Oregon State weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of Attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from Oregon State's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.
Out-of-state students pay $25,185 more — entirely in tuition. Room, board, and other costs are identical regardless of residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
Acceptance Rate
Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.
Admit rate by residency
% admittedEarly Action
Oregon offers non-binding Early Action — an earlier decision with no commitment to enroll.
Standardized Tests
Oregon is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Oregon does not report this.
Not reported
Admissions Factors
How Oregon weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of Attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from Oregon's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.
Out-of-state students pay $29,991 more — entirely in tuition. Room, board, and other costs are identical regardless of residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
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Oregon State vs. Oregon: frequently asked questions
Is it harder to get into Oregon or Oregon State?＋
Oregon State is the tighter admit, taking about 77.3% of applicants to Oregon's 87.4%, though both stay accessible for public flagships. Oregon State's enrolled first-years also post higher test scores, a middle-50% SAT of 1160–1390 and ACT of 24–31, against Oregon's 1050–1320 and 22–29. Average GPAs land close, near 3.7 at both, and each leans hardest on your course rigor and academic GPA.
Is Oregon State or Oregon better for engineering?＋
Oregon State is the clear pick for engineering. It is the state's land-grant, engineering ranks as its single largest field at about 17% of degrees, and computing follows at 15%, so a large share of the campus points toward STEM. Oregon does not list engineering among its top majors; its degrees concentrate in the social sciences, business, and journalism. An aspiring engineer finds far more of the university built around that path in Corvallis.
Is Oregon or Oregon State better for journalism and business?＋
Oregon, for both. Its School of Journalism and Communication is nationally regarded, and communication and journalism accounts for about 13% of degrees, while business and marketing claims roughly 16%, tied with the social sciences as the largest field. Oregon State confers business at about 14% but lists no journalism program among its top areas. A student aiming at media, advertising, or business leans toward Eugene.
Is Oregon or Oregon State cheaper for out-of-state students?＋
Oregon State runs cheaper for non-residents, about $40,437 in tuition and fees versus $47,466 at Oregon. Oregon State also meets more demonstrated need on average, roughly 66% to Oregon's 54%, though Oregon's average need-based package runs slightly larger at about $17,082 against $15,031. Oregon State reaches a few more students with need-based aid as well, 48% of first-years to Oregon's 46%, so the gap widens once aid is counted.
Which is bigger, Oregon or Oregon State?＋
Oregon State is the larger school, enrolling about 31,253 undergraduates to Oregon's 20,710, and the bigger of the two in the state overall. Class sizes track close, a 17-to-1 student-faculty ratio at Oregon State and 19-to-1 at Oregon. Both house most first-years on campus, 94% at Oregon and 87% at Oregon State, so each anchors a residential community despite drawing nearly half its first-years from outside the state.
Do Oregon and Oregon State require the SAT or ACT?＋
Neither does. Both stay test-optional, so you can apply without scores, and each weighs submitted scores only as a considered factor behind course rigor and GPA. Among students who do submit, Oregon State's middle 50% scored 1160–1390 on the SAT, while Oregon's scored 1050–1320, so strong scores help more at the more selective Oregon State.
Source: Oregon State University Common Data Set 2024-2025. Figures transcribed 2026-06-10. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Oregon State. Banner photo by Owen, via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).
Source: University of Oregon Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-07. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Oregon. Banner photo by Rick Obst, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).