University of Oregon

No — the University of Oregon is among the more accessible public flagships, admitting about 87.4% of applicants in the most recent cycle from a pool of roughly 41,400. Enrolled first-years average a high school GPA near 3.73, and the rigor of your course load and academic GPA are the two factors weighed as very important, so solid grades in a challenging schedule are what matter most.

Enrolled first-year students average a high school GPA of about 3.73, so a mix of mostly A's and B's puts you in range. There is no hard cutoff: academic GPA and the rigor of your high school record are both rated very important in the review, while class rank is only considered.

No — the University of Oregon is test-optional, so you can apply without submitting scores. Among enrolled first-years who did submit, the middle 50% scored 1050–1320 on the SAT and 22–29 on the ACT; standardized test scores are weighed only as a considered factor, well below GPA and course rigor.

Yes — a 1300 sits in the upper half of enrolled first-years, near the 75th-percentile mark of 1320. The middle 50% scored 1050–1320 on the SAT (22–29 ACT), and because the University of Oregon is test-optional with scores only considered, a 1300 strengthens an application without being required.

Out-of-state applicants are actually admitted at a slightly higher rate than Oregon residents: in the most recent cycle, out-of-state students were admitted at 89.2% (28,417 of 31,873 applicants) versus 88.1% for in-state applicants (7,064 of 8,018). International applicants face a notably lower bar, admitted at 45.2% (667 of 1,477). State residency is only a considered factor in the review, not a heavily weighted one, which explains why in-state and out-of-state odds are nearly identical.

Annual tuition and required fees are about $17,475 for Oregon residents and $47,466 for out-of-state students, with on-campus housing and food adding roughly $18,183. About 46% of first-years receive need-based aid, with an average need-based package near $17,082, and the Duck Tuition Guarantee locks each entering cohort's tuition and fees for five years.

Yes — the University of Oregon rates the application essay as an important factor, ranking it above test scores, recommendations, and extracurriculars, which are only considered. With course rigor and GPA the only very important factors, a specific, well-revised essay is one of the clearest places to add depth to your application.

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The social sciences and business and marketing are the two largest areas, each accounting for about 16% of bachelor's degrees, followed by communication and journalism at roughly 13%. Psychology and the biological and life sciences are also popular, reflecting the university's strength in the social sciences and its nationally regarded journalism program.