University of Oregon

Admission to the University of Oregon is broadly accessible, even as the university's standing in national evaluations has softened in recent cycles. In the 2027 U.S. News rankings, the university stood at rank 116, down from rank 98 in 2024. Gaining entry is straightforward for a wide spectrum of candidates, as the university recorded an undergraduate acceptance rate of 88.3% in 2025, which was higher than 93% of peer schools in its comparison group of public universities. At the same time, the institution faces real competition in drawing accepted candidates to campus. Its yield rate reached 14.4% in 2025, higher than 20% of peer schools in that same group, showing that a large portion of admitted students ultimately decide to enroll elsewhere. For prospective applicants, these patterns point to high odds of securing an offer of admission, while also reflecting an institution that continues working to strengthen its appeal among admitted students.

The University of Oregon's admission test policy is optional, considered if submitted. Standardized test reporting has become relatively rare, with test submissions representing a small share of enrolled students. For the 2025 entering class, published score ranges show a middle-quartile ACT composite score between 23 and 30. In comparisons with peer institutions for 2025, the university's median SAT score of 1260 is higher than 46% of peer schools in a comparison group of similarly ranked public research universities. High school academic performance carries significant weight in admissions, as incoming cohorts consistently demonstrate strong secondary school records. For international applicants, unofficial applicant cases collected by Forward Pathway show that admitted students held a median unweighted GPA of 3.6. For families planning an application, these figures demonstrate that admissions decisions depend primarily on sustained classroom achievement, with standardized testing reflecting typical peer public university ranges.

Academic majors at the University of Oregon are moderately distributed across the humanities, business, and sciences, with the top three bachelor's degree fields accounting for 29.2% of all undergraduate degrees awarded in 2025. The single largest undergraduate program is General Business and Commerce, which conferred 598 degrees, followed by Research and Experimental Psychology and Advertising. While the highest undergraduate enrollments center on business and communications, the university's strongest national reputations lie in specialized graduate departments. In the 2026 U.S. News graduate rankings, Oregon earned rank 1 for legal writing and rank 3 for special education, alongside top-twelve placements in environmental law and dispute resolution. Early career earnings show that technical and quantitative disciplines deliver the highest initial financial returns. According to 2023 earnings data, graduates in General Computer and Information Sciences earned a median starting salary of $69,669 one year out, leading other prominent undergraduate majors such as accounting and business.

The student population at the University of Oregon is predominantly domestic, with undergraduates forming the bulk of campus enrollment. In 2025, total enrollment reached 24,404 students across all academic divisions. The undergraduate body is largely composed of White students, alongside significant shares of Hispanic and multiracial scholars. Asian students represented 7.2% of the entering freshman class, while international students accounted for only 0.7% of first-year undergraduates. Across continuing undergraduate cohorts, Asian students maintain a similar presence, whereas international representation remains sparse. In contrast, the graduate division exhibits greater geographic variety, with international scholars comprising 14.2% of all advanced degree seekers and Asian students making up 5.8%. Across nearly all academic divisions, women form the majority of the enrolled population, shaping a demographic landscape that is regionally rooted at the undergraduate level but more globally diversified in post-baccalaureate studies.

Undergraduate education at the University of Oregon is overwhelmingly dominated by students of traditional college age. In 2025, students aged 18 to 19 made up 42.7% of the undergraduate student body, while those aged 20 to 21 accounted for 42.1%. With over four-fifths of undergraduates falling within this four-year span, campus culture, residential communities, and university programming are primarily calibrated around late adolescents and young adults. In contrast, the graduate population presents a mature profile centered on early-career professionals. Students aged 25 to 29 represent the largest graduate bracket at 33.1%, followed by those aged 22 to 24 and early-thirties scholars, establishing a clear separation between undergraduate life and graduate scholarship.

International student participation at the University of Oregon diverges markedly by academic level, following a steep downward trajectory among undergraduates over the past decade. By 2025, international students made up just 1.4% of the undergraduate population, a share that is higher than only 17% of peer institutions. At the graduate level, global representation has held firm, with international students comprising 14.2% of enrolled advanced scholars in 2025. This division is clearly mirrored in graduating classes. International students earned just 1.6% of bachelor's degrees in 2025, registering minimal presence even in high-volume majors like business. Conversely, international graduates accounted for larger shares of advanced degrees, particularly in technical fields. Among master's degree recipients, international students earned 21.4% of degrees in General Chemistry and 21.1% in Architectural and Building Sciences. Prospective international undergraduates will find a campus where global students are relatively rare, whereas graduate programs maintain established communities of international scholars.

Applicants exploring higher education options near Eugene, Oregon, have several distinct regional universities to consider. Located 37 kilometers away, Oregon State University is a public research institution ranked 156 among National Universities in the 2027 U.S. News rankings. Further north in Salem, Willamette University is situated 62 kilometers from Eugene and holds rank 208 in the National Universities category. For students interested in private universities in the Portland metropolitan area, George Fox University sits 87 kilometers away and is ranked 262, while Lewis & Clark College, located 99 kilometers from campus, is ranked 97 among National Liberal Arts Colleges. These neighboring options provide accessible alternatives across both large public settings and private liberal arts environments throughout the Willamette Valley.

Campus safety indicators at the University of Oregon reflect a notable reduction in overall incident rates over the last decade, with non-violent disciplinary matters accounting for the overwhelming majority of reported offenses. Forward Pathway's crime rate per 1,000 students declined from 23.7 in 2016 to 12.4 in 2025. Between 2023 and 2025, the campus recorded 1,958 disciplinary referrals for alcohol violations, representing the largest single category of documented activity. Disciplinary referrals for drug offenses were the second most frequent issue during that three-year span, totaling 215 cases. Property crimes also occurred at regular intervals, led by 122 incidents of theft and 112 reported motor vehicle thefts, while personal offenses such as stalking and sexual harassment were recorded in smaller numbers. Families reviewing these records can observe that safety enforcement on campus primarily involves substance and alcohol compliance rather than violent crime.