By Sean Nealon, OSU release – CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University’s fall 2022 enrollment has again reached a record, topping 35,000, driven by a continuing rise in enrollment among students of color, a record class of first-year students, soaring enrollment from out-of-state students and demand for the university’s online education program. With 35,239 students enrolled, up 1,131 students, or 3.3% over last year, Oregon State is the largest university in the state for the ninth consecutive year. The enrollment includes students learning at OSU locations in Corvallis, Bend, Portland, Newport, La Grande and through the university’s nationally ranked online Ecampus program. (For the remainder of this news release, enrollment numbers specified as Oregon State include all these locations except OSU-Cascades. Numbers from OSU-Cascades are broken out separately in the news release.) “Oregon State University is committed to be the most accessible and highest quality university possible,” said OSU President Jayathi Murthy. “Record enrollments among students of color and first-year students and increasing numbers of non-resident students are evidence that Oregon State is increasingly seen as a destination for an inclusive and excellent education and a gateway to success in graduate school, life and career after graduation.” Oregon State is increasingly a destination of choice for higher education with students this fall from all 50 states and 107 countries. Oregon State continues to be a school of choice among Oregon residents with 17,610 students enrolled from all of Oregon’s 36 counties. Oregonians make up almost 69% of Oregon State’s Corvallis degree-seeking undergraduate enrollment and nearly 79% of degree-seeking undergraduates at OSU-Cascades in Bend. “I am proud that as Oregon’s statewide university, OSU admitted every qualified Oregon student who applied for admission,” Murthy said. Oregon State’s enrollment counters national trends of declines at many U.S. colleges and universities. National undergraduate and graduate student enrollments combined declined by 1.1% this year, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. This follows a 2.1% drop last year and a 3.4% decline the year before. Enrollment has also decreased in recent years at most public universities in Oregon, according to the state’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission. Ecampus continues to be the main contributor to Oregon State’s enrollment growth. Enrollment of students attending Ecampus jumped almost 6% to 10,679 students this fall. At OSU-Cascades, enrollment increased almost 2% to 1,271 students this fall. In Corvallis, there are 23,598 students enrolled this fall, a 1% increase over last year. First-year students at Oregon State increased 8.3% from last fall, jumping from 6,600 students to 7,146. That includes an 11.5% increase in first-time students from high school and a 2% increase in new transfer students. First-time students from high school increased 9.7% on the Corvallis campus, 16.6% at OSU-Cascades and 61.8% at Ecampus. Enrollment of first-year students from outside Oregon increased dramatically: California students increased 16% (66% since 2019), Washington students increased 44% (123% since 2019) and Colorado students increased 35% (418% since 2019). Fall enrollment at Oregon State includes 10,030 students of color, an increase of 649 students, or 6.9%, over last year. Students of color now make up more than 29% of OSU’s overall enrollment. At OSU-Cascades, there are now 268 students of color enrolled, or 21% of the student body, an increase of more than 6% over last year. Domestic non-Oregon resident students attending OSU reached 14,374 this fall, a 10.1% increase over a year ago and a nearly 120% increase in the past decade. California ranks first in sending 4,091 students to OSU. Washington (2,149), Texas (636), Colorado (557) and Hawaii (470) round out the top five states from which OSU’s Corvallis campus and Ecampus draw students. At OSU-Cascades, 266 domestic non-Oregon students are enrolled with California, Washington and Colorado sending the most students to the campus.
