Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a public land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs, and graduate and doctorate degrees through all 11 colleges. It is classified as an R1 Doctoral University, designating "very high research activity", and as of 2023 has the seventh-largest engineering college in the nation. Undergraduate enrollment for all colleges combined averages over 32,000 while an additional 5,000 students are engaged in post-graduate coursework through the university.
In 2024, nearly 38,000 students were enrolled at OSU, making it the largest university in the state. Out-of-state students typically make up over one-quarter of the student body. Since its founding, over 272,000 students have graduated from OSU.
Initially chartered as a land-grant university, OSU became one of only four inaugural members of the sea grant program in 1971. Membership in the Space Grant came in 1991, followed by Sun Grant membership in 2003. Only three schools in the nation held memberships in all four research areas at this time, a distinction that has helped OSU become a leading research university today. In 2025, the Association of Land Grant Universities reclassified OSU as an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University. OSU is now one of only 90 universities in the nation to hold the classification and a candidate for new federal research grants in the sciences and technology. OSU received a record high $449.9 million in research funding for the 2022 fiscal year and has ranked as the state's top earner in research funding for over 50 years. OSU is also one of the top five doctoral university destinations in the nation for Fulbright Scholars.
History
The 1800s
The university's roots date to 1856, when it was founded as a primary and preparatory community school known as Corvallis Academy. Corvallis area Freemasons played a leading role in developing the academy. Several of the university's largest buildings are named after these founders today. The early academy is recognized as the first to offer a postsecondary public education in the Oregon Territory. The first administrator and teacher was John Wesley Johnson, a famous figure in Oregon higher education. Johnson received his secondary education in Corvallis and his undergraduate from Pacific University before managing the new academy. He later attended Yale University and became an instrumental figure in the development and administration of several other early Oregon colleges. Between 1860 and 1868, the Southern Methodist Church took ownership and ran the academy privately.In 1865, William A. Finley was hired as president and expanded the curriculum to include upper-level courses. The growth in curriculum made OSU a magnet for many Northwest young adults seeking professions.
On August 22, 1868, the official articles of incorporation were filed for Oregon State University, known then as Corvallis College. To help ensure the state's sole public college would be well funded, the Oregon Legislative Assembly designated it Oregon's Land-grant university and the "agricultural college of the state of Oregon". Two months later, on October 27, 1868, OSU was chartered as the state's first and only public college. Finley remained in his post and is recognized as OSU's first president. Although OSU officially became a fully public, non-denominational institution in 1868, the Southern Methodist Church remained an important part of the school's administration through the mid-1880s. Up until the turn of the 20th century, the early college adopted seven name variations. As with many land-grant colleges, name changes were common during this period, and helped schools align with the largest federal grants in agricultural research. The Morrill Land-Grant Acts were pivotal in helping OSU and other early American land-grant universities survive and thrive during a time when traditional colleges and universities often faced financial hardship. "This dependable flow of funds provided the long-sought financial foundation the colleges needed and encouraged state governments to make annual appropriations as well."
Acceptance of the federal grant required the college to comply with many new requirements. The school was then authorized to grant Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degrees. OSU's land-grant designation did not go without contention. In its early development, the cash-strapped founders of the University of Oregon asked the state to designate their planned institution Oregon's land-grant university, but the request was denied. The first graduates received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1870. Within two years, the school was renamed Corvallis State Agricultural College. As the school's name changed, so did its mission. Science and technology coursework became the most popular majors starting in 1900.
The 1900s
In 1914, the Oregon State Board of Higher Education, known then as the State Board of Higher Curricula, began assigning specific colleges to Oregon State University and the University of Oregon in an effort to eliminate duplication. "...the board confined studies in engineering and commerce to the Corvallis campus and major work in the liberal arts and related subjects to the University of Oregon in Eugene. This was the first in a series of actions to make the curricula of the two schools separate and distinct."In 1927, the school's name was officially changed from Oregon Agricultural College to Oregon State Agricultural College.
In 1929, the legislative assembly passed the Oregon Unification Bill, which placed Oregon's public colleges under greater oversight of the newly renamed Oregon State Board of Higher Education. A doctorate in education was first offered in the early 1930s, with the conferral of four Doctor of Philosophy degrees in 1935. That year also saw the creation of the first summer session. The growing diversity in degrees offered by the college led leaders to adopt the name "Oregon State College" in 1937.
The name Oregon State University was adopted on March 6, 1961, by a legislative act signed into law by Governor Mark Hatfield.
Campuses and educational outlets
Main campus (Corvallis)
The, tree-lined main campus serves as an internationally recognized arboretum and the centerpiece of Corvallis, Oregon. The campus is 83 miles south of Portland, near the middle of the state's Willamette Valley. Much of the main campus was designed by landscape architect John Charles Olmsted in 1906. In 2008, Olmsted's early campus design was designated by the National Register of Historic Places as the Oregon State University Historic District. It is the only college or university campus in Oregon to hold a historic district designation. The Memorial Union was designed by OSU alum and renowned Oregon architect, Lee Arden Thomas. It has been recognized as "one of the finest examples of neoclassical architecture in Oregon."OSU-Cascades (Bend)
In 2016 OSU completed the construction of a 10-acre branch campus in Bend. This campus is called OSU-Cascades and offers students living in Oregon's central region an opportunity to attend select classes closer to their homes.As of 2023, the branch campus stretches across 30 acres in southwest Bend, with options to grow into 90 more acres of OSU-owned land nearby. The latest goal is to attract around 5,000 students per year within the next decade. As of 2023, enrollment was around 1,400 students.
Ecampus (online)
Oregon State offers more than 80 degree and certificate programs made up from a selection of over 1,500 online courses in more than 110 subjects. U.S. News & World Report ranks OSU's online Ecampus fourth nationally. The Ecampus has held a top-10-ranking since 2015. In 2021 College Choice ranked the Ecampus college of liberal arts program the best in the nation. The same faculty teaching on campus also teach many of their programs and courses online through the Ecampus website. Students who pursue an online education at Oregon State earn the same diploma and transcript as on-campus students.OSU Portland Center (Downtown Portland)
In 2017, Oregon State University's Portland headquarters were relocated to the newly renovated Meier & Frank building. The historic building features modern offices, classrooms and meeting spaces; which fill the entire second floor of what is now known as the Portland Building. Located next to downtown Portland's Pioneer Square, the OSU Portland Center accommodates offices for the OSU Extension Service, the OSU Foundation, the OSU Alumni Association, and the OSU Athletics Department. The downtown building provides the university with a more central location, in the state's largest city, to maintain a base of operations. Aside from offices, the second floor also provides classroom space for teaching, research and meeting space for outreach engagement. Its use is similar to the work at OSU's other campuses in Corvallis and Bend. Executives and university scientists working on major initiatives, such as the Marine Studies Initiative, use the space for lectures and international conferences.The OSU Portland Center is also an important part of the OSU Advantage partnership. The partnership brings members of private industry, from throughout the world, to Portland to discuss proposed commercialization initiatives.
Hatfield Marine Science Center (Newport)
Recognized as one of the top marine laboratories in the nation, OSU's Hatfield Marine Science Center has been a fixture in Newport, Oregon for over 50 years. The campus serves as an oceanographic research base for six state and federal agencies and also a resource for K-12 educators and the public. OSU's agriculture, oceanography and marine science students have an opportunity to serve as summer interns at the Newport campus, while post-graduate students participate in a wide array of research programs year-around.A $16.5 million project to build a 34,000-square-foot dormitory for OSU's post-graduate students, staff and visiting professionals was completed in 2025. The complex includes 70+ studio-style apartments and a small number of two-bedroom apartments near the Newport campus.