Public Graduate Good 61/100

Western Oregon University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Monmouth, Oregon

About Western Oregon University

Thinking about Western Oregon University, a college in Oregon where more students graduate in Education than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Western Oregon University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Monmouth, Oregon. It enrolls 3,103 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
98.1%
Graduation
41.2%
Net Price
$17,237
Median Earnings (10yr)
$51,815
Enrollment
3,103
Student : Faculty
13:1

Accreditor Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Academic Calendar Quarter

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
61/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 35
Value 62
Affordability 68
Selectivity 3

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Western Oregon University admits 98.1% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

Acceptance Rate
98.1%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Test Optional Applicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Western Oregon University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Becoming less selective ↑ 14.1 pts since 2019
84.6%201979.2%202091.6%202183.4%202298.7%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $17,237 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$17,237
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
41%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
74%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$11,879
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$32,534
Room & Board (on-campus)
$12,528
Room & Board (off-campus)
$12,528
Books & Supplies
$1,125
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,676
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,676
Total Cost of Attendance
$25,062

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $15,575
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $14,585
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $16,151
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $17,974
  • Over $110,000
    $20,243

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$3,666
10% percentile
$6,500
25% percentile
$20,609
Median percentile
$27,000
75% percentile
$34,858
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $16,500 ↓ $4,109
No Pell $12,702 ↓ $7,907
Dependent students $14,000 ↓ $6,609
Independent students $19,902 ↓ $707
Female students $15,000 ↓ $5,609
Male students $14,400 ↓ $6,209
Pell recipients: 17.8% (3,676 students)No Pell: 13.7% (2,830 students)Dependent students: 15.1% (3,119 students)Independent students: 21.5% (4,434 students)Female students: 16.2% (3,342 students)Male students: 15.6% (3,208 students)Overall Median$20,609
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,500, less than completers ($20,609), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

41% of students who start here finish within six years, and 74% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
41%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
74%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $51,815 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$51,815
Earning > $25K
79%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$41,000$44,000$47,000$50,000$53,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$37,300

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$51,300

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$39,400

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$42,900

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$46,900

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $14,000, about 27% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 21.5 pts across 6 years
57.2%1yr65.1%3yr71.3%5yr78.7%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 79% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 3,103 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 42% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
3,103
Part-Time
14%
First-Generation
42%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 55.5% 1,721
Hispanic 27.2% 844
Other 9.7% 301
Black 3.1% 96
Asian 2.6% 81
International 0.6% 19
White: 55.5% (1,721 students)Hispanic: 27.2% (844 students)Other: 9.7% (301 students)Black: 3.1% (96 students)Asian: 2.6% (81 students)International: 0.6% (19 students)Total3,103

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Western Oregon University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Town: Fringe Monmouth, Oregon
Housing
Mostly residential 1,300 beds on campus
Adult Learners
17% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Quarter scheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Psychology graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Western Oregon University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 60 distinct programs across 20 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

4 Programs
7 Programs
5 Programs
5 Programs
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 13 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
13:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$10,188
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$22M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$65,821
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

216 instructional faculty across 5 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 73 34% $83,446
Associate Professors 41 19% $67,878
Assistant Professors 46 21% $57,030
Instructors 52 24% $49,389
Lecturers 4 2% $51,617

Pros & Cons of Western Oregon University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Western Oregon University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Accessible admissions for most applicants
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Below-average completion rate
  • Modest first-year retention
  • Most students take on federal loans
Best for: Based on the data, Western Oregon University is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.

Frequently Asked Questions about Western Oregon University

The questions families ask most about Western Oregon University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Western Oregon University hard to get into?
Not especially. Western Oregon University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 98.1%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Western Oregon University?
98.1% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Western Oregon University cost?
Budget around $17,237 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Western Oregon University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $51,815 a year against a net price of $17,237, about 3.0 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Western Oregon University known for?
Mostly Education, General, Psychology, Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Western Oregon University graduates earn?
About $51,815 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Western Oregon University accredited?
Yes. Western Oregon University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
How many students attend Western Oregon University?
3,103 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Western Oregon University?
41% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Western Oregon University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Western Oregon University located?
Western Oregon University is located in Monmouth, Oregon.
What programs does Western Oregon University offer?
60 different programs, most commonly Education, General, Psychology, Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Western Oregon University?
13 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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