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Oregon Colleges and Universities

US News & World Report's Ranking of Oregon Colleges

2012 Edition of U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Colleges   In the listing of national universities, the University of Oregon ranked 101 and Oregon State University ranked 139. The University of Washington was ranked 42nd and Washington State University was 115th.

Liberal Arts Colleges

  • Reed College and Willamette University in Salem:  57.
  • Lewis & Clark College in Portland: 71.
  • Linfield College in McMinnville: 121.

Regional Universities in the West (140 ranked)

  • Concordia University in Portland: 88.
  • George Fox University in Newberg: 25.
  • Pacific College in Forest Grove: 22.
  • Southern Oregon University in Ashland: 71.
  • University of Portland: 9.
  • Western Oregon University: 83.

Regional Colleges of the West (67 ranked)

  • Oregon Institute of Technology in Portland and Klamath Falls:  8.
  • Warner Pacific College of Portland: 26.

Oregon Health Sciences University School of Medicine

  • No. 3 in primary care.
  • No. 36 in research.

Other Medical

  • OHSU School of Nursing: No. 1 in nursing midwifery.
  • OHSU Physician Assistant: 6.
  • Oregon State University Pharmacy: 32.
  • Oregon State University Veterinary Medicine: 26.

Oregon University System

If you're interested in attending one of Oregon public universities, the Oregon University System has a Web site full of solid information about each of the schools and how to go about applying at OUS Prospective Students.

Smooth Transfer Between Oregon State Colleges

Oregon college students are able to transfer more smoothly among the state's community colleges and universities as the result of common criteria for general education courses adopted by two state education boards in early 2010. The course guidelines define what students should learn in a given subject, such as writing, and what the course should include. 

The Oregon Board of Education and State Board of Higher Education also approved common course standards for an Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degree that will allow students to move more freely among the state's 17 community colleges and transfer smoothly into any of the seven public universities for their final two years of studies.  In addition, the joint boards approved policies that will allow high school students to get up to a year's credit in the state's seven public universities by earning an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma.

Oregon University System Guaranteed Admission Program

Oregon high school seniors who demonstrate proficiency in certain skills and earn a 3.4 grade point average will be guaranteed automatic admission to one of the state's seven public universities, under a policy proposed by university officials. The automatic admission policy won unanimous approval in the State Board of Higher Education's Academic Strategies Committee in late February 2011 and probably will be approved by the full board when it meets next week, university leaders said. The policy, which would take effect in 2012.

The state will begin phasing in its new high school diploma standards next year with a requirement that students demonstrate proficiency in reading on a test in addition to earning 24 course credits. Graduates also will have to show proficiency in writing in 2013 and in math in 2014. 

Under its new admission policy, the Oregon University System would automatically admit any graduate next year who earns a 3.4 GPA and demonstrates proficiency in reading, writing, math and speaking on college entrance exams or state tests. For example, students could meet the proficiency standard for reading, math and writing by earning a score of 550 or higher for each of those skills on the SAT college entrance exam. 

Online Course Options at Oregon Colleges and Universities

The Online Schools Web site has a directory of all college programs that students can take online apart from the more well known online schools.

The This database will be updated yearly and will always remain free and open.  

Oregon College Savings Plan

The Oregon College Savings Plan, part of a network of similar investment options, allows parents to save for tuition tax free. Oregon residents also get to claim a state income tax deduction  up to $4,170 a year  for money they put into an account.

The Oregon College Savings Plan is administered by the State of Oregon, acting by and through the Oregon 529 College Savings Board, and distributed by OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc. OFI Private Investments Inc., a subsidiary of OppenheimerFunds, Inc., is the program manager of the Plan.

In 2008, investors in the most conservative portfolio were alarmed when their savings plummeted. An investigation by The Oregonian found that state officials didn't closely monitor the fund or act fast enough to stop the losses until most of the damage was done. The state sued the plan manager at the time, OppenheimerFunds Inc. In late 2009, the state agreed to a settlement that reimburses about 56 percent of the $36 million lost from mismanagement of the accounts. 

The Oregonian estimates that for every $1,000 invested in the Conservative or 1-3 Years to College Portfolio, investors might get $125 back. Both portfolios declined 24 percent in value in 2008, and one-third of each portfolio was invested in the Core Bond fund.

Accredited Online Colleges

Accredited Online Colleges is a Web site for finding accredited online colleges around the U.S.

College accreditation is a process by which schools are certified by an outside agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) or the Western Association of Schools & Colleges (WASC), to provide quality academic services and student support. Accredited schools can guarantee adequate library resources, qualified faculty, solid student achievement rates and financial aid access, as well as the ability to receive a license to work in fields that require licensure for practitioners.

Oregon Private Colleges and Universities

 

Oregon Public Universities

 

Community Colleges

 

Other Schools

 
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