Higher Education Outcome Report · West

🏛️ Public Powerhouse

Oregon Higher Education Outcome Report

Updated continuously · 41 degree-granting institutions graded

Oregon's higher education system is a below-average mobility system. Median 10-year earnings sit at $52,352, +2% vs the national median.

technology & semiconductors
manufacturing
forestry

67
INSTITUTIONS: $52,352
MEDIAN EARNINGS: ▲ 2% vs natl; $18,348
AVG NET PRICE: 26 / 20
PUBLIC / PRIVATE

OUTCOME GRADE

54/100 · #24 of 50

Oregon At A Glance

State-Level Intelligence

Institutions

41

150,820 students enrolled
Graduates / Year

~18,088

Estimated annual completers
Median Earnings
60th pct

$50,964

20th of 50 states
Mobility Score
43rd pct

1.4%

26th of 46 states
Talent Retention
30th pct

73%

First-year retention rate
Value Ratio
60th pct

3.0x

Earnings per net-price dollar

Top Industries Hiring Graduates:

Humanities
Business
Healthcare

Executive Summary

Oregon graduates earn a median of $50,964 a decade after entry, 4% above the national state average, ranking 20th of 50 states.
Upward mobility sits mid-pack: the state's institutions move bottom-quintile students into the top quintile at a 1.4% rate, in the 43rd percentile nationally.
Degree production is led by Humanities and Business, which together account for 34% of graduates. That diversified mix sets what the state's labor pipeline can supply.
Social Sciences is the standout sector: graduates earn $59,729, +15.8% versus the national median. That premium points to a real wage advantage rather than sheer volume.
Trades shows oversupply pressure: graduate earnings run 20.7% below the national median, suggesting the field produces more graduates than the local market rewards.
On value, Oregon returns 3.0x earnings per dollar of net price, among the strongest cost-to-outcome efficiency in the country.

Key Insights

Earnings vs National

-0.7%

Median graduate earnings in Oregon are below the national average by 1%.
Cost vs National

+2.2%

Net price in Oregon is higher than the national average by 2%.
Mobility Rate

-0.29pp

Upward mobility rate is 0.3 percentage points below the national average.
Completion Rate

-2.4pp

Oregon's graduation rate is 2.4 percentage points below the national average.
Best Value

6.1x

Top value school: Portland State University ($57,906 earnings vs $9,552 net price).
Low-Income Access

10%

10% of students come from bottom-quintile households, a measure of how open the state's colleges are to low-income students.

Education Output Profile

Humanities (21% of graduates) and Business (14% of graduates) dominate Oregon's higher education output. Graduates in the top field earn a weighted average of $42,278.

Humanities

21%

$42,278 avg
Business

14%

$53,701 avg
Healthcare

13%

$62,973 avg
Social Sciences

13%

$59,065 avg
Technology

8%

$55,875 avg

Concentration: diversified HHI: 12

Outcome Performance

Oregon's highest-ROI degree cluster is Trades (Precision Production), where graduates average $40,590 against a net cost of $9,358, a 4.3x return. That's -21.3% vs the national median.

Precision Production
4.3x

$40,590 earnings $9,358 net -21.3% vs natl
Transportation
4.2x

$41,105 earnings $9,694 net -20.3% vs natl
Construction Trades
4.2x

$41,026 earnings $9,853 net -20.5% vs natl
Culinary & Personal Services
4.0x

$39,570 earnings $9,858 net -23.3% vs natl
Mechanic & Repair Tech
4.0x

$40,644 earnings $10,211 net -21.2% vs natl
Engineering
3.6x

$54,681 earnings $15,338 net +6% vs natl

State Talent Profile

Three lenses on Oregon's talent pipeline: which fields produce the most graduates, which command the highest earnings, and where high-pay demand outruns local supply.

Dominant Fields

Humanities 19%
Business & Marketing 14%
Health Professions 13%
Computer Science & IT 8%
Social Sciences 6%

Highest-Earning Fields

Engineering $65,944
Health Professions $62,973
Social Sciences $60,239
Communications $58,245
Psychology $57,842

Opportunity Gaps

High earnings, low local production — fields where demand may outrun Oregon's graduate supply.

Engineering $65,944 5% of grads
Communications $58,245 3% of grads
Psychology $57,842 6% of grads

Mobility & Retention

Opportunity Insights

Oregon's colleges post an average mobility rate of 1.4%, which puts the state in the 43rd percentile nationally. 9% of students arrive from bottom-quintile households. Cross-class social connectedness averages 1.28, a proxy for the networks that help graduates convert a degree into mobility.

MOBILITY RATE

1.4%

▼ -0.24pp vs natl

Bottom 20% → Top 20%
LOW-INCOME ACCESS

9%

From bottom quintile
SUCCESS RATE

20%

If bottom 20% enroll
FIRST-GENERATION

38%

First-gen students
TALENT RETENTION

73%

First-year retention
SOCIAL CAPITAL

1.28

Economic connectedness

Mobility Leaders — Institutions Driving Upward Movement

Labor Market Alignment

Oregon's Social Sciences programs produce graduates earning $59,729, +15.8% relative to the national median. Trades graduates, however, earn 20.7% below the national median, a possible sign the state produces more of these degrees than its labor market absorbs.

Humanities
21% of enrollment

$44,668 -13.4% vs natl

18 schools
Business
14% of enrollment

$52,785 +2.3% vs natl

29 schools
Healthcare
13% of enrollment

$52,917 +2.6% vs natl

25 schools
Social Sciences
13% of enrollment

$59,729 +15.8% vs natl

18 schools
Technology
8% of enrollment

$56,224 +9% vs natl

9 schools
Trades
6% of enrollment

$40,891 -20.7% vs natl

10 schools

Overperforming Sectors

Social Sciences: +15.8% vs national earnings ($59,729)

Technology: +9% vs national earnings ($56,224)

Potential Oversupply Signals

Trades: -20.7% vs national — wage pressure suggests oversupply

Humanities: -13.4% vs national — wage pressure suggests oversupply

Institutional Landscape

Oregon's higher education system includes 4 research-oriented, 6 specialized, 2 access-oriented, 29 regional institutions. Each group plays a different role in the state's outcomes.

4

Research Universities
29

Regional Universities
2

Access-Oriented Institutions
6

Specialized Institutions

Research Universities

Access-Oriented Institutions

Cost & Access Corridors

43% of Oregon's colleges charge under $15K net. Graduates of those schools average $41,795 at 10 years.

NET PRICE UNDER $15K

15

43% of schools
Avg earnings: $41,795
NET PRICE $15K–$25K

10

29% of schools
Avg earnings: $55,273
NET PRICE $25K–$40K

10

29% of schools
Avg earnings: $60,283

Top Earners

Schools ranked by median graduate earnings 10 years after enrolling.

Higher education in Oregon

Oregon is home to 67 colleges and universities, from 26 public institutions to 20 private nonprofits. Oregon State University anchors the public system, and graduates across the state earn a median of about $43,527 ten years after enrolling.

Higher education clusters around Portland, Salem and Bend, and the strongest programs by enrollment are Health Professions, Business & Marketing and Computer Science & IT. We rank every school here by what its graduates actually earn and how far they move up — not by reputation or sticker price.

What college costs in Oregon

The average net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — runs about $18,466 a year across Oregon. Portland State University stands out on return: strong graduate earnings against a comparatively low net price. Public universities and in-state tuition remain the clearest path to a low-debt degree, while need-based aid can make selective private schools surprisingly competitive.

Most Affordable Schools

Jobs & industries

Oregon's economy leans on technology & semiconductors, manufacturing and forestry, which shapes which degrees pay off fastest in-state. Programs in Health Professions, Business & Marketing and Computer Science & IT feed directly into those employers, and graduates who stay in-region benefit from established hiring pipelines and alumni networks.

Licensure & transfer

Licensure and articulation are state-specific: nursing, teaching, law, and the health professions are regulated at the Oregon level, so an in-state program is often the most direct route to practicing here. Community-college transfer agreements with public universities can also cut the cost of a four-year degree substantially.

Cost vs Return

What graduates in Oregon earn relative to what they pay for college.

MEDIAN EARNINGS (10YR)

$43,527

▼ $-310 vs natl

AVG NET PRICE

$18,466

▼ +$390 vs natl

EARNINGS / COST RATIO

2.4x

Return per dollar invested

Best Value Schools

Is Oregon Right for You?

Oregon is a strong fit if you want to build a career in technology & semiconductors and manufacturing, value in-state tuition, or plan to work in the region after graduation. Use the rankings and filters below to weigh earnings, cost, and mobility for every school in the state.

Every figure on this page is derived from public federal data and read within its regional and economic context. Information Gain Policy →

Related Rankings

Top Schools

Oregon Health & Science University · OR University of Portland · OR Linfield University · OR Oregon Institute of Technology · OR Oregon State University · OR Oregon State University-Cascades Campus · OR

FAQ

How many colleges are in Oregon?

There are 67 colleges and universities in Oregon in our dataset — 26 public, 20 private nonprofit.

What is the highest-earning college in Oregon?

By median graduate earnings 10 years out, Oregon Health & Science University leads, followed by schools like University of Portland and Linfield University.

How much does college cost in Oregon?

The average net price — tuition and living costs after grants — is about $18,466 per year. In-state public tuition is typically the lowest-cost path.

What are the best-paying career fields in Oregon?

Oregon's economy is anchored by technology & semiconductors, manufacturing and forestry, so degrees feeding those industries tend to pay off fastest in-state.

Is it worth going to college in Oregon?

For most students, yes — especially at in-state public universities and high-value private schools. Portland State University, for example, pairs strong earnings with a low net price. Weigh earnings against net price using the data on this page.

All 67 schools in Oregon

Data Behind This Page Updated 2026

67 institutions in Oregon

2026 Last updated

100% Public / federal sources

Source datasets

Methodology

States are graded on graduate earnings, social mobility, completion, and cost — each drawn from federal data and Opportunity Insights research, then normalized into a single Outcomes Index (0–100).

See the full methodology and weights →

Confidence notes

Earnings, completion, and debt figures come from federal administrative records — tax data and student-aid filings — not surveys or self-reports, the highest-confidence tier of education data available.
Social-mobility estimates are drawn from de-identified tax records covering more than 30 million students (Opportunity Insights).
Where an institution is missing a metric, it is excluded from that metric rather than imputed, so averages are never inflated by guesses.

Limitations

Federal earnings data primarily cover students who received federal financial aid; outcomes for non-aided students may differ.
Earnings are measured roughly ten years after enrollment, so they describe how earlier cohorts fared — historical outcomes, not guarantees of future results.
An institution's field-of-study mix affects raw earnings; scores reflect measured outcomes and are not fully major-adjusted unless explicitly noted.
Net price is an average; the actual cost a given student pays varies widely by family income.

Find My Degree