Economy, Business, Finance, and Labor

Oregon Higher Ed Enrollment On The Rise

NWNews | By Chris Lehman

Published November 8, 2012 at 2:46 PM PST

The number of students enrolled at public universities in Oregon has reached an all-time high. The Oregon University System announced Thursday that more than 101,000 people are taking classes.

Oregon State University in Corvallis enjoyed the biggest increase -- a nearly six percent jump from last year.

OSU's Assistant Provost for Enrollment, Kate Peterson, says one factor is a sharp drop in the number of students leaving school early for greener pastures.

"There's not a lot of jobs to go to, so students are hanging in there and continuing their education as opposed to being lured away to start their careers a little earlier."

Peterson says online education also bolstered the enrollment totals. Some OSU students are taking classes from as far away as India.

The number of students at Oregon's other two largest universities -- Portland State and the University of Oregon -- remained relatively flat.

Oregon University System 2012 Enrollment Fact Sheet

An aerial view of the Memorial Union at Oregon State University. OSU has seen a nearly 6 percent increase in enrollment. Photo by saml123 via Flickr