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Southern Oregon University: Hannon library sou
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Regional university

Southern Oregon University

Ashland, OR · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $16,732 a year

Median debt at graduation: $20,332 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

B-Academic Excellence: B- (grade B-): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.43%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.68%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.23 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$10,493

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$11,830
$30,001–$48,000$12,466
$48,001–$75,000$15,813
$75,001–$110,000$22,415
Over $110,000$24,181

Full cost of attendance before aid: $27,636 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
4,368
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 37% · Women 63%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
40%
Total students5,371
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$16,732
Cost of attendance (per year)$27,636
Median federal debt at graduation$20,332
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
43%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
41%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
40%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
50%
First-year retention68%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$49,175
Admission rate89%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
$60
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $1,229 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants25%

Value: Good · Top 39% (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Computing and information science$75,596
Business administration$65,171
Mathematics$64,748
Biology$63,008
Social sciences$61,526
Criminal justice$59,008
Kinesiology and exercise science$57,299
Teacher education$53,584
Interdisciplinary studies$52,763
English$49,706
Communication studies$49,511
Psychology$48,217
Natural resources and conservation$44,945
Sociology and Anthropology$43,982
History$43,195
Visual and performing arts$43,044
Theatre$38,487
Music$36,201
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies$36,135

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Accounting, Anthropology, Applied mathematics, Broadcasting, Business (general), Chemistry, Economics, Education (general), Ethnic and gender studies, Film and video, Fine arts, Food Science and Technology, General studies, Geography, Global studies, Health administration, Human resources, Human services, Management information systems, Mathematics and Computer Science, Other business, management, marketing, and related support services, Other foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics, Physics, Political science, Pre-health, Romance languages, Sociology, Sustainability Studies, Writing and rhetoric.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Visual and performing arts13%
Psychology13%
Communication11%
Business10%
Education9%

Campus life

School colors
SettingSuburb
Part-time undergraduates17%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older18%
On-campus room and board (per year)$16,968
SportsNAIA · Cascade Collegiate Conference
ROTCArmy
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member23 to 1
Disability servicesVisit the office’s pageThe college’s own page
Faculty who are full-time56%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$9,743IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 23% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceRogue Valley International-Medford Airport (MFR)About 16 miles away · about 35 minutes by car
Town population21,259Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or morePortlandAbout 232 miles away · about 5 hours 50 minutes by car
Typical weather39°F in January · 69°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Ashland, OR

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.290.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.290.04
Burglary0.390.08
Motor vehicle theft0.290.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Southern Oregon University’s Compass Score?
Solid (grade C+). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Southern Oregon University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $16,732 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Southern Oregon University?
Southern Oregon University admitted 89% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Southern Oregon University’s graduates do?
43% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $49,175; the median federal debt at graduation is $20,332.

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