University of Oregon

The University of Oregon is one of just 36 public institutions that can claim to be members of the prestigious Association of American Universities, and one of only two that are located in the Pacific Northwest.

Set between mountains and an ocean, the University of Oregon is located in the City of Eugene along the Willamette River. Eugene’s official slogan is ‘A Great City for the Arts and Outdoors’; it’s also known as ‘Emerald City’.

The university was founded in 1876, at a time when the state was experiencing financial difficulties: in 1881 an $8,000 debt almost resulted in the university’s closure. Overcoming these obstacles, it grew to become a thriving community comprising tens of thousands of students and faculty members.

The university’s main campus is located across 81 buildings and set in 295 leafy acres of land, where most undergraduates live during their first year.

UO offers about 320 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a wide range of disciplines. The university is organized into eight colleges: 

• the Robert D. Clark Honors College (the oldest honors college in the United States), 
• the School of Architecture and Allied Arts, 
• the College of Arts and Sciences, 
• the Charles H. Lundquist College of Business, 
• the College of Education,
• the School of Journalism and Communication, 
• the School of Law, and the School of Music and Dance. Additionally, 
• the Graduate School oversees the university's graduate and certificate programs.

Its alumni include seven US governors, two Nobel Laureates, 13 Pulitzer Prize Winners, 19 Rhodes Scholars, 13 Olympic medalists and six members of the National Football League.

The university’s Outdoor Program is renowned as the birthplace of modern collegiate outdoor programs, and its students are regularly to be found hiking, rafting and mountain biking in between classes.

U.S. News National University Rankings 2016 placed UO the 103rd nationally. Academic Ranking of World Universities 2016 ranked the university the 301st worldwide.

The most popular majors by the number of registered students are business/commerce, general psychology, social sciences, economics, advertising, political science and government, communications/journalism.

The undergraduate architecture program is consistently ranked among the highest in the country, and is currently ranked as the #1 public program for "Sustainable Design Practice and Principles" by DesignIntelligence magazine.

Other highly ranked programs include School of Law, College of Education and Oregon MBA.