About
This is OSU. In Bend.
It’s where small classes, a top tier research university, and one of the most dynamic cities in the Pacific Northwest give students the edge they need.
By the numbers
based on fall 2024 enrollment
1,370
Undergraduate & graduate students,
including 74 taking all classes online
1st
University campus to be built in Oregon in 50 years
19
Students on average per class
Growing for Central Oregon and beyond
OSU-Cascades is growing to 3,000 to 5,000 students to meet state education goals. The expanding campus serves students from Central Oregon, Oregon, the U.S. and around the world.
When it opened in 2016, the OSU-Cascades campus fulfilled a 30-year quest for higher education in what had been the largest region in the state without a four-year university. Bend and Central Oregon form Oregon’s fastest growing region and one of its most vibrant economies. Yet the region lags behind the rest of Oregon in higher educational attainment.
With studies showing that most freshmen who attend public universities do so within 50 miles of home, rural families in the region had been falling behind. As OSU-Cascades expands, it has the capacity to transform students’ lives – including first-generation college students, underserved populations, and adults seeking career advancement.
Oregon State University - Cascades is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, one of seven regional accrediting bodies recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
About our students
42%
Central Oregonians
78%
from Oregon
24%
First generation
23%
Students of color
Making the world better, that's their charge
Guaranteed experiential learning opportunities for students including internships, study abroad, service learning, research, capstone projects and student leadership.
Teaching and research excellence
9 out of 10
recent graduates said their faculty helped them succeed academically and professionally
$11.6 million
in research funding since founding
A campus for our future
Local and regional support and collaboration are helping shape the physical and academic future of OSU-Cascades.
Encompassing a 128-acre campus footprint, a vision to become a model for innovation and sustainability, and a mission to connect with the surrounding community, the university’s award-winning long range development plan reflects a nearly two-year, public planning process. Watch us grow.
Sustainable, net-zero goals
Sustainability features are embedded in our newest building, Edward J. Ray Hall. Its design includes solar and geo-exchange power readiness, active and passive energy reduction systems, and gray water storage for potable reuse.
Majors that develop in-demand employees
Our academic programs reflect Central Oregon’s vibrant economy and abundant natural resources. Input from area businesses and industries has helped develop and enhance programs in computer science, energy systems engineering, hospitality management, outdoor products, and kinesiology. At full build out, OSU-Cascades will offer as many as 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
95%
of recent graduates are employed or in graduate school within 6 months of graduation
90%
of recent graduates said OSU-Cascades prepared them for life after college
86%
of recent graduates are employed in a field related to their major
Based on responses to survey of 2023 graduates.
Economic impact
Central Oregon’s economy is growing fast and diversifying. Employers look to OSU-Cascades to provide skilled workers in growing industries such as high-tech, biosciences, healthcare and outdoor products. According to a study by ECONorthwest, by 2025 OSU-Cascades will contribute:
- $196.8 million in statewide economic output
- 2,083 jobs
- $3.44 million additional annual state income taxes