About

Oregon State University in Bend

OSU-Cascades provides students personalized instruction and OSU's excellence in both academics and innovative research, as well as the lifelong advantages of a premier research university. OSU-Cascades is the only baccalaureate and graduate degree granting institution based in Central Oregon. OSU-Cascades expanded to a four-year university when it welcomed its first freshman class in fall 2015.

Our new campus opened fall 2016

OSU-Cascades was born out of a 30-year grassroots effort put forth by Central Oregonians to bring a university to the region. The university opened its doors in September 2001 on the COCC campus, offering upper-division and graduate coursework toward bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Its annual progress is summarized within the Points of Pride.

After record enrollment growth and demonstrated financial support from the surrounding community, in August 2012 the Oregon University System endorsed OSU-Cascades’ expansion to a four-year university. In July 2013, the Oregon State Legislature approved capital funding that enabled the branch campus to establish its own campus. The branch campus completed the first phase of campus development in 2016.

OSU-Cascades’ new campus is a ½ mile from the Graduate & Research Center, 1.9 miles from downtown Bend, and near trails, recreation, entertainment, athletic and medical facilities, and shopping. Walking, bike share and rideshare programs will minimize vehicle miles traveled and provide options for getting to, from and around the new campus. Learn more about our campus expansion.

Meeting Oregon's enrollment goals

OSU-Cascades' expansion will help OSU meet state educational attainment, or "40-40-20" goals where 40 percent of Oregonians will have a bachelor’s degree by 2025. The goals will increase opportunities for Oregonians' individual success and economic mobility, and for civic and economic contributions to the state. The branch campus plans to expand to 3,000 to 5,000 students by 2025.

Student profile

OSU-Cascades serves a variety of students and increasingly attracts students from out of the region. Some statistics about currently enrolled students:

- Most are from Central Oregon

- 35% attended local high schools

- Students are slightly older than traditional university students; the average age is 29

- More than 71% are enrolled full-time.

- Women comprise 55% of undergraduate students

- 16% of students self-identify as representing a minority

Enrollment: Headcount (2011-2017)

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Student Type (Fall 2017)

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Major Areas of Study (Fall 2017)

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Faculty excellence

More than 50 full-time faculty include a Distinguished Professor of Art History, a Fulbright Fellow and Max Planck Institute for Economics research fellow, a finalist for the Oregon Non-Fiction Book of the Year award, a Fellow of the International Canadian Studies Institute, as well as many published authors.

A low student-to-teacher ratio at OSU-Cascades attracts faculty who excel in classroom instruction and who serve as mentors to students and graduates throughout their academic and professional careers.

In addition to teaching, many faculty assume research responsibilities that include directing laboratory environments such as the FORCE Lab and the Energy Systems Lab.

Faculty and curriculum at OSU-Cascades adhere to, or exceed, OSU's standards for academic rigor and excellence.

Faculty include full- and part-time instructors and professors. The faculty bring real-world expreience, research, scholarship and outreach into the classroom. About three to five part-time instructors teach within each academic program.

Community service and outreach

As Oregon’s land grant university, OSU requires a service component of faculty. OSU-Cascades faculty provide research and expertise to businesses and organizations throughout Central Oregon. Since 2001, OSU-Cascades has partnered with more than 150 businesses, government and non-profit agencies, and public schools to provide student internships and practicums.