Western Oregon University (WOU, Western Oregon State College) Introduction and Academics

Introduction

Ranked 34th in US News and World Report under the category of top public schools is the public liberal arts institution known as Western Oregon University (WOU). A rather small liberal arts university with an estimated 6,000 undergraduates and about 400 graduate students, Western Oregon University boasts a population where women outnumber the men. With a female student population of 57 percent, Western Oregon has an abundance of student activities that will surely appeal to both sexes. Because it

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Information Summary

Ranks 12th in Oregon and 787th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	83.0
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$24,315
Admission Success rate	N/A
SAT 75%ile scores	1070
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	15 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	69% / 19%
Enrollment Total (all students)	5,185

Academics

WOU has two colleges, the College of Education and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, in which about 40 bachelor’s degrees are offered. In the College of Education, degrees in special education, American sign language/English interpreting, school health education, and early childhood education are offered.

There are also special licensing and endorsements that can be attached to initial teaching licenses such as autism and reading endorsements. Because WOU is a nationally recognized school for teacher preparation the Teaching Institute has two centers that students are welcome to utilize during their studies, the Child Development Center and the Education Evaluation Center.

The Child Development Center caters to children 30 months to 6 years old. The center provides daycare services and early childhood education classes to faculty, staff, students and those in the surrounding community. The Education Evaluation Center concentrates on individuals with disabilities. The center works with individuals from age 3 to adults.

The center focuses on learning disabilities, dyslexia, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and multicultural assessment. In the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences degrees in business, criminal justice, nursing, theater and dance are offered. WOU also offers graduate degrees. Two main master degree programs offering degrees in rehabilitation counseling and teaching is ranked 45th by the U.S. News and World Report.

Most Popular Fields of Study

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Admissions

There are quite a few requirements for admissions into WOU. Freshman are required to have at least a 2.75 cumulative grade average. If graduating high school seniors have only a 2.5-2.7 GPA, then they must have a score of 21 on the ACT or a combined score of 1000 on the SAT.

All incoming students are also required to have 2 years of foreign language credits. WOU accepts applicants on a rolling admissions basis; however, test scores are generally required by early September. WOU is not incredibly selective, as the school generally admits about 80% or more of students that apply.

Graduate admissions vary by program; however each program requires admission to the college itself prior to admission to the program. To be admitted as a graduate student at WOU one must have their official transcripts from all previous colleges attended submitted to WOU. In terms of GPA requirements, prospective students must have a GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 semester hours of their undergraduate degree. If they do not meet this requirement then they must meet certain scores on the MAT and/or GRE tests to be eligible for admissions.

For international students the process is primarily the same except international students that are non-native English speakers must take an English test such as TOEFL or IELTS. They must also send

Financial Aid

WOU offers what is known as tuition promise. This means that students for four calendar years will have a locked in tuition rate that will not increase within the four years at WOU. This promise is made available to all new students and some transfer students, however it should be noted that fees such as housing, miscellaneous course fees, student health services among others are not locked in and may increase throughout the four years.

Besides the tuition promise, like other colleges and universities WOU offers only a handful of scholarships (many students should also consider looking into private scholarships for funding means) and the typical federal grants and loans. WOU has a special program called the Student Enrichment Program (SEP). This program allows first generation college students with disabilities (physical or learning) that meet need based financial aid requirements a greater opportunity to achieve high standards in college. The students admitted into SEP are given the chance to have individualized instruction in core subjects and borrow certain technologies or resources such as computers that can be otherwise unaffordable.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 4573rd for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Oregon.

Students

Student life at WOU is a combination of clubs and organizations, there are no sororities or fraternities but, there are two society clubs Sigma Alpha Pi and Phi Alpha Theta. Other student activities to consider around WOU include the student radio station or the student

Student Enrollment Demographics

Student Graduation Demographics

Athletics

Owwwwooooo. Yes, that

Additional School Information

Housing and Other Student Facilities

Incoming freshman have a choice of four different housing units. Heritage Hall and Lander Hall are the traditional college dorms offering double occupancy community bathrooms and public areas. Barnum Hall is composed of suite like dorms with bunk beds, they don

Bibliography

US News and World Report LP.

Western Oregon University