Most Affordable Public Universities in Oregon
State-run four-year universities, ranked by net price after aid. In-state students usually pay far less than the published out-of-state rate.
8 public universities in Oregon are listed here, 8 of them reporting a net price. They run from $9,552 a year at Portland State University to $22,182 at University of Oregon, with a middle of about $17,237.
The cheapest are Portland State University, Oregon Institute of Technology and Southern Oregon University. A low average is not a low bill for everyone — aid depends on your family's income — but it is where to start.
Public universities in Oregon, cheapest first · 8
Average net price per year after grants and scholarships, with the share of students on federal Pell grants where reported. Schools publishing no net price are listed last.
- Portland State University
- Oregon Institute of Technology
- Southern Oregon University
- Eastern Oregon University
- Western Oregon University
- Oregon State University-Cascades Campus
- Oregon State University
- University of Oregon
Questions families ask
- What is the most affordable public university in Oregon?
- By average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships — it is Portland State University at about $9,552 a year. That is an average across all students there; your own cost depends on your family's income, so check the school's net price calculator.
- What is the difference between sticker price and net price?
- Sticker price is the published tuition before any aid. Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted — not loans, which you pay back. Net price is usually far lower, and at expensive private colleges the gap can be tens of thousands a year, which is why every figure on this page is net price rather than tuition.
- How much do public universities in Oregon cost on average?
- Across the 8 public universities in Oregon that report a figure, the middle of the range is about $17,237 a year after aid, running from $9,552 to $22,182.
- What does the Pell grant percentage mean?
- It is the share of undergraduates at that school receiving a federal Pell grant — need-based aid that does not have to be repaid. A higher share usually means the school enrols more students from lower-income families. Across the public universities listed here it runs from 18% to 42%, with a middle of about 27%. It is the only aid figure the Department of Education publishes per school, so it is the only one shown.
Which of these actually fits you?
A list is a starting point, not an answer. Two minutes of questions gives you a shortlist ranked on cost, academics, size and location — with the reaches labelled honestly.
Find your match — free