Today nearly half of Oregon’s undergraduates are nonresidents. They are far less likely than in-state students to demonstrate great financial need, and they pay annual tuition and fees of $32,000, more than three times that of state residents.
The university’s approach has been a boon for Oregonians. Students from California and Southeast Asia have descended upon the Willamette Valley by the thousands, acting as the primary subsidy for state residents. But Oregon’s business model has not provided for commensurate growth in the university’s graduate programs, which are more expensive yet critical to research productivity.