The cost of college in Oregon — and what it pays back
Across the 38 Oregon institutions we profile, the median net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — is $16,940/yr, $38 above the $16,902 national median. Graduates earn a median $45,616 ten years after entry (above the $43,549 national median), and 18 of the 38 schools clear their full cost on institution-wide earnings. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
How Oregon's 38 colleges split by ROI verdict
Verdicts: payback under 5 / 10 / 20 / over 20 years (or none).
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon Institute of Technology | $15,706 | $72,273 | 2.6 yrs |
| University of Portland | $28,210 | $82,804 | 3.3 yrs |
| Linfield University | $26,536 | $78,638 | 3.5 yrs |
| Portland State University | $9,552 | $57,906 | 4 yrs |
| Oregon State University-Cascades Campus | $18,048 | $64,010 | 4.6 yrs |
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Klamath Community College | $7,050 | $34,357 | no payback |
| Mt Hood Community College | $7,821 | $41,125 | no payback |
| Clackamas Community College | $7,855 | $42,886 | no payback |
| Chemeketa Community College | $8,200 | $40,968 | no payback |
| Umpqua Community College | $8,340 | $36,676 | no payback |
How many Oregon colleges actually pay for themselves?
18 of 38 — 47% of the Oregon institutions we profile clear their full net cost on institution-wide earnings above the $48,360 high-school baseline. The rest need a high-paying major to pay off; the school average alone does not do it.
Do Oregon graduates out-earn the national median?
Oregon graduates report a median $45,616 ten years after entry, $2,067 above the $43,549 national median. Earnings track the local labour market and the mix of fields the state's colleges graduate, not the state border itself.