Accredited Online Colleges in Oregon (OR)

The state of Oregon has seen rapid population growth since the year 2000 and is up 11.7 percent to over 3.8 million residents as of 2010. Featuring beautiful scenery, a diverse landscape and the beautiful Pacific coast, the state’s cost of living is 10.7 percent higher than the rest of the country. Median home cost is relatively high at more than $215,620 per home. The state’s unemployment rate is just below the nation average of 10.2 percent at an even 10 percent, however the number has dropped a full percentage point since March of 2010. Most of the state’s major cities lie along Interstate 5 from Eugene in the mid-west heading northward all the way up to the state’s largest city, Portland, just south of the Washington border.

The greater Portland area is the state’s most densely populated area, with more than 583,000 people calling the city home. However, when factoring in outlying areas, the Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton metropolitan area is home to more than 2.2 million residents. Eugene, the home of University of Oregon, is the state’s second largest city with more than 156,000 residents. Salem, the state capital rounds out the top three with more than 154,000 people. Corvallis, home to Oregon State University, is the state’s 10th largest city with 54,000 plus residents. Beaverton, part of the greater Portland area, has also become a well known city as it is the home Nike Inc. and Columbia Sportswear.

The states vast forests once made Oregon one of the country’s largest and most profitable timber and logging centers until the early 2000’s when production dropped by more than 90 percent due to forest fires and over-harvesting. Now, the majority of the states Gross Domestic Product consist of farming, fishing, business and technology based industries. The state is home to 95 percent of U.S. hazelnut production and is one of the leading salmon fishing industries in the world. Recently, technology companies have begun building data centers in Central Oregon that include Google, Facebook and Amazon. The recent upturn has given the area the unofficial nickname of the Silicon Forest.

The Oregon University System is the foundation of the state’s public college and universities with the University of Oregon in Eugene being the flagship institution. While the University of Oregon is the only university in the state recognized by U.S. News and World Report, Oregon State University in Corvallis is touted as the state’s leading engineering and agricultural research institution. Portland State University has the state’s largest enrollment and is located in the urbanized heart of Portland. The state also supports 17 community colleges and is home to several private colleges that include Pacific University in the Portland suburb of Forest Grove, Portland University and Concordia University among others.