The Oregon State University Honors College

The Honors College is a diverse community of about 1,800 students at Oregon’s leading public research university. Students from every undergraduate major are working toward the Honors Baccalaureate degree, Oregon State’s most prestigious undergraduate degree.

While admission to the Honors College is competitive, the selection process is holistic. We value a broad definition of achievement, which considers not only GPA, but also coursework, extracurricular activities and service to community and responses to the Honors College essay prompt and short answer questions.

The Honors College features:

  • A tight-knit community of engaged students, faculty, and staff
  • Challenging and creative curricula for students of all majors
  • Unique honors classes, typically 25 students or less
  • Courses that complement, not complicate, other course work
  • One-on-one mentoring by faculty members while preparing the Honors Thesis
  • Access to unique co-curricular experiences
  • Academic advising from HC academic advisors
  • Leadership involvement, through the Oregon State University Honors College Student Association (HCSA)

The Oregon State University Honors College was established in 1995 by the Oregon State Board of Education. It is publicly funded and governed by the Honors College Council appointed by the OSU Faculty Senate. Two HC students sit on the Council and participate in policy discussions.

Since its beginning, the HC has graduated hundreds of qualified and capable students. The future of the HC is bright. Each year, more students are accepted and more choose to join. The caliber of students is notable, and the level of achievement of graduates is growing as the college continues to thrive.