Southern Oregon University
Southern Oregon University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Southern Oregon University Featured Rankings
About Southern Oregon University
According to Wikipedia, Southern Oregon University is a public university in Ashland, Oregon. It was founded in 1872 as the Ashland Academy, has been in its current location since 1926, and was known by nine other names before assuming its current name in 1997. Its Ashland campus – just 14 miles from Oregon's border with California – encompasses 175 acres. Five of SOU's newest facilities have achieved LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. SOU is headquarters for Jefferson Public Radio and public access station Rogue Valley Community Television. The university has been governed since 2015 by the SOU Board of Trustees.
Southern Oregon University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3,564 | 89% | 68% | 43% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Southern Oregon University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $13,298 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $20,999 |
| 30K - 48K | $16,370 |
| 48K - 75K | $20,754 |
| 75K - 110K | $20,559 |
| 110K+ | $27,062 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Southern Oregon University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Southern Oregon University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $54,657 a year, and 88% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Southern Oregon University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 7,070 | 5,544 | 1,526 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Southern Oregon University?
Southern Oregon University is located at 1250 Siskiyou Blvd, Ashland, OR 97520.
How Safe is Southern Oregon University?
Relative to its enrollment, Southern Oregon University has a violent crime rate of 0.12% and a property crime rate of 0.16%. Ashland has a violent crime rate of 0.25% and a property crime rate of 1.81%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Southern Oregon University Known For?
Southern Oregon University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Education
- Communications
- Biology
- Criminal Justice
- Anthropology
- Political Science
- Business
- Mathematics
- Nursing
- Literature
- Medical
- History
- Computer Science
- Physics
- Sociology
- Chemistry
- Psychology
- Economics
- Social Work
Southern Oregon University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Southern Oregon University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Southern Oregon University ranks #526 in the U.S. and #2333 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesSouthern Oregon University ranks #604 in the U.S. and #2237 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesSouthern Oregon University ranks #618 in the U.S. and #2689 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesSouthern Oregon University ranks #620 in the U.S. and #1166 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesSouthern Oregon University ranks #660 in the U.S. and #2053 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesSouthern Oregon University ranks #664 in the U.S. and #2851 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesSouthern Oregon University ranks #667 in the U.S. and #2512 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesSouthern Oregon University ranks #706 in the U.S. and #2872 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesSouthern Oregon University ranks #719 in the U.S. and #1877 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesSouthern Oregon University ranks #725 in the U.S. and #2184 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesSouthern Oregon University ranks #875 in the U.S. and #3075 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesSouthern Oregon University ranks #896 in the U.S. and #2784 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesSouthern Oregon University ranks #1020 in the U.S. and #4509 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesSouthern Oregon University ranks #1021 in the U.S. and #4168 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesSouthern Oregon University ranks #1045 in the U.S. and #3405 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesSouthern Oregon University ranks #1136 in the U.S. and #4665 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesSouthern Oregon University ranks #1316 in the U.S. and #3438 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesSouthern Oregon University ranks #1325 in the U.S. and #6587 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesSouthern Oregon University ranks #1383 in the U.S. and #3387 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesWho Are Southern Oregon University's Most Influential Alumni?
Southern Oregon University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Nursing, and Anthropology. Here are some of Southern Oregon University's most famous alumni:
