OSU-Cascades first-year student enrollment is up by 10% this year

Published 5:45 am Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Student enrollment at Oregon State University-Cascades is up this year by 3.3% overall. There was a 10.3% increase in first-year students, which officials attributed to more people learning about the university.

They also cite the new academic support program Cascades Edge, which connects career support with academic coursework throughout a student’s time at the university.

The fall 2023 class has 225 students and is the largest in OSU-Cascades history. The Bend campus now has 1,313 students — with 1,058 undergraduates and 255 graduate students.

The university is seeing an increase in enrollment for the ninth year in a row. The psychology, kinesiology, and the art, media and technology programs all grew by more than 20%.

The value of a college education

“It’s superexciting to have another increase,” said Jane Reynolds, associate dean of enrollment management. “I think more people are learning about OSU-Cascades and the personal attention you can receive here.”

Reynolds said more families and students wanted to hear about the value of a college education, and how Cascades Edge specifically could help them. There are activities particularly targeted to helping first-year students think about what they want to do and make sure they’re in the right major for it.

“Cascades Edge is also a piece of our success. It’s brand new. We’ve definitely talked about it a lot as people came to visit over the last year, and now we’re rolling it out,” said Reynolds.

Ana Jacuinde Caballero is a first-year student studying business administration. From Prineville, she first learned about OSU-Cascades in middle school. Part of the reason she chose the university was that it is close to home.

She has been involved in various camps with OSU and OSU-Cascades through the support program Juntos, and said she received a lot of help as well.

“All of that combined, it was just a lot of familiarity. I feel comfortable on this campus. The first day of classes, I knew where I was at,” she said.

Jacuinde Caballero said she wants to keep her options open with a career, and that it depends on where the future takes her. She is part of the support program Trio, which provides academic support for first-generation college students and those with disabilities, and is interested in joining a culture club on campus.

“At least so far from what I’ve had, it’s a really good community just to have people that you know around you, rather than having a lot of students,” she said. “Especially since I’m used to that small community feel, I feel like it’s good to have that around you, too. It makes you feel less alone.”

The small-campus experience

Out-of-state students increased by 16%, and the university now has students from three other countries: Oman, China and Argentina. The students from Oman are studying in the energy systems engineering program, which is unique to OSU-Cascades, said Reynolds.

“We’re partnered with the OSU admissions office in Corvallis, and we get a lot more reach, because we’re working together,” she said, noting an increase in students from Idaho, Colorado and Hawaii. “This place is attractive, not only to our local families and students, but also to folks from out of the area.”

Reynolds said that OSU provides the prestige and academic excellence, while OSU-Cascades gives the small-campus experience.

“Certainly many of our students are attracted to many of the outdoor kinds of things you can do in Central Oregon,” said Reynolds. “We have a rock climbing club, and that’s one of our biggest groups.”

Reynolds said she is looking forward to the groundbreaking for the student success center, which should open in 2025, as well as the planning for the health and wellness center and the next residence hall.

“I do a lot of work on thinking about where we’re at and where we’re going as part of my role,” said Reynolds. “It’s been really fun to see the campus grow, to work on the development of it, and to see what we’re offering our community that we didn’t have 20 years ago.”

The youngest student enrolled at OSU-Cascades is 17, and the oldest is 75.