Western Oregon University Rankings & Recognition

Western Oregon University appears in 6 of CollegesRef's value rankings by major. Its best placement is #86 of 379 for criminal justice, and #2 of 3 ranked colleges in Oregon.

Western Oregon University rankings by major

Source: CollegesRef value rankings from U.S. College Scorecard data, 2025

Each ranking compares bachelor's programs in one field. A college's value score is the weighted average of four percentiles among the ranked colleges: graduate earnings, average net price, debt compared with earnings, and graduation rate. Percentiles here are 100 for the best figure in the field. How the rankings work

Criminal justice

Ranked #86 of 379 for value

Criminal Justice and Corrections · 63 graduates

Earnings 4 yrs after: $60,363; Ranked-college median: $55,481
Median debt: $15,500; Ranked-college median: $21,500

Value score 64.5 of 100 · #2 of 3 in Oregon

Graduate earnings · 40% of score: 77th percentile
Average net price (lower is better) · 25% of score: 44th percentile
Debt compared with earnings (lower is better) · 20% of score: 92th percentile
Graduation rate · 15% of score: 28th percentile

Average net price $17,140 (median $16,222) · graduation rate 44.5% · debt is 26% of earnings

Ranked just above: University of Louisville (#85)
Ranked just below: Lake Superior State University (#87)

Best colleges for criminal justice

Kinesiology and exercise science

Ranked #227 of 459 for value

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness · 44 graduates

Earnings 4 yrs after: $54,540; Ranked-college median: $53,707
Median debt: $20,100; Ranked-college median: $21,500

Value score 51 of 100 · #4 of 7 in Oregon

Graduate earnings · 40% of score: 54th percentile
Average net price (lower is better) · 25% of score: 58th percentile
Debt compared with earnings (lower is better) · 20% of score: 61th percentile
Graduation rate · 15% of score: 18th percentile

Average net price $17,140 (median $18,314) · graduation rate 44.5% · debt is 37% of earnings

Ranked just above: The University of Texas at Arlington (#226)
Ranked just below: Western Carolina University (#228)

Best colleges for kinesiology and exercise science

Education

Ranked #322 of 521 for value

Education, General · 139 graduates

Earnings 4 yrs after: $46,042; Ranked-college median: $48,822
Median debt: $17,168; Ranked-college median: $21,500

Value score 43.9 of 100 · #5 of 5 in Oregon

Graduate earnings · 40% of score: 33th percentile
Average net price (lower is better) · 25% of score: 50th percentile
Debt compared with earnings (lower is better) · 20% of score: 76th percentile
Graduation rate · 15% of score: 21th percentile

Average net price $17,140 (median $17,201) · graduation rate 44.5% · debt is 37% of earnings

Ranked just above: Governors State University (#321)
Ranked just below: Coastal Carolina University (#323)

Best colleges for education

Psychology

Ranked #351 of 814 for value

Psychology, General · 121 graduates

Earnings 4 yrs after: $52,407; Ranked-college median: $51,007
Median debt: $19,500; Ranked-college median: $21,000

Value score 53.9 of 100 · #7 of 12 in Oregon

Graduate earnings · 40% of score: 59th percentile
Average net price (lower is better) · 25% of score: 58th percentile
Debt compared with earnings (lower is better) · 20% of score: 66th percentile
Graduation rate · 15% of score: 19th percentile

Average net price $17,140 (median $18,874) · graduation rate 44.5% · debt is 37% of earnings

Ranked just above: Western New England University (#350)
Ranked just below: Elmhurst University (#352)

Best colleges for psychology

Biology

Ranked #597 of 680 for value

Biology, General · 25 graduates

Earnings 4 yrs after: $45,268; Ranked-college median: $58,001
Median debt: $16,541; Ranked-college median: $20,717

Value score 27.8 of 100 · #6 of 9 in Oregon

Graduate earnings · 40% of score: 6th percentile
Average net price (lower is better) · 25% of score: 55th percentile
Debt compared with earnings (lower is better) · 20% of score: 47th percentile
Graduation rate · 15% of score: 15th percentile

Average net price $17,140 (median $18,049) · graduation rate 44.5% · debt is 37% of earnings

Ranked just above: Oregon State University (#596)
Ranked just below: Savannah State University (#598)

Best colleges for biology

Business

Ranked #609 of 986 for value

Business/Commerce, General · 61 graduates

Earnings 4 yrs after: $59,599; Ranked-college median: $64,860
Median debt: $17,000; Ranked-college median: $21,375

Value score 43.6 of 100 · #6 of 10 in Oregon

Graduate earnings · 40% of score: 29th percentile
Average net price (lower is better) · 25% of score: 59th percentile
Debt compared with earnings (lower is better) · 20% of score: 67th percentile
Graduation rate · 15% of score: 25th percentile

Average net price $17,140 (median $19,132) · graduation rate 44.5% · debt is 28% of earnings