Oregon: school, college and career rules
Oregon requires 24 credits for its diploma (with personal finance and career path skills from 2027), has suspended the Essential Skills test requirement through 2027-28, asks for 12 months of Oregon residence for in-state tuition, and funds need-based Oregon Opportunity Grants.
Linked from the State Population Totals 2020-2025 page (census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-state-total.html); population and rank copied from the POPESTIMATE2025 and NRANK_POPEST2025 columns.Census
High school diploma
To earn the Oregon Diploma, students complete the state credit requirements and the personalized learning requirements (education plan and profile, extended application and career-related learning experiences). Districts may add requirements. ODE
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| Subject | State minimum |
|---|---|
| Language arts | 4 credits |
| Mathematics | 3 credits, Algebra I and above |
| Science | 3 credits, including scientific inquiry and lab experiences |
| Social sciences | 3 credits, including at least 0.5 credit of civics (from the class of 2026) |
| World languages, arts or career and technical education | 3 credits from any of these |
| Health | 1 credit |
| Physical education | 1 credit |
| Personal financial education | 0.5 credit (graduates from 1 January 2027) |
| Higher education and career path skills | 0.5 credit (graduates from 1 January 2027) |
| Electives | 5 credits (6 before 2027) |
24 credits.
State tests for the diploma
Students are expected to show proficiency in the Essential Skills, but the State Board of Education has suspended the Essential Skills assessment as a diploma requirement through the 2027-28 school year. ODE
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Also good to know
- Senate Bill 3 added the personal finance and higher education and career path skills half-credits for students graduating on or after 1 January 2027.
ODE
Oregon Diploma: high school graduation requirementsOregon Department of Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- Students with a GPA of 3.5 or above can request an honors diploma seal; modified and extended diplomas exist for eligible students.
ODE
Oregon Diploma: high school graduation requirementsOregon Department of Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
State test: OSAS
Oregon Statewide Assessment System. OSAS summative tests are given every year in English language arts, math and science in selected grades; the Oregon Extended Assessment is an alternate for students with significant cognitive disabilities. ODE
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| Test | Subjects | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| OSAS English Language Arts | Reading and writing | Grades 3–8 and 11 |
| OSAS Mathematics | Mathematics | Grades 3–8 and 11 |
| OSAS Science | Science | Grades 5, 8 and 11 |
Source: ODE
View source
What the scores are used for
- OSAS also includes local performance assessments in math, scientific inquiry, speaking and writing (grades 3 to 8 and at least once in high school) and the SEED student survey.
ODE
Assessment Students and Families Resources: Oregon Statewide Assessment System (OSAS)Oregon Department of Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
National tests (SAT, ACT, AP, NAEP) are on the Exams hub.
Public colleges and universities
The state's public university system(s) and community colleges, from their own pages.
- University of OregonUniversity system · An R1 research university and Association of American Universities member, founded in 1876, with 302 degrees and programs across ten schools and colleges; one of Oregon's seven public universities, coordinated by the Higher Education Coordinating Commission.
- Oregon's 17 community collegesCommunity colleges · 17 community colleges governed by locally elected boards, offering certificates, two-year degrees, transfer coursework and workforce training; some now offer four-year degrees.
Sources: UO
View sourceHECC
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Every school in Oregon, public and private, with cost and completion: 68 colleges, community colleges and trade schools, with 4 city pages.
In-state tuition: the residency rule
Public colleges charge less to state residents. Who counts as a resident is set by state law or the college system, not by where you went to school alone.
- Residency is decided by each college's residency officers under the Oregon Administrative Rules. At the University of Oregon the key test is living in Oregon for at least 12 months before the term begins.
UO
In-State Tuition Requirements (residency under the Oregon Administrative Rules)University of Oregon, Office of Admissions- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
The Secretary of State's OAR site (secure.sos.state.or.us) times out from India and has no archive capture of the residency rule; the UO page applies those rules.
View source - Officers also look at whether the student is financially dependent on an Oregon resident or independent, and at signs of residency such as owning a home, permanent employment or paying income tax in Oregon.
UO
In-State Tuition Requirements (residency under the Oregon Administrative Rules)University of Oregon, Office of Admissions- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
The Secretary of State's OAR site (secure.sos.state.or.us) times out from India and has no archive capture of the residency rule; the UO page applies those rules.
View source - Enrolled members of federally recognized tribes of Oregon, or tribes with traditional lands in Oregon, are treated as residents for tuition wherever they live.
UO
In-State Tuition Requirements (residency under the Oregon Administrative Rules)University of Oregon, Office of Admissions- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
The Secretary of State's OAR site (secure.sos.state.or.us) times out from India and has no archive capture of the residency rule; the UO page applies those rules.
View source
The college's residency office makes the final decision. More on costs: What college costs.
State financial aid
Run by the Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC), Higher Education Coordinating Commission. Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) starts with the FAFSA: FAFSA, grants and loans.
Oregon Opportunity Grant
Oregon's largest state-funded need-based grant, reaching more than 30,000 students a year working toward a first associate or bachelor's degree. Students must have lived in Oregon for 12 months before college; there is no separate application beyond the FAFSA or ORSAA. OregonStudentAid.gov
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Licensing boards
Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and nurses need a Oregon license from a state board, even after passing a national exam. These are the boards that grant it.
| License | Oregon board | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer How bar admission works | Oregon State Board of Bar Examiners | NextGen UBE. MPRE required (passing score 85). NCBEOregon: bar admission informationNational Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE)
Bar admission agency, the NCBE exams the jurisdiction requires, MPRE passing score and NextGen UBE plans. NCBE advises checking the agency itself for the latest rules. View source |
| Physician How a medical license works | Oregon Medical Board | USMLE (M.D.) or COMLEX-USA (D.O.) FSMBContact a State Medical BoardFederation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)
Directory of every state's medical (and separate osteopathic) board. fsmb.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 14 Sep 2026; each board link was then opened on 22 Oct 2026, through the board's site or, where it blocks reads from India, its latest archive capture. View source |
| CPA How the CPA license works | Oregon Board of Accountancy | Uniform CPA Examination NASBAState Boards of AccountancyNational Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)
Directory of the 55 boards of accountancy. nasba.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 15 Oct 2026; board links that had moved were replaced with the board's current page, opened on 22 Oct 2026. View source |
| Registered nurse How the RN license works | Oregon State Board of Nursing | NCLEX-RN · Not in the Nurse Licensure Compact NCSBNContact Oregon State Board of NursingNational Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
NCSBN / NLCNLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF)National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact)
|
Engineering, teaching, real estate, cosmetology and the trades have their own boards: all professional licenses · trades and apprenticeships.
State and city government jobs
Federal jobs are on USAJOBS; state and city governments hire through their own systems.
Oregon Job Opportunities
Oregon Department of Administrative Services, Chief Human Resources Office
- Look for jobs as an external applicant and apply through Workday, the state's recruiting tool, after creating an external applicant account.
- Use the application guide, video interviewing tips and job classification and pay rate pages before applying.
Source: Oregon DAS
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Police, fire and other public-safety routes: Public Service & Safety hub.
Registered apprenticeship
Oregon has a State Apprenticeship Agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. Apprenticeship.gov
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- Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI), Apprenticeship and Training DivisionOregon is a State Apprenticeship Agency state: BOLI's Apprenticeship and Training Division registers and supports apprenticeship programs and lists programs by trade.
- Trades and apprenticeshipsElectrician, plumber, HVAC and other trade routes on this site
Source: BOLI
View source
Where these facts come from
Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.
- Annual Estimates of Resident Population Change for the United States, States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and State Rankings: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (NST-EST2025-POPCHG2020-2025, CSV) · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025) checked 2026-10-21
- Oregon: bar admission information · National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact a State Medical Board · Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) checked 2026-10-22
- State Boards of Accountancy · National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact Oregon State Board of Nursing · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) checked 2026-10-22
- NLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF) · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact) checked 2026-10-07
- Oregon Diploma: high school graduation requirements · Oregon Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- Assessment Students and Families Resources: Oregon Statewide Assessment System (OSAS) · Oregon Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- About the University of Oregon · University of Oregon checked 2026-10-22
- About the Higher Education Coordinating Commission · Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission checked 2026-10-22
- Oregon Community Colleges · Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission checked 2026-10-22
- In-State Tuition Requirements (residency under the Oregon Administrative Rules) · University of Oregon, Office of Admissions checked 2026-10-22
- Oregon Opportunity Grant · Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission, Office of Student Access and Completion checked 2026-10-22
- Oregon Job Opportunities · Oregon Department of Administrative Services, Chief Human Resources Office checked 2026-10-22
- Oregon Apprenticeship: Apprenticeship and Training Division · Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries checked 2026-10-22
- State Offices: Office of Apprenticeship and State Apprenticeship Agency contacts by state · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship checked 2026-10-21