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College Hill West Historic District (Additional Documentation)College Hill West Historic District (Additional Documentation) · Photo: Ian Poellet · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Corvallis

Corvallis is a college town: 32 of every 100 residents are students

Oregon State University (23,181 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Oregon, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town32% of residents are studentsOregon State University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Corvallis. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
26,948 students on campus
Nearest college
0.5 mi
Oregon State
Residents in college
32%
Above OR (6%)
Nearest community college
8.2 mi
Linn-Benton · $7,317 tuition
Nearest public university
0.5 mi
Oregon State · $14,400 in-state
Students on campus in Corvallis
23,181
next to 61,499 residents

What stands out about college in Corvallis

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town32 of every 100 Corvallis residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.A university in CorvallisOregon State University has 23,181 students on campus in Corvallis, 70% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Oregon StateLiving in Oregon, Oregon State University charges $14,400 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $38,190. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 8.2 miles awayLinn-Benton Community College in Albany: tuition and fees $7,317 a year for Oregon residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Corvallis

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

32 of every 100 Corvallis residents are in college (OR: 6).

23,181students on campus at Oregon State University, next to 61,499 residents (dorm students count as residents)
12,905college students live in Corvallis households rather than dorms
27.9median age · OR 40.4
51%of residents are men · OR 50% (±0.7 points)
58%of homes rented · OR 37%
$1,391median rent · 9% below the state
Cost of living$1,391/mo median rentD−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIC−HealthCDC estimatesA−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundBHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Corvallis’ other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income B

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 24.4% of Corvallis residents are below the poverty line, 12.9% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 3 points either way). 60% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living D−

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (32% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health A−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Corvallis’ median age is 27.9 (Oregon 40.4), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety C−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Corvallis

Both are public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Corvallis.

5 mi10 mi15 miOregon StateLinn-BentonCorvallis
University or collegeCommunity college
Oregon State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 23,181 on campus · In Corvallis77%admitted$20knet price70%graduate$64kearningsEarnings are reported for all 2 campuses that file with it.Linn-Benton Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 3,767 on campus · 8.2 mi · Albany$12knet price29%graduate$41kearningsTuition and fees: $7,317 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Corvallis’ median household income ($65,012) falls.

Linn-Benton Community College8.2 mi · Albany · sticker $18,789 · tuition $7,317$11,425a year
Oregon State UniversityIn Corvallis · sticker $31,653$15,729a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Corvallis: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Oregon StateLinn-Benton
Oregon State University70% graduate$64k earnings*$21k typical debt
Linn-Benton Community College29% graduate$41k earnings$12k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Oregon State (2).

Majors

What students study in Corvallis

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Oregon State University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Computer science 17%Engineering 14%Business 12%Biology 7%Natural resources 7%Psychology 7%Everything else 36%

Biggest programs

Computer Science877 graduates a year
$121k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations419 graduates a year
$74k4 yrs out
Psychology, General328 graduates a year
$58k4 yrs out
Mechanical Engineering263 graduates a year
$94k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness215 graduates a year
$57k4 yrs out
Biology, General193 graduates a year
$47k4 yrs out
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services163 graduates a year
$53k4 yrs out
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy155 graduates a year
$53k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Corvallis

Is Corvallis a college town?

Yes. 32 of every 100 Corvallis residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Oregon. Oregon State University has 23,181 students on campus, next to 61,499 residents.

What colleges are in Corvallis?

Oregon State University is inside the city. Linn-Benton Community College is 8.2 miles away in Albany.

Why is Corvallis’ poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 24.4% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 12.9% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 3 points).

What is the closest community college to Corvallis, and what does it cost?

Linn-Benton Community College in Albany, 8.2 miles away. Tuition and fees are $7,317 a year for Oregon residents; the federal net price, $11,553, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Oregon State University?

Oregon State University admitted 77% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,140–1,400 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Corvallis. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →