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F A S T   F A C T S
Location | Ashland
Population | 21,138
Enrollment | 3,658
Language | English
Calendar | Quarter
Canada | Home Payment

Term Dates
Fall | 09/25-12/13
Winter | 01/06-03/21
Spring | 04/01-06/13

Southern Oregon University

Ashland, OR

     
SOU earns 5 stars from the Campus Pride Index, list of LGBTQ-friendly colleges
One of the best hiking colleges in America, says Backpacker magazine
Excellence & Innovation Award for Sustainability and Sustainable Development

About This Campus

Southern Oregon University is beautifully situated on 175 acres, in the heart of Ashland, nestled in the foothills of the Siskiyou Mountains. The campus features state-of-the-art laboratories, lecture halls and auditoriums, sports facilities, food courts and more. There are four main resident hall complexes including some with suite style living. SOU is committed to sustainability, which is integral to all we do. It includes solar power production, bicycle and pedestrian initiatives, and recycling. Most food served on the SOU campus is sourced from local and organic growers. SOU offers a refreshing approach to a comprehensive liberal arts education. Many of the faculty are award winning teachers who have earned national and international recognition. Students from more than 44 states and 25 countries take advantage of an excellent liberal arts education with breadth and depth of programs combined with the personalized attention found in a small college town.

Location Information

The SOU campus is located on the main boulevard of Ashland (pop. 21,000) making it easily accessible by bike, car or bus. It is a mile from downtown shopping, restaurants and bars. Mount Ashland, a local ski resort, is a short twenty minute drive. Other recreational activities such as hiking, mountain and road biking, running, and camping are available. The airport is located in Medford (pop. 82,000), 13 miles away.

Helpful Information

Class size averages 25 Â鶹´«Ã½s. NSE Â鶹´«Ã½s receive priority registration along with regular degree seeking Â鶹´«Ã½s. Although not guaranteed our advising office will work closely with you to help you get the courses you need.
2025-2026 Chance of Placement
Host Payment |Open
Home Payment |Excellent
Understand Chances of Placement

Academics

Registration
  • When will I register? With seniors
  • Syllabus Request for Course Pre-Approval: Contact Host Coordinator for assistance
Limitations
Music, Theater, Computer Science, Creative Writing, and Emerging Media & Digital Arts, and Digital Cinema Â鶹´«Ã½s should have some course flexibility as popular courses may fill.

Notable Academic Programs

  • Outdoor Adventure Leadership - As part of SOU's OAL program, Â鶹´«Ã½s will live in and experience a community that embraces the tourism and outdoor industries. Surrounded by mountains, the Siskiyou-Cascade National Monument, the Rogue and Klamath Rivers, Mt. Shasta and Crater Lake National Park, Ashland supports a plethora of outdoor activities, from skiing and whitewater kayaking, to mountain biking and mountaineering.
  • Emerging Media & Digital Arts - The EMDA major combines interdisciplinary research and activity with a range of technical skills for the creation and evaluation of digital media. In addition to foundational courses in digital image, video, and audio, EMDA Â鶹´«Ã½s may take classes like The Art of Data, Remix Culture, Robotic Art, and Digital 3D Modeling Methods.
  • Sustainable Tourism Management - This program blends business education with environmental and social sciences to engage important questions on development, inequity, and the conservation of environment and culture.
  • Screenwriting - Our newest minor allows Â鶹´«Ã½s a deep dive into writing shortform and longform screenplays.
  • Environmental Science & Policy - Our field-oriented curriculum takes advantage of the unique environmental setting of our region, and allows Â鶹´«Ã½s to get hands on experience in sustainable food systems, fire ecology, and climate justice advocacy.

Unique Academic Programs

  • Wine Business - Wine Business at SOU provides Â鶹´«Ã½s the opportunity to learn many aspects of the wine trade from the history, geography, and environmental requirements to grow grapes, to the processes to make, bottle, and sell wine, to sensory evaluation techniques and communication about wine. Students will apply business principles from sales and marketing to effectively market and promote wine, along with learning management, accounting, computer applications, and hospitality and tourism factors that are important for successful wine businesses. SOU sits in the Rogue Valley, a prolific wine region that is the warmest and driest of Oregon's wine-producing regions. Southern Oregon's terroir creates distinctive viogniers, tempranillos, and pinot noirs.
  • Transgender Studies - Within the Gender, Sexuality, and Women's studies major, the Transgender Studies certificate (one of the first in the country) offers courses like Thinking Queerly, Decolonizing Transgender, and Trans History, Trans Futures.

Undergraduate Majors Open to NSE Students

Accounting, American Studies, Anthropology... ++ show all

Conditions

GPA and Other Academic Requirements Exchange Preferences
  • Full-year exchange Preferred
  • Single term exchange Accepted
Non-Native English Speakers
  • TOEFL: must have a score of 520.00 paper or 68.00 Internet
  • IELTS: must have a score of 5.50
Summer Exchange
  • Not available
International Students (Visa Students)
  • Will not accept
Canadian Students - learn more
  • Will accept Home Payment Pay

Tuition / Finances

Figures per Quarter are current as of 08/06/24

Finances Tuition and Fees Per Quarter - Host Payment Students
  • Pay resident-rate tuition to your host campus. No tuition/fees are paid to your home campus
  • Estimated cost: $4054.
  • Figures are based on full-time enrollment.
Tuition and Fees - Home Payment Students
  • Pay regular tuition to your home campus. No tuition/fees are paid to your host campus.
Maximum Credit Hours Per Quarter
  • Host Payment: 16 ($215 per additional hour)
  • Home Payment: 16 ($215 per additional hour)

Financial Aid for NSE Students
Regardless of Payment Plan, financial aid is awarded by and disbursed from your home campus.

Miscellaneous Fees - Per Quarter

Purpose Amount Period Plan Status
Parking Fee $50 Quarter Host & Home Optional
Matriculation Fee $350 Year Host Mandatory
Course Fees / MaterialsVariesSemesterHost & HomeMandatory

Room / Meals

Figures are current as of 08/06/24

On-Campus Housing Per Quarter
  • Approximate cost: $4300
Off-Campus Housing
  • Approximate monthly cost: $1200
  • Proximity to campus: 5
  • Local Public Transportation Available to Campus
Notes About Housing
Student Apartments & Family Housing are often unavailable for incoming NSE Â鶹´«Ã½s. Themed Housing (LGBTQIA+ and Multicultural Community) may be available. For all housing options, please review our webpage here: https://sou.edu/housing/ Due to local housing shortage affordable off-campus housing is extremely limited.

Meal Plans

  • Meal purchase is required for on campus living.
Notes About Meal Plans
For complete descriptions of meal plans available, please visit: https://inside.sou.edu/housing/reshall/roombordfees.html

Resources

Campus Links

Health

Figures per Quarter are current as of 08/06/24

Important Notes about Health Insurance
Southern Oregon University does not offer a Domestic Student Health Insurance Plan.

Exchange with Canada - Health Insurance
Students must purchase campus health insurance at $670 per quarter.

Requirements

Other Health Related Comments
Vaccine exemptions may be granted if:
1. You have a medical reason for not receiving the immunization and have a medical provider’s note stating this reason (e.g. anaphylactic reaction, pregnancy).

2. You have a Non-Medical reason for refusing the vaccine, and you have a signed Vaccine Education Certificate from the Oregon Department of Health from either a medical provider or from completing the online educational module through the Oregon Department of Health at www.healthoregon.org/vaccineexemption. This signed certificate must be faxed, mailed or brought to the Student Health and Wellness Center in order to be cleared for registration.

All data in this document is the responsibility of the campus and has been provided by the campus NSE coordinator.
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