Diversity in the Oregon University System: A Snapshot of the Present and a Look to the Future

Oregon’s demographics, like many states in the nation, are rapidly changing. In 2011-12, 26 percent of Oregon’s public high school graduates were students of color. 17 percent of Oregon’s high school graduates were Hispanic. By 2015-16, 31 percent of Oregon’s public high school graduates are projected to be students of color, with 23 percent of all Oregon high school graduates projected to be Hispanic. This raises the questions: What are OUS institutions doing to prepare for a much more ethnically diverse student body? Are OUS institutions fully serving the ethnic diversity of Oregon’s student population? This report highlights areas in which OUS institutions are excelling and areas where gaps exist. This report also details strategies in place at OUS institutions to recruit and support students of color as they matriculate, study at, and graduate from OUS institutions.