MONMOUTH, Ore. —Western Oregon University is a driver of Oregon’s economy and an engine for workforce readiness. By preparing graduates who can step into careers immediately, Western strengthens local industries, public service, and leadership across the state with its $766.2 million in total annual impact, according to a new economic impact study released this month by Economic Solutions, Inc.
Western boasts student diversity & tuition affordability
Western’s economic contribution is inseparable from its educational mission. As Oregon’s second most affordable public university, with the lowest tuition growth rate in the state at 3.2 percent, Western opens pathways to higher education for populations that have historically faced the greatest barriers:
- 84% of students are Oregon residents, directly strengthening the state’s talent pipeline
- 78% of students qualify for need-based financial aid
- 50% of students are first-generation college students
- 27% of students identify as Hispanic/Latino, making Western the first public four-year Oregon higher education institution to become a Hispanic-Serving Institution (Fall term 2025). Western enrolls the highest proportion of Hispanic/Latino students compared to the other Oregon public four-year higher education institutions.
“Western Oregon University is more than a place of learning. It is one of the most important economic investments the state makes in its own future,” said Western’s President Jesse Peters. “Every dollar invested in our students yields major returns in Oregon communities through workforce development, higher wages for citizens, and economic growth.”
Saving students millions in college tuition through the Willamette Promise
The Willamette Promise has helped many students and their families afford college. The program is a dual credit partnership launched in 2014–15 enabling Oregon high school students to earn transferable college credit while in high school. Coordinated by the Willamette Education Service District in partnership with Western Oregon University and Oregon Institute of Technology, it uses an assessment-based model that awards credit through demonstrated mastery of university-aligned outcomes rather than traditional coursework. The program now spans 46 school districts across six Educational Service Districts, offering 37 dual credit courses at a flat rate of $30 per academic year, with fee waivers available.
In its first decade, more than 21,800 students participated, earning 141,217 credits and generating an estimated $30.6 million in tuition savings. Enrollment grew from 601 students and 3,641 credits in its launch year to nearly 3,000 students and 20,909 credits in 2024–25. The program serves a diverse population 32.2 percent Hispanic/Latino and 34.8 percent English learners whose participants average a 3.6 GPA. Research indicates that dual credit participation is linked to higher college enrollment and first-year persistence.
“Thanks to the Willamette Promise program, where we took college level courses in high school, some of us became the first in our families to become college graduates,” said Cristal Seleen, a former Willamette Promise student.
Western’s state impact through The Research Institute
The Research Institute, an applied research and technical assistance center established at Western Oregon University in 1961, extends the university’s impact well beyond its region. Operating on an $11.2 million annual budget funded through over $23 million in external grants and contracts, TRI drives change across education, health, and human services at local, state, and national levels. Its Center on Workforce and System Development leads 15 Child Care Resource and Referral programs serving every Oregon county and operates Find Child Care Oregon, the state’s childcare referral system.
Its Center on Early Learning Support and Innovation administers Spark, Oregon’s statewide Quality Recognition and Improvement System, along with the Child Care Substitutes of Oregon program. TRI also administers Start Up and Expansion Grants for Oregon’s Department of Early Learning and Care and manages a rural facility improvement grant from The Ford Family Foundation serving providers in Coos, Curry, Douglas, Klamath, and Lake counties.
The Institute also administers all the required training and mentoring to adult instructors for The Oregon Department of Safety and Transportation to become an ODOT approved driving instructor through the state’s Traffic Safety Education Grant. TRI also plans and coordinates the annual PacNW Driver and Traffic Safety Conference.
The value of Western’s alumni
One of the most powerful measures of Western’s economic impact is where its graduates go and how long they stay. With 71 percent of its alumni remaining in Oregon after graduation, holding high-profile leadership roles throughout the state, such as Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, State Representative Paul Evans, Lake Oswego Police Chief George Burke, Woodburn Public School Superintendent Juan Larios, former State Representative Teresa Alonso Leon, and many more, Western’s influence extends well beyond Monmouth, reaching communities across Polk and Marion Counties and the broader state. 73 percent of bachelor’s degree alumni remain employed in Oregon a decade after graduation and within one year after graduation 77 percent of bachelors degree alumni are employed in Oregon.
The value of a Western degree corresponds to an annual wage premium of over $72.9 million in Polk County; $191.5 million in the Western Oregon University Region; and $249.1 million within the State of Oregon. This additional household income generates further spending within the region, stimulating spillover economic impact. Within Polk County, the wage premium leads to $37.6 million in economic impact, supporting 210 jobs with $9 million in employee compensation.
The Western alumni wage premium also leads to $204.7 million in economic impact within the Western Oregon University Region, supporting 1,040 full-time jobs with $57.5 million in employee compensation; similarly, it means $490 million in economic impact, supporting 2,340 full-time jobs with $145 million in employee compensation in the State of Oregon. The wage premium and subsequent increased alumni spending within Oregon increases the tax base, thereby generating approximately $39 million in taxes for Oregon each year.
“Western alumni directly and indirectly drive an additional $490 million in total economic impact across the state. But behind every data point is a graduate who chose to stay, live, work and support the communities that shaped them,” shares the Vice President for Advancement and Executive Director of the WOU Foundation, Katie Wojke. “That 73 percent alumni retention rate reflects something deeper than economics. It reflects a university whose mission is inseparable from the well-being of Oregon itself.”
Western is one of the largest regional employers
Western employs around 875 full-time, part-time, adjunct, and student workers and is the largest employer in Polk County. The majority of employees reside and spend their earnings within the state, fueling additional economic growth in housing, retail, healthcare, food services, and local businesses. Approximately $81 million is distributed annually in salaries and wages throughout the region.
The university’s direct operational spending has a substantial influence on both the regional economy and the broader Oregon economy by stimulating business growth and supporting higher employment levels across a range of industries. The overall economic impact is a combination of direct spending by the university, the indirect effects generated by purchases from a wide range of suppliers, and the induced spending that occurs as university employees spend their wages within their communities.
Oregon’s leading teacher institution
Western also plays a long-standing and vital role in addressing one of Oregon’s most critical workforce needs: education. As Oregon’s oldest teacher preparation institution, Western has been training educators since 1856 and continues to serve as one of the state’s most significant pipelines for K-12 teachers.
According to the Oregon Longitudinal Data Collaborative, Western has produced more teacher graduates than any other Educator Preparation Program in Oregon over the last five years and produced the highest single-year totals in four of those years. Just as importantly, Western-prepared educators stay in the classroom. In a state where more than half of new teachers leave the profession within five years, WOU graduates demonstrate exceptional retention: 81.7 percent remain teaching at three years, 76 percent at four years, and 68.7 percent at five years. At a time when Oregon faces a persistent and growing teacher shortage, Western is filling public schools with educators who stay, serve, and make a lasting difference for Oregon’s students and communities.
This year, recognition for Western-trained educators made the headlines. The Crystal Apple, which is the highest teaching honor for educators in the Salem-Keizer School District featured over a quarter of alumni as nominees, and three of the awards recipients were Western alumni. This kind of achievement reflects consistent quality and a genuine dedication to preparing educators who can inspire, lead, and improve student outcomes.
Western delivers for Oregon even without adequate funding
Western Oregon University is more than an institution of higher learning; it is also a catalyst for positive change in communities across Oregon and a powerful engine of socioeconomic opportunity for the students and families it serves. Driven by a mission to empower students and equip them for success, Western continues to deliver outsized impact with limited resources. Oregon currently ranks 46th in the nation in public higher education funding, a reality that has placed significant financial strain on the state’s regional universities. Yet Western continues producing Oregon’s teachers, driving economic growth, and transforming lives year after year, even as it is forced to do more with less. Increased state investment in public higher education would only amplify what institutions like Western are already proving is possible.
For Oregon, funding regional public higher education institutions is one of the smartest, highest-return investments the state can make in its own future. The recent recommendations from the Governor’s Prosperity Council included a recommendation specific to higher education: “Strategically align higher education funding with West Coast states to strengthen Oregon’s workforce, research, innovation, and industry partnerships in high-growth sectors.” Currently, Oregon’s universities receive approximately $8000 less per student than Washington state and $5000 less than Oregon Community Colleges.
Western, like the other regional universities, is a valuable workhorse, yielding incredible returns for the state in many ways.
“At Western, we have always believed that where you come from should never determine how far you can go. As a premiere regional, public, liberal arts institution in Oregon, we serve people others often overlook, such as first-generation college students, rural communities, and working families, and we invest in them fully. Our teacher education programs are the best in the state, preparing educators who fill Oregon’s classrooms with skill and purpose,” says President Jesse Peters. “As one of our region’s largest employers, we are also woven into the economic and civic life of the communities around us. We don’t just produce degrees. We produce leaders—people who go on to strengthen Oregon’s economy, its schools, its institutions, and its communities for generations to come. We will continue that mission with pride and determination.”
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About Western Oregon University
Western Oregon University, established in Monmouth in 1856, proudly stands as Oregon’s oldest public university. Hosting around 4,000 students, Western embodies a mid-sized, NCAA Division II institution, with approximately 80% of its students hailing from within the state. Notably, its diverse student body comprises individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, veterans, and non-traditional learners. Western stands as the preferred campus in Oregon for those pursuing an enriching education within a nurturing, student-focused environment, characterized by faculty-led instruction. Where YOU belong.
