EUGENE, Ore. — The University of Oregon set a record with its incoming freshman class of 2026 with more than 5,300 incoming freshmen, the largest class the university has seen in its history, according to the institution.
The record comes after two years in which COVID has contributed to various changes within the college admission process. A period that left parents and students wondering what to expect moving forward in regards to making decisions— from standardized testing requirements and even touring campuses, all essential to the college selection process.
Dr. Roger Thompson, the vice president for student services and enrollment management at the institution, said high school students entering college now faced serious challenges over the last two years.
"That of course makes us very proud of this group," said Thompson. "We think they're going to contribute to our campus in lots of ways that will be exciting to watch over the next four years."
According to a newsletter announcing the record breaking news on UO's website, the incoming Ducks broke records for representation, academic achievement and various other records.
The class held the record for the average high school GPA of 3.76. In addition, about 36% of freshman students come from a diverse race or ethnicity. The class also holds a record of about 1,012 transfer students and 6,350 new undergraduate students.
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