Introduction
There is a lot to consider when trying to choose a college/university to attend. Is it affordable? Safe? Conducive for learning? Student-friendly? Would I get the best education? Make friends? Are there party restrictions? Clubs and societies? These are just a few of the numerous questions a student has to deal with while choosing a university.
Choosing between Oregon State University and the University of Houston depends solely on the student’s preference. While both schools have their pros and cons, Oregon State University is preferred over the University of Houston.
This article gives a brief description of the two universities and goes further to explain the reason for the above answer.
Oregon State University (OSU)
This University is located in the city of Corvallis, USA. It was founded in October 1868. OSU is well known for its majors in Engineering, Computer Science, and Agriculture. As a matter of fact, it is among the top 100 Engineering schools. It also offers several programs for both graduates and undergraduates. The school has a population of approximately 29,000 students.
The University of Houston (UH)
Founded in 1927, the University of Houston is a well-known university in Texas with approximately 45,000 students. It is famous for its majors in law, business, and environmental research. Several academic programs are available for both graduates and undergraduate students.
The school is very much culturally diverse and has a lot of clubs and organizations. Compared to OSU, the University of Houston has cheap tuition( about $9,500 for locals and $ 21,700 for domestic students).
UH is surrounded by different universities and colleges like the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD), University of Phoenix, Rice University, San Jacinto College, Texas Southern University, Baylor College of Medicine, and a lot of others, so it is a good school for students who like to network.
Why Choose OSU Over UH?
Both schools are great academically. There are a lot of notable graduates from both universities that have impacted society with their talents. It is important to note that every school has its pros and cons. Hence it is left to the student to decide whether or not the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
- Population
The University of Houston is quite populated, so this poses a lot of challenges to the students. For example, getting financial aid is not so easy because the agents are always busy due to the number of students that need help. It is also difficult to sign up for classes. Also, classrooms are always filled up with students, so if a student is looking for a school where the population is not so much, then the University of Houston is not an option.
- Parking
Parking seems to be a nightmare for the students at UH. Parking tickets are expensive, and then there is the issue of overcrowded parking lots, so students have to park their cars far away, which is not very safe.
- Crime
The location of the school is not safe for learning. Outside the campus, the setting is that of a ghetto, so the crime rate is high. This is a major setback for the University of Houston. Students tend to complain of theft, robbery, drug dealing, and sometimes rape. On the other hand, Oregon State University is located in Corvallis, which is a safe and conducive learning environment.
- Acceptance rate
Oregon State University has an acceptance rate of 83%, while that of the University of Houston is about 62%, so a student has a higher chance of getting into the former than the latter.
- Student-teacher Ratio
At Oregon state university, the ratio is 18:1. Due to the large population at the University of Houston, the student-teacher ratio is 23:1. What this implies is that every lecturer has about 23 students to look out for. The fewer the number of students assigned to a particular teacher, the more attention is given to each student. Therefore, in this regard, Oregon State University is preferred over the University of Houston.
- UH Prioritizes Its Business School
The University of Houston is known to give a lot of attention to its business school compared to other departments. This could lead to neglect and below-average performance in other fields of study.
- Quarter System of Learning
Unlike the University of Houston, which runs a semester system, Oregon State University follows a quarter system of learning. Some students prefer this while others do not. It all depends on what the student wants. The quarter system is more flexible and accommodates smaller workloads, so if this is the student’s preference, then OSU should be the school of choice.
- UH is majorly a commuter school.
This means that the majority of students come home to school from home, so it has little campus spirit. So for students who are looking to live on campus and make a lot of friends, UH is not the school for that, but Oregon State University is.
- Organization
Due to the population of the school, UH has some challenges maintaining order among the students. There is also difficulty in passing information across to all students at the school.
- Sports and Athletic Activities
Participation in these activities is very little at UH because the majority of students do not stay on campus. Also, activities like these tend to bring students closer and encourage friendship, so if a candidate is looking for a school where there is great campus life and amazing participation in sports, then OSU is the better option.
Conclusion
Oregon State University and the University of Houston are very good schools, but in terms of location, good campus spirit, and other reasons explained above, the former is the preferred school.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the University of Oregon the same as Oregon State University?
Answer: No, these are different schools ls. The University of Oregon is located in Eugene, while OSU is located in Corvallis, USA.
- Is the University of Houston the same as the University of Houston-Downtown?
Answer: Although both schools are located in Texas, they are not the same.
