Ducks mascot , Puddles, cheers the crowd on during a time out break. Ducks forward Shakur Juiston (10) successfully blocks a shot attempt by Utah forward Mikael Jantunen (20). Oregon Ducks men’s basketball takes on the Utah Utes at the Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene Ore. on Feb. 16, 2020. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)
On Friday, April 18, the University of Oregon hosted 1,468 prospective students and guests in the single largest Duck Day in school history, according to Micah Howe, associate director for prospective student programs
Duck Days are yearly campus events that allow admitted students and their guests to tour campus, attend academic sessions and learn about housing, financial aid and other campus activities.
According to Howe,the total attendance across all 2025 Duck Day events was the second-largest in school history.
“We (UO) were slightly behind 2022 attendance, when we hosted 1,978 students. However, we were pleased with this year’s numbers since we only hosted five events, compared to six in 2022,” Howe said.
Elliot Hunt, a UO student ambassador, said working Duck Days is a “rewarding experience.”
“Everyone attending (Duck Days) is excited to be on campus because they’ve all been accepted. Both students and parents ask a lot more questions and stay engaged at a higher level on tours,” Hunt said.
A total of 4,838 people attended Duck Days in 2025, Howe said, with attendance ranging from 726 to 1,468 people per day.
“Of the 1,947 students who attended a Duck Day in 2025, 1,089 (56%) have accepted our offer of admission and (have) submitted their intent to register at the UO,” Howe said.
Hunt said the biggest difference between the April 18 Duck Day and other Duck Days were the size of the tour groups and the location of the welcome remarks and activity faire, which were held at Matthew Knight Arena, as opposed to the Erb Memorial Union.
“My favorite part about admitted student days is getting to see all of the students who decide during Duck Days that they want to become a Duck,” Hunt said. “I remember on my second or third Duck Day that I had a student in my tour group who was still on the fence about attending UO, but at the end of the day during reception, I saw them again and they had decided after my tour that they were going to become a Duck in the fall.”
Preparation for Duck Days begins four years in advance, with registration opening in mid-January of each year. According to Howe, classroom reservations, coordinating with presenters, discussions over parking and shuttle options and finalizing marketing happen a few months before the first event.
“Duck Days are especially popular with out-of-state families, so this allows time for them to make travel arrangements. We create staffing schedules, finalize room reservations and design printed agendas a few weeks before each event. Materials like folders, name tags and signage are organized a day or two in advance,” Howe said.
According to Howe, more than 75 faculty and staff members and nearly 100 student workers come together to host these “large-scale events.”
UO hosts other on-campus events and tours for admitted students other than Duck Days, such as Scholars Recognition Day, Connections and Oregon Information Sessions, among others.
