Most people know that Oregon is famous for pine forests, beautiful coasts, and temperate weather. However, those within academia also know that Oregon's private colleges and universities in the "Beaver State" offer additional advantages that might go unnoticed by the occasional tourist or backpacker. Oregon is a progressive's paradise; book learning, diversity, tolerance, and scholarship are all held in high regard.
Oregon private colleges and universities offer a wide range of education programs with degrees and certificates up to the doctoral level, as well as professional degrees such as law and medicine.
There are 52 colleges in Oregon, 26 public and 25 private, offering a wide range of programs and majors. These Oregon private colleges are diverse in character, academic emphasis, and origins. Some private colleges or schools have a religious affiliation; others are secular. Private colleges and universities may be profit or non-profit institutions. Typically, Oregon independent colleges or private schools give weight to personal characteristics and activities in addition to considering GPA and test scores.
The oldest college is Willamette University, which was established 1842, and is the oldest university in the Western United States. The largest being University of Portland with 3,448 full time students. Reed College is the most expensive with an in-state tuition of $44,200. On average, how much does it costs to attend private college in Oregon? The average annual in-state private college tuition in Oregon is $26,642 in 2013.
The Oregon Independent Colleges Association represents Oregon's 16 regionally accredited nonprofit higher education institutions. It provides members institutions with government relations and public policy development, research analysis, communications and a variety of coordinated group services (e.g., Fact Book).
The Northwest Career Colleges Federation is a passionate and effective advocate for private career colleges and schools in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Since our founding in 1969, we have proudly represented the interests of hundreds of member institutions, their leadership, their faculty and thousands of students served by members.