University of Portland, The

Undergrad Profile

Extraordinary students
Extraordinary professors
Extraordinary opportunities

Something special happens at the University of Portland. Your mind will be sharpened. Your heart will be touched. Since our founding in 1901, Oregon’s Catholic university has been committed to preparing students not just for a career, but for life.

You’ll take challenging classes, but learning goes beyond the classroom. From trips to forested mountains and sandy beaches to scientific experiments and language labs, your educational experience takes advantage of many different resources.

Located in metropolitan Portland, we are the only Oregon university to offer accredited programs in our Schools of Business, Education, Engineering, and Nursing; a College of Arts and Sciences; and a Graduate School. 

We are the epicenter of the nursing boom in Oregon and one of the most accomplished schools of engineering in the Northwest. We are a business school famed for its entrepreneurial energy and a school of education that sends more than 100 educators a year into schools around the nation.

We are alumni who rise quickly to the peaks of our professions and avocations—United States ambassadors, entrepreneurs, Navy admirals, famous authors, and Olympic gold-medalist athletes.

We are faculty nationally renowned for scholarly acumen—but also nationally honored for devotion and skill in teaching undergraduate students.

And, for 17 consecutive years, we’ve been ranked in the top 10 of best western regional universities by U.S.News & World Report.

Knowledge, experience, opportunity
We are a friendly, close-knit community—of 3,800 students with a 13:1 student-faculty ratio located in one of the most sought-after cities in the nation to live, learn, and work.

We offer myriad choices—more than 1,300 courses; 42 majors; 13 graduate programs; and study abroad programs in Australia, Austria, England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, and more.

We are a comprehensive university— with a core curriculum of classes designed to give you a broad introduction to such areas as theology, literature, mathematics, fine arts, and science so that you can forge an independence of mind and are prepared to delve into any field or career.

We are ahead of the curve—with one of the nation’s finest entrepreneurship programs; majors in environmental ethics and policy, global business, and operations and technology management; new labs; a freshman resource center; and a volunteer program that provides hundreds of ways to help prepare you for your career.

We are a Catholic university—Here, all students are encouraged to ask questions about their beliefs and their role in the world. Campus ministry’s services, including concerts, programs, and retreats, are open to all students, and Mass is offered daily.

We are studious and scholarly—Our students transition easily into jobs and graduate schools, receive postgraduate scholarships abroad, earn science patents and write academic papers with faculty, and present work at conferences and symposia.

We are energetic and fun—We have one of the best men’s and women’s soccer programs in the nation; offer 15 NCAA Division I sports, including baseball, basketball, tennis, cross-country, track, women’s rowing, and volleyball; and have a recreational services program so varied that more than 70% of our students participate (from intramurals like flag football or kickball to outdoor pursuits such as snowboarding on Mount Hood or hiking the Gorge). There are also plays, movies, concerts, and lectures on campus nearly every night, so there’s always something to do.

We are in a great city and state—The campus is minutes from Portland’s thriving downtown, which is known for its music scene, coffee shops, locally owned businesses, and environmental sensibility. And a short drive can take you to Oregon’s coast, Mt. Hood, or the Columbia River Gorge.

A personal education
University of Portland class sizes are big enough to start a lot of ideas bouncing around the room, but small enough that your voice and your opinion will be clearly heard.

Our dedication to a personal education for students is also due to our professors: writers, scientists, engineers, philosophers, and marketing whizzes. They’re smart—they’ve earned Ph.D.s and have taught at some of the finest colleges and universities in the country—and they’ve chosen to come to the University of Portland because they enjoy students and teaching.

And a personal education at the University of Portland includes life in our 10 residence halls—the neighborhoods that compose the village of minds that is the University. In every residence hall, you’ll find classmates and friends to talk to, but each also has a different style with different traditions.

Truth be told, we can’t perfectly summarize the University of Portland experience in 999 words. The best way to meet the University is to visit; the best way to hear about it is from students and faculty who spend their days on The Bluff high above the Willamette River.

For more information
Contact the Office of Admissions or visit the University’s website at www.up.edu. There you can read additional resources and opportunities as well as current students’ blogs on everything from academics to study abroad to student life.

2012