This is a list of colleges and universities in the U.S. state of Oregon. Seven public universities are operated by boards and seventeen community colleges are operated by locally elected boards. There are also numerous private degree-granting institutions.

The largest university in the state is Oregon State University (OSU), with an enrollment of just over 36,000 (2023). OSU has branch campuses in Portland, Bend and Newport. The largest institution of higher education in the state is Portland Community College, based in Southwest Portland. The college serves the state's largest metropolitan population, with branch campuses throughout Portland, and claims an enrollment of over 67,000 students (2023).

The oldest college in the state is Willamette University, which was established 1842, and is also the oldest university in the Western United States. OSU was the first to offer public higher education in the state. OSU opened its doors in 1856 as a community preparatory school for the Oregon Territory and was officially chartered by the state in 1868. OSU briefly served as a private school for eight years, starting in 1860. The University of Oregon was next to follow, opening in 1876. Western Oregon University (WOU), which started as a private school in 1856, was converted to a public institution in 1882. WOU is recognized as the oldest currently public college in the state, while OSU holds the distinction of being the state's first public college and has served the longest in this capacity. Central Oregon Community College (COCC) was founded in 1949 as part of the Bend School District and is the longest-standing community college in the state. The COCC College District was formed in 1959 and was officially established as the Central Oregon Area Education District by a vote of residents in 1962.

This list includes all schools that grant degrees at an associate level or higher, and are either accredited or in the process of accreditation by a recognized accrediting agency.

Institutions

School Main location Control TypeSchool types are based on the categorization used by US News, which is a simplification of the 2005 Carnegie Classification. For schools not categorized by US News, the Carnegie Classification is used directly. Enrollment(Fall 2024) FoundedAmerican College of Healthcare SciencesPortlandPrivate(for-profit)Health professions school1,0521978Blue Mountain Community CollegePendletonPublicAssociate's college1,4071962Bushnell UniversityEugenePrivate(Disciples of Christ)Master's university7611895Baker Technical Institute Baker CityPublicTechnical College2021Central Oregon Community CollegeBendPublicAssociate's college4,3321949Chemeketa Community CollegeSalemPublicAssociate's college8,0981969Clackamas Community CollegeOregon CityPublicAssociate's college5,5451966Clatsop Community CollegeAstoriaPublicAssociate's college7541958Columbia Gorge Community CollegeThe DallesPublicAssociate's college8121977Corban UniversitySalemPrivate(Baptist)Master's university1,0291935Eastern Oregon UniversityLa GrandePublicMaster's university2,8941929George Fox UniversityNewbergPrivate(Quaker)Research university4,9161891Gutenberg CollegeEugenePrivate(Protestant)Faith-related institutionGutenberg College is not yet categorized by the Carnegie Classification, but its affiliation with the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools suggests it will be categorized as a faith-related institution.141994Klamath Community CollegeKlamath FallsPublicAssociate's college1,8341996Lane Community CollegeEugenePublicAssociate's college6,8101964Lewis & Clark CollegePortlandPrivateBaccalaureate college3,5041867Linfield UniversityMcMinnville PortlandPrivate(Baptist)Baccalaureate college1,7091858Linn–Benton Community CollegeAlbanyPublicAssociate's college5,2421966Mount Angel SeminarySt. BenedictPrivate(Catholic)Faith-related institution1271887Mt. Hood Community CollegeGreshamPublicAssociate's college6,4761966National University of Natural MedicinePortlandPrivateHealth professions school4141956New Hope Christian CollegeEugenePrivate(Pentecostal)Faith-related institution56 1925Oregon Coast Community CollegeNewport Lincoln City Toledo WaldportPublicAssociate's college4701987Oregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandPublicMedical school2,9421887Oregon Institute of TechnologyKlamath Falls WilsonvillePublicMaster's university5,2991947Oregon State UniversityCorvallis Bend Portland NewportPublicResearch university38,4591868Pacific Bible CollegeMedfordPrivateFaith-related institution221991Pacific UniversityForest Grove EugenePrivateResearch university3,4271849Portland Bible CollegePortlandPrivateFaith-related institution1967Portland Community CollegePortlandPublicAssociate's college53,000+1961Portland Fashion InstitutePortlandPrivateSpecial focus institution392010Portland State UniversityPortlandPublicResearch university19,9511946Reed CollegePortlandPrivateBaccalaureate college1,3581908Rogue Community CollegeGrants Pass Medford White CityPublicAssociate's college4,0091970Southern Oregon UniversityAshlandPublicMaster's university3,2091872Southwestern Oregon Community CollegeCoos BayPublicAssociate's college1,5511961Sumner CollegePortlandPrivate(for-profit)Associate's college5321974Tillamook Bay Community CollegeTillamookPublicAssociate's college5871981Treasure Valley Community CollegeOntario CaldwellPublicAssociate's college1,4831962Umpqua Community CollegeRoseburgPublicAssociate's college2,5821964University of OregonEugene PortlandPublicResearch university24,4041876University of PortlandPortlandPrivate(Catholic)Master's university3,2851901University of Western StatesPortlandPrivateHealth professions school9591904Warner Pacific UniversityPortlandPrivate(Church of God)Baccalaureate college6351937Western Oregon UniversityMonmouthPublicMaster's university3,7221856Western SeminaryPortlandPrivate(Christian)Faith-related institution7551927Willamette UniversitySalemPrivateBaccalaureate college2,1801842

Out-of-state institutions Several schools based in other states offer degree programs at locations in Oregon: The for-profit school Concorde Career College has a campus in Portland. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida offers aviation programs at Portland International Airport. Walla Walla University's School of Nursing in Washington has a campus in Portland, where its junior and senior classes are taught. Western University of Health Sciences in California operates an osteopathic medical school, the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Northwest, in Lebanon.

Defunct institutions

School Location(s) Founded Closed Notes/RefsAlbany CollegeAlbany18671942Became Lewis & Clark CollegeArt Institute of PortlandPortland19632018Dream Center permanently closed 18 Art Institute schools at end of 2018.Ashland College & Normal SchoolAshland1869Underwent name changes to Southern Oregon College (SOC) to Southern Oregon State College (SOSC) and finally to Southern Oregon University (SOU) in 1997.Baker Business CollegeBaker18911976 Was in operation from 1891–1976. No transcripts are available.Baker City Normal & Business CollegeBaker18871905Baker CollegeBaker19691970Formerly Magic Valley Christian College, which moved to Baker from Albion, Idaho in 1969. Today, the records for Baker College and Magic Valley Christian College are held at Oklahoma Christian University.Bassist CollegePortland1998Now called the Art Institute of Portland, which has the Bassist College transcripts.Bethel CollegeBethel18551862Merged with Western Oregon University to form, in turn, Christian College in 1865, Oregon State Normal School in 1882, Oregon Normal School in 1911, and Oregon College of Education in 1939, which is Western Oregon University today.Blue Mountain UniversityLa Grande18731885Cascade Christian CollegePortland19181969 Records are at Seattle Pacific University.Cascade CollegePortland19562009School was operated by Oklahoma Christian University as a branch campus from 1994 to 2009. The school was formerly Columbia Christian College from 1956 to 1993. Today, the records for both Columbia Christian College and Cascade College are at Oklahoma Christian University.Colegio Cesar ChavezMount Angel19731983First Chicano college in U.S. An archive on this college is available through the Oregon State University archives.College of PhilomathPhilomath18891912Early Oregon public preparatoryColumbia Christian CollegePortland19471993The records for both Columbia Christian College and Cascade College (the one that closed in 2009) are at Oklahoma Christian University.Columbia CollegeEugene18551860 Columbia College of BusinessClackamas1999According to the Oregon Department of Education's list, the records are available at Pioneer Pacific College in Wilsonville.Concordia UniversityPortland19052020Coquille College18901905Corvallis AcademyCorvallis18561868Forerunner of Oregon State University.Dallas CollegeDallas19001914DeVry UniversityBeaverton2015Eastern Oregon CollegeLa Grande18921898 Forerunner of Eastern Oregon University.Jefferson InstituteJefferson18571899Jefferson InstituteRickreall1846Judson Baptist CollegeThe Dalles19561985Records at Arizona Christian University.Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in PortlandPortland19832017All national Le Cordon Bleu locations closed in 2017.Liberal UniversitySilverton18961903Marylhurst UniversityMarylhurst18932018Mineral Springs CollegeSodaville18921908Mount Angel CollegeSt. Benedict18871973Although the college closed, the seminary, Mount Angel Seminary, is in operation.Multnomah CollegePortland18971969Forerunner of University of Portland.Multnomah UniversityPortland19362024Became a branch campus of Jessup UniversityNational American UniversityTigard2016North Pacific CollegePortland18991945Dental school absorbed into Oregon Health & Science University and optometry school absorbed into Pacific University.Oregon City CollegeOregon City18491858Assets donated to McMinnville College.Oregon College of ArtAshland1984The records went to Pacific College of Art & Design, and since then, Pacific College of Art & Design has closed.Oregon College of Art and CraftPortland19072019Unsuccessfully tried to merge with other local universities before closing in Spring 2019.Oregon College of Oriental MedicinePortland19832024Oregon Denturist CollegeMilwaukie1993Oregon Graduate InstituteBeaverton19632001Originally the Oregon Graduate Center until 1989. Merged with Oregon Health & Science University in 2001.Oregon Law SchoolSalem and Portland19021922Not to be confused with the University of Oregon School of Law.Richardson, S. T. (1902). Oregon Law School Journal. Oregon Law School, Vol. 1, No. 1.Mason, Alfred Findlay and Samuel Epes Turner. 5 American Law School Review 52 (1922), West Pub. Company.Oregon School of DesignPortland1992Pacific College of Art & DesignMedfordLost its tax-exempt status.Pacific Northwest College of ArtPortland19092021Merged with Willamette University, now a constituent college of that institution.Pioneer Pacific CollegeBeavertonPhilomath CollegePhilomathPortland UniversityPortland18911900Was a Methodist school with ties to Willamette University. Campus and buildings sold to the Catholic Church and became the campus for the University of Portland.Saint Francis College18851905Saint Joseph College18441849Saint Michael's CollegePortland18711928Sublimity CollegeSublimity18571860Whitney Business CollegeBaker18871891

See also

Lists of Oregon-related topics Higher education in the United States Lists of American institutions of higher education List of college athletic programs in Oregon List of recognized higher education accreditation organizations Lists of universities and colleges Lists of universities and colleges by country

References

General

Specific

External links Department of Education listing of accredited institutions in Oregon