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Monmouth oregon main streetPhoto: Finetooth · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Monmouth

Monmouth is a college town: 19 of every 100 residents are students

Western Oregon University (3,007 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Oregon, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town19% of residents are studentsWestern Oregon University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Monmouth. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
3
5,935 students on campus
Nearest college
0.5 mi
Western Oregon University
Residents in college
19%
Above OR (6%)
Nearest community college
15.1 mi
Chemeketa · $6,345 tuition
Nearest public university
0.5 mi
Western Oregon University · $11,879 in-state
Students on campus in Monmouth
3,007
next to 11,543 residents

What stands out about college in Monmouth

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town19 of every 100 Monmouth residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.A university in MonmouthWestern Oregon University has 3,007 students on campus in Monmouth, 47% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Western Oregon UniversityLiving in Oregon, Western Oregon University charges $11,879 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $32,534. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 15.1 miles awayChemeketa Community College in Salem: tuition and fees $6,345 a year for Oregon residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Monmouth

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

19 of every 100 Monmouth residents are in college (OR: 6).

3,007students on campus at Western Oregon University, next to 11,543 residents (dorm students count as residents)
1,142college students live in Monmouth households rather than dorms
27.1median age · OR 40.4
53%of homes rented · OR 37%
$1,114median rent · 27% below the state
MonmouthMonmouth, OR
Cost of living$1,114/mo median rentC−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIB−HealthCDC estimatesB+Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundCHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Monmouth’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 16.7% of Monmouth residents are below the poverty line, 12.8% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 7 points either way). 46% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living C−

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 19%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health B+

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Monmouth’s median age is 27.1 (Oregon 40.4), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety B−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Monmouth

Two private colleges within 13.3 miles, and one public college within 0.5 miles.

5 mi10 mi15 miWestern Oregon UniversityWillamette UniversityMonmouth
University or collegeCommunity college
Western Oregon UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 3,007 on campus · In Monmouth98%admitted$17knet price47%graduate$52kearningsWillamette UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,112 on campus · 11.3 mi · Salem77%admitted$25knet price71%graduate$57kearningsCorban UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 816 on campus · 13.3 mi · Salem94%admitted$28knet price61%graduate$49kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Monmouth’s median household income ($69,170) falls.

Western Oregon UniversityIn Monmouth · sticker $25,062$16,151a year
Willamette University11.3 mi · Salem · sticker $67,501$18,225a year
Corban University13.3 mi · Salem · sticker $52,019$22,737a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Monmouth: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Western Oregon UniversityWillamette UniversityCorban University
Western Oregon University47% graduate$52k earnings$21k typical debt
Willamette University71% graduate$57k earnings$22k typical debt
Corban University61% graduate$49k earnings$23k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Monmouth

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Western Oregon University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Education 19%Psychology 12%Business 10%Interdisciplinary 9%Parks & recreation 7%Public safety 6%Everything else 36%

Biggest programs

Education, General144 graduates a year
$46k4 yrs out
Psychology, General131 graduates a year
$52k4 yrs out
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other81 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out
Business/Commerce, General73 graduates a year
$60k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections68 graduates a year
$60k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness41 graduates a year
$55k4 yrs out
American Sign Language30 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Communication and Media Studies27 graduates a year
$50k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Monmouth

Is Monmouth a college town?

Yes. 19 of every 100 Monmouth residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Oregon. Western Oregon University has 3,007 students on campus, next to 11,543 residents.

What colleges are in Monmouth?

Western Oregon University is inside the city. Chemeketa Community College is 15.1 miles away in Salem.

Why is Monmouth’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 16.7% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 12.8% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 7 points).

What is the closest community college to Monmouth, and what does it cost?

Chemeketa Community College in Salem, 15.1 miles away. Tuition and fees are $6,345 a year for Oregon residents; the federal net price, $8,200, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Western Oregon University?

Western Oregon University admitted 98% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Monmouth. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →