Aubrey R. Watzek House · Photo: Visitor7 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Portland
Portland is home to 15 colleges, with about 41,000 students on campus
Portland State University (16,769 students on campus) and Portland Community College (10,453) are inside the city. About 7% of Portland’s residents are enrolled in college, above Oregon (6%).
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 Portland. Colleges are described, not graded.
Within 15 miles
17
50,307 students on campus
Nearest college
0.6 mi
Concorde Career College-Portland
Residents in college
7%
Above OR (6%)
Nearest community college
7.9 mi
Portland · $5,220 tuition
Nearest public university
2.5 mi
Portland State · $11,679 in-state
Median household income
$91K
prices below start here
What stands out about college in Portland
Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.
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 $75–110k, where Portland’s median household income ($90,919) falls.
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 Portland: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.
Portland State University53% graduate$58k earnings$20k typical debt
Portland Community College18% graduate$45k earnings$13k typical debt
Mt Hood Community College24% graduate$41k earnings$14k typical debt
Clark College39% graduate$42k earnings$11k typical debt
University of Portland80% graduate$83k earnings$21k typical debt
Lewis & Clark College75% graduate$62k earnings$20k typical debt
Warner Pacific University49% graduate$55k earnings*$25k 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. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Warner Pacific University (2).
Majors
What students study in Portland
Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Portland’s 11 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.
Liberal arts 19%Health professions 13%Business 11%Computer science 6%Social sciences 5%Psychology 5%Everything else 41%
Biggest programs
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesPortland Community College · 2,053 graduates a year
$49k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingOregon Health & Science University · 364 graduates a year
$105k4 yrs out
Psychology, GeneralPortland State University · 350 graduates a year
$49k4 yrs out
Social Sciences, GeneralPortland State University · 275 graduates a year
$53k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and OperationsPortland State University · 263 graduates a year
$72k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingUniversity of Portland · 250 graduates a year
$104k4 yrs out
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesPortland State University · 233 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out
MarketingPortland State University · 192 graduates a year
$61k4 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. Left out: University of Western States, where most students study only online.
Questions about college in Portland
Is Portland a college town?
No. About 7 of every 100 Portland residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), above Oregon (6). The largest campus in the city, Portland State University, has 16,769 students on campus.
What colleges are in Portland?
Portland State University, Portland Community College, the University of Portland, Lewis & Clark College and 11 more are inside the city.
What is the closest community college to Portland, and what does it cost?
Portland Community College in Portland, 7.9 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,220 a year for Oregon residents; the federal net price, $10,405, counts housing and food at full cost.
How much does Portland State University cost if we live in Oregon?
Tuition and fees are $11,679 a year in-state and $31,074 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $7,655 (under $30,000 income) to $19,112 (over $110,000), housing and food included.
Neighbors talk college
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
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 Portland. 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 →
Aubrey R. Watzek House · Photo: Visitor7 · CC BY-SA 3.0