University of Portland: A Comprehensive Overview

The University of Portland (UP) is a private Catholic university situated in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1901 by the Congregation of Holy Cross, the same religious order that established the University of Notre Dame, UP stands as Oregon's only comprehensive Catholic university, encompassing a college of arts and sciences, a graduate school, and schools of business, education, engineering, and nursing and health innovations. The campus is located in the University Park neighborhood near St. Johns, on a bluff overlooking the Willamette River.

Historical Context and Evolution

The land on which the University of Portland now stands was initially home to Portland University, established in 1891 by the Methodist Episcopal Church. According to University of Portland tradition, Archbishop Alexander Christie, observing a substantial building on the bluff from a ship on the Willamette River, facilitated the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon's acquisition of West Hall (later renamed Waldschmidt Hall in 1992) and the surrounding campus. This purchase was made possible with financial support from the Congregation of Holy Cross. The institution was then renamed Columbia University, in honor of the nearby Columbia River.

Columbia University initially achieved junior college status after two decades. The university's College of Arts and Sciences was established in 1925, and in 1929, the first bachelor's degrees were conferred upon a class of seven men. In 1935, the institution adopted its current name, the University of Portland. The 1930s also marked the construction of the St. Vincent Hospital School of Nursing & Health Innovations.

The School of Engineering was founded in 1948, followed by the Graduate School in 1950 and the School of Education in 1962. The University of Portland began admitting women to all courses of study in 1951, a significant transition, as prior to this, Marylhurst University was the only Catholic institution in Oregon catering to the higher education needs of women.

Academic Profile and Rankings

In the 2025 edition of Best Colleges, University of Portland is ranked No. 2 in Regional Universities West. It's also ranked No. 2 in Best Undergraduate Teaching. The University of Portland offers a wide array of academic programs, with more than 50 undergraduate programs, 40 minors, and 18 graduate programs, encompassing over 1,300 courses. UP is recognized as one of the nation's top producers of Fulbright Scholars among master's level institutions. The university prides itself on small class settings and award-winning faculty, fostering an environment conducive to student success. 84% of UP's class of 2022 reporting a positive career outcome.

The student-faculty ratio at University of Portland is 9:1, which contributes to a personalized learning environment. The university operates on a semester-based academic calendar. Reflecting its commitment to accessibility, University of Portland has a test-optional admissions policy. For the Fall of 2022 Portland had an acceptance rate of 95%. Half the applicants admitted to University of Portland have an SAT score between 1160 and 1360 or an ACT score between 26 and 31.

UP has six divisions of study: the College of Arts & Sciences, the School of Business Administration, the School of Education, the Shiley School of Engineering, the School of Nursing & Health Innovations, and the Graduate School.

Several of the departments offer graduate programs in addition to their undergraduate majors, and these programs dual report to the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and the Dean of the Graduate School. The Communication Studies department offers a M.A. in communication and a M.S. in Management Communication. The Performing & Fine Arts department offers the M.F.A. in Directing. This program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre. The Theology department offers a three-year Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry.

The School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees. At the graduate level, the School of Business offers a MS in finance, a MS in Operations & Technology Management, an MBA, an MBA in Nonprofit Administration, a technology entrepreneurship certificate, and a post-MBA certificate. The graduate degrees are accountable to both the Dean of the School of Business and the Dean of the Graduate School. The MBA program is noted for its diversity within the context of Oregon. states. The program is characterized by an emphasis on field experience, and inclusion, with first classroom placements beginning almost immediately.

The PACE (Pacific Alliance for Catholic Education) program allows 15-25 teachers to earn a graduate degree during summer school, while gaining in-classroom teaching experience during the academic year at a Catholic school over a three-year period.

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Tuition, Financial Aid, and Outcomes

The school's tuition and fees are $58,100. Recognizing the importance of financial aid, sixty-one percent of first-year students receive need-based financial aid, with the average net price for federal loan recipients being $33,248. The four-year graduation rate is 70%. Six years after graduation, the median salary for graduates is $67,913, demonstrating the value of a UP education in the professional world.

Campus Life and Extracurricular Activities

Believing that education takes place both inside and outside the classroom, UP offers a wide variety of extra-curricular programming including an inclusive Campus Ministry program; local, national, and international volunteer opportunities through the Moreau Center; fitness, intramurals, and outdoor activities through the recreation services program in the Beauchamp Recreation and Wellness Center; and an active student government, Associated Students of the University of Portland.

The University of Portland sits on top of Waud's Bluff overlooking the industrialized Swan Island and the Willamette River. The university is located in the University Park neighborhood of North Portland, a primarily residential area of the city. The campus itself is a traditional college campus with three residential quads, East Quad, Villa Quad, and North Quad, as well as an Academic Quad. The main academic building on campus is Franz Hall. Located at the center of the university across from the Chapel of Christ the Teacher, it houses the School of Business and the School of Education.

There are ten main residence hall communities on campus: Mehling Hall, Corrado Hall, Villa Maria, Shipstad Hall, Kenna Hall, Christie Hall, Haggerty and Tyson Halls, Fields Hall, Schoenfeldt Hall, and Lund Family Hall. They are divided into three residential quads: Villa Quad, East Quad, and North Quad. Mehling, Corrado, and Villa Maria are situated around the Villa Quad, and Shipstad, Kenna, and Christie are situated around the East Quad.

Shiley School of Engineering

The school of engineering was founded in 1948 and grew substantially in 1969 when UP absorbed Multnomah College. Pacific Northwest. Multnomah College was noted for its engineering program and as a result of the merger UP renamed its school the Multnomah School of Engineering. News & World Report.

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In 2007 the University of Portland was given a $12 million gift (the largest in UP's history at that time) toward the School of Engineering by Donald and Darlene Shiley of San Diego. Donald Shiley arrived at UP the year the school of engineering was founded. Graduating in 1951 with a bachelor's degree in general engineering, he would later invent a heart valve and various medical devices that have been credited with saving thousands of lives. Shiley Hall is now the largest building on the UP campus and has won several awards for sustainable design and construction. The Shileys later gave an additional $8 million gift to the engineering school, which was then renamed the Donald P.

The school offers accredited Bachelor of Science degrees in mechanical, civil, and electrical engineering, as well as a Bachelor of Science in computer science.

School of Nursing & Health Innovations

The School of Nursing & Health Innovations was established as the St. Vincent Hospital School of Nursing & Health Innovations in 1892, two years after the northwest region's first nurse training program was founded at nearby Good Samaritan Hospital. Throughout the 20th century many nursing education programs relocated from hospitals to institutions of higher learning; the St. Vincent school became part of this national trend when it joined the University of Portland in 1934 and began granting a four-year degree in 1938. Today most clinical practice still takes place at St.

The School of Nursing & Health Innovations awards the BS in Nursing baccalaureate degree and the MS in Nursing graduate degree. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a professional doctorate program initiated in 2008. The master's entry program (AEM-UP) enables individuals who possess a non-nursing bachelor's degree to enter nursing at the graduate level. In collaboration with practice partners, the clinical nurse leader Master of Science degree prepares generalists for leadership at the point of care.

Graduate School

The Graduate School oversees the post-bachelor's degree programs that are embedded within the College of Arts & Sciences and the four professional schools.

Air Force ROTC Detachment 695

The Air Force ROTC program at the University of Portland is one of the oldest programs on campus, established in 1951. The AFROTC unit on the campus, known as Detachment 695, is also one of the largest in the country, with its membership numbering nearly 4% of the campus undergraduate student population. In 2004, Detachment 695 was recognized as the top large detachment in the nation, receiving AFROTC's prestigious Right of Line Award. In 2011, the detachment received recognition as the top unit of 34 in the AFROTC Northwest Region. In 2012, Detachment 695 again won AFROTC's Right of Line Award, this time as the best medium-sized detachment in the nation.

Athletics

The Portland Pilots are members of the West Coast Conference and compete at the NCAA Division 1 level. There are sixteen intercollegiate teams: baseball (M), basketball (MW), cross country (MW), rowing (W), soccer (MW), tennis (MW), indoor and outdoor track and field (MW), and indoor and beach volleyball (W).

UP's NCAA soccer program became well known after Clive Charles, who started coaching the men's team in 1986, added the women's head coaching job in 1989, heading both teams until his death in 2003. The women's team won the NCAA Division I National Championship in 2002 and 2005, led both years by current Canadian international star Christine Sinclair. Home matches are played at 4,892-seat Merlo Field, part of the Clive Charles Soccer Complex on campus.

Beyond soccer, UP also boasts one of the nation's top NCAA Division I men's cross country teams. The Pilots won 31 straight West Coast Conference Championships through 2010, one of the longest conference championship streaks in the NCAA. On the national level, UP has finished in the top ten at the NCAA Championships five times. In 2008, the Pilots placed seventh in the nation, matching their finish from 2001, and later in 2013. In 2014 the Pilots placed third at the Division 1 national cross country Championships.

Other intercollegiate sports at UP include basketball, baseball, volleyball, track and field, tennis, and rowing. In November 2010, the school announced it would add Women's Rowing effective with the 2011-12 academic year, while dropping both men's and women's golf. In 2017 Beach Volleyball was added as the 16th varsity sport. In November 2005, the University of Portland stood at 25th in Sports Illustrated's College All Sport rankings. As of 2023, The Chiles Center became the designated training facility for the Portland NBA G-League team, Rip City Remix. It is also the designated training facility for traveling NBA teams who battle the Portland Trail Blazers.

Campus Expansion and Improvements

The school is undergoing expansion and renovations for both its campus housing facilities, academic buildings, and recreation facilities. For housing, a new residence hall (Lund Family) was built for the 2016-2017 school year. In academics, the Engineering Building was renovated using a $12 million gift for its expansion and improvement from Donald and Darlene Shiley. Additionally, the university has completely renovated the Clark Library.

In athletics and recreation, in May 2014, the university began construction on the Beauchamp Recreation and Wellness Center, named after the university's 19th president, Rev. E. William Beauchamp. It will feature state of the art strength and cardio training facilities, 3 gymnasiums, a suspended track, a bike shop, classrooms, and an outdoor pursuits office. It was scheduled to be completed by May 2015.

Plans for a $30 million, three-story academic building were announced in March 2017. The building encompasses 65,616 square feet with 17 classrooms, 35 faculty offices, 12 informal and formal gathering spaces, including 4 conference rooms, and the 146-seat Brian J. The School recently completed the Shiley-Marcos Center for Design and Innovation.

Alumni Engagement

UP students and alumni are resources for research, internships, and full-time employment. More than half of University of Portland’s 44,000 alumni reside in the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area.

Economic Impact

UP is North Portland's largest corporation and has an annual economic impact on Portland of $170 million.

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