Portland State University
- 4 Year
- PORTLAND, OR
Portland State University
- grade BOverall Grade
- 4 Year
- PORTLAND, OR
- Rating 3.63 out of 5 2,612 reviews
Report Card
- Academicsgrade B minus
- Valuegrade B
- Diversitygrade A
- Campusgrade B
- Athleticsgrade B
- Party Scenegrade B
- Professorsgrade B+
- Locationgrade A+
- Dormsgrade C
- Campus Foodgrade A
- Student Lifegrade B
- Safetygrade B minus
About
Athletic Division
NCAA Division I-FCS
Athletic Conference
Big Sky Conference
From Portland State University
Portland State University is more than Portland’s public research university. It’s a place to test ideas and projects that show the world how different is done. Our innovative approach combines education with creative problem-solving and collaboration across campus for maximum impact. With more than 200 degree programs to choose from, PSU is Oregon’s most diverse, innovative and affordable research university.
Portland State University Rankings
Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.
Admissions
Application Deadline
Rolling Admissions
Acceptance Rate
98%
SAT Range
1000-1250
ACT Range
17-24
Application Fee
$60
SAT/ACT
Neither required nor recommended
High School GPA
Required
Accepts Common App
Yes
Will You Get In?
Will You Get Into PSU?
Test Scores and High School GPA for Portland State University See Other Colleges
Cost
Net Price
$13,015 / year
National
$15,523Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Average Total Aid Awarded
$9,424 / year
National
$7,535Students Receiving Financial Aid
84%
Scholarship
Academics
Professors
grade B+
Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
14:1
Evening Degree Programs
No
76%
of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes. 129 responses67%
of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want. 159 responses53%
of students agree that the workload is easy to manage. 158 responsesMajors
Most Popular Majors
- Psychology344 Graduates
- Liberal Arts and Humanities318 Graduates
- Social Science Research Methods239 Graduates
- Business210 Graduates
- Marketing209 Graduates
- Biology193 Graduates
- Computer Science179 Graduates
- Finance163 Graduates
- Accounting162 Graduates
- Natural Sciences159 Graduates
Online
Programs Offered Entirely Online
0
Offers Online Courses
Yes
Online Certificate Programs
0
Online Associates Programs
0
Online Bachelor's Programs
0
Students
Full-Time Enrollment
12,014 Undergrads
Part-Time Undergrads
5,739
Undergrads Over 25
34%
Pell Grant
58%
Varsity Athletes
2%
Campus Life
Freshmen Live On-Campus
No data available
Poll
60%
of students say Greek life is pretty low-key and has little effect on the social scene. 183 responsesPoll
66%
of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life. 235 responsesAfter College
Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$44,700 / year
National
$33,028Graduation Rate
54%
National
49%Employed 2 Years After Graduation
88%
National
83%79%
of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation. 90 responsesPortland State University Reviews
Rating 3.63 out of 5 2,612 reviews
To me PSU is the opposite of what a college should be. You should be going to school to broaden your mind, weigh a myriad of perspectives, and engage in respectful yet spirited discussion that helps you understand yourself and others better. I'm at the end of my first year at PSU and I want to transfer as quickly as possible. It's not all bad. The gym is great, you can find a good variety of clubs, if you're open and kind with people you can make friends. Unfortunately, this school embodies the very worst of what modern education is becoming. A virulent brand of ideological conformity lives here. Most classes where discussion occurs, you will largely see people fearfully agreeing with one another until only one thing is being said in the class. I grew up liberal, and still identify as one, but even to me this place feels like a political re-education factory without any room for diversity of opinion or thought. School should teach you how to think for yourself, not what to think!
Making the most at PSU is all on you. It is an excellent option if you want to live in a small city, are independent in your learning, are open minded, and don't really care about the "typical college experience".
Take on clubs and programs if you're taking in-person classes! That's one of the only ways I was able to meet people and actually feel involved. Most of the teachers are so enthusiastic about what they teach and if you don't have the same experience, switch to another professor. People complain about the little things but nothing will be handed to you - you actually have to go out and take initiative. Also such a beautiful campus. They're also working on campus security since it's in a city, so they're putting in a decent effort to make people feel safer late at night. And if you choose to live in the dorms and complain about it, you are probably in the Ondine Hall! Find another dorm or affordable option.
Take on clubs and programs if you're taking in-person classes! That's one of the only ways I was able to meet people and actually feel involved. Most of the teachers are so enthusiastic about what they teach and if you don't have the same experience, switch to another professor. People complain about the little things but nothing will be handed to you - you actually have to go out and take initiative. Also such a beautiful campus. They're also working on campus security since it's in a city, so they're putting in a decent effort to make people feel safer late at night. And if you choose to live in the dorms and complain about it, you are probably in the Ondine Hall! Find another dorm or affordable option.
I was dual-enrolled at PSU and another college for the first two years of my undergrad degree, beginning just before the pandemic hit. PSU handled the switch to online learning very carefully and all of my teachers were very supportive and helpful and ensured student success by providing us with the tools and resources we needed as well as lots of ZOOM office hours and meetings to check in with us. Shout-out to PSU’s amazing Japanese department faculty and teachers!
As most of my education at PSU was online (I only took one term on-campus), I can’t speak much to the student life around campus though I can say that I didn’t feel safe on campus as the Portland Park Blocks are right in the midst of campus and lots of people (non-students) wander in and out. It was common to have distractions during class because people were yelling angrily outside, and I’ve gotten lots of emails about shootings near or on campus. I hope this situation will be handled with care and can improve over time!
As most of my education at PSU was online (I only took one term on-campus), I can’t speak much to the student life around campus though I can say that I didn’t feel safe on campus as the Portland Park Blocks are right in the midst of campus and lots of people (non-students) wander in and out. It was common to have distractions during class because people were yelling angrily outside, and I’ve gotten lots of emails about shootings near or on campus. I hope this situation will be handled with care and can improve over time!