B
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Academics
    B
  2. Value
    B
  3. Diversity
    A
  4. Campus
    B+
  5. Athletics
    B
  6. Party Scene
    B+
  7. Professors
    A-
  8. Location
    A
  9. Dorms
    C+
  10. Campus Food
    B+
  11. Student Life
    B
  12. Safety
    C
View Full Report Card
Portland State University is ...
Public
Athletic Division
NCAA Division I-FCS
Athletic Conference
Big Sky Conference
Address
724 SW Harrison
Portland, OR 97201
Website
pdx.edu

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

Acceptance Rate
86%
SAT Range
930-1160
ACT Range
19-25
Application Fee
$50
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Required
Will You Get In?

Test Scores and GPA for Portland State University

Cost

Net Price
$13,476/ year
National
$15,403
Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Net Price by Household Income
  • <$30k
    $12,002/ year
  • $30-48k
    $13,323/ year
  • $49-75k
    $15,009/ year
  • $76-110k
    $18,092/ year
  • $110k+
    $19,206/ year

Academics

Professors
A-
Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
19:1
Evening Degree Programs
No
76%
of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.129 responses
67%
of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.129 responses
54%
of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.128 responses

Majors

Most Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities
    356 Graduates
  • Psychology
    289 Graduates
  • Social Sciences
    232 Graduates
  • Marketing
    188 Graduates
  • Community Health and Preventive Medicine
    175 Graduates
  • Criminal Justice and Safety Studies
    171 Graduates
  • Business Administration and Management
    166 Graduates
  • Accounting
    162 Graduates
  • Communications
    154 Graduates
  • Biology
    151 Graduates

Students

Full-Time Enrollment
14,606Undergrads
Undergrads Over 25
34%
Pell Grant
45%
Varsity Athletes
2%
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
Based on 86 responses
Report
  • All types of people
    40%
  • The people are the most diverse I've ever seen
    27%
  • Average
    9%
  • White
    8%
  • Environmentalists
    7%
  • Open-minded
    7%
  • Smart but ignorant
    2%

Campus Life

Freshmen Live On-Campus
—
Poll
60%
of students say Greek life is pretty low-key and has little effect on the social scene.153 responses
Poll
66%
of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life.205 responses
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes your school?
Based on 96 responses
Report
  • Diverse, progressive, enviornmentally friendly,
    63%
  • Environmentally Friendly
    17%
  • Progressive
    14%
  • Full of hippies (in a good way)
    4%
  • A very white school
    1%
  • Big and innefectual
    1%
  • Sustainable, Not diverse enough
    1%

After College

Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$42,800/ year
National
$33,028
Graduation Rate
42%
National
48%
Employed 2 Years After Graduation
86%
National
83%
79%
of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.90 responses
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Portland State University Reviews

2,163 reviews
All Categories
I moved from Kennewick, Washington to Portland, Oregon to attend school at Portland State University!

I started at Portland State University during the Fall 2011 Term. I received a Bachelor of Science degree: Major in Psychology and Minor in Community Health Education.

In regards to the location of Portland State University: I absolutely love that the campus is in Downtown Portland! There are always fun activities happening either on campus or outside of campus.

In regards to the academic atmosphere, it is extremely supportive.

Love this school so much that I am now getting my masters in social work!
Review Portland State University
So far everything about PSU seems great! Affordable, convenient and there is a lot to do in the area. I have not started classes quite yet, but I have toured all the buildings, talk to many people and done my research. There are many technology businesses in Portland, and for a burgeoning mechanical engineer this is a perfect setting. Not only for jobs later, but for internships now! Beautiful city and school!
The campus is absolutely gorgeous and I have learned so much being from the classes I've taken here. It is more of a commuter school and most of the students are originally from Oregon. A high percentage of students are also a bit older than college students typically are (18-25) which makes the party scene a bit non-existent. However, if you are 21+ there are lots of bars in downtown that are worth your time. The biggest complaint I would have about Portland State is the location. I love Portland but downtown is not very safe in my opinion. There is a lot of scary people and a lot of crime that happens right around campus. If you wander too far from your dorm you may run into trouble. Also, I would recommend not taking night classes for safety reasons. We do have an easily accessible campus security who will escort you home if you're smart enough to take advantage!