Willamette University is a private institution that was founded in
1842.
It
has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,228,
its setting is urban,
and the campus size is 61 acres.
It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar.
Willamette University's ranking in the 2015 edition of Best Colleges
is National Liberal Arts Colleges,
64.
Its tuition and fees are $44,076 (2014-15).
Located in Oregon’s state capital, Salem, Willamette University carries
the distinction of being the oldest university in the Western United
States. The 69-acre campus is located directly across from the Oregon
State Capitol and is less than an hour from Portland. All freshmen and
sophomores are required to live on campus, unless they commute 25 miles
or less to campus. As juniors and seniors, students can move into
private residences or one of the university's apartment complexes. Once
at the college, students can participate in more than 100 clubs and
organizations, including a small, but bustling, Greek life.
Studying abroad is a very popular academic choice for many students at
the university, and more than half of the student body studies abroad
during college. Students interested in studying abroad have the luxury
of choosing programs from more than 40 countries. The university also
has a partnership with Tokyo International University, which allows
students interested in Japanese language and culture the chance to
interact with Japanese students. Willamette University's sustainability
efforts have not gone unnoticed. The National Wildlife Federation has
recognized the university as first in the nation among 1,050-plus
schools for practicing the most sustainability activities, many of which
are student-initiated efforts. Willamette is a founding member of the
Northwest Conference in the NCAA Division III, and its teams are known
as the Bearcats.
Along with being the oldest university in the West, the Willamette University College of Law is the oldest law school in the Pacific Northwest. Not to be outdone, Willamette's Atkinson Graduate School of Management
is one of only two MBA programs in the world accredited for both
business administration and public administration. The school's weekly
newspaper, Willamette Collegian, began publishing in 1875 and has won
several distinctions from the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association.
Notable alumni of the university include Dale T. Mortensen, the 2010
winner of the Nobel Prize in economics, and James Albaugh, former
executive vice president of The Boeing Co.
Willamette University is a place where talented faculty
members inspire students to examine issues critically, think creatively
and act effectively. Through our collaborative community and Pacific
Northwest connections, we challenge students to transform knowledge into
action - the foundation of a successful career and a meaningful life.
The popular guide Colleges That Change Lives recognizes Willamette as
one of 40 schools where students experience rich intellectual and
personal growth thanks to dedicated professors and lively, diverse
experiences in and out of the classroom. With a student-faculty ratio of
11:1, Willamette students can easily find a mentor. A record unmatched
by any other West Coast school, Willamette faculty members have been
named the state's Professor of the Year 11 times since 1990. The Oregon
State Capitol is just across the street. It's Willamette's extended
classroom, where our students explore and implement their ideas through
internships with policymakers, primary source research in the Oregon
State Archives, or side-by-side work with the states top scientists
and economists. Willamette's 305-acre Zena Forest and Farm offer
students a unique outdoor laboratory and creative space. There, students
and faculty perform scientific research, run an organic farm, and find
inspiration for their music and art. Our campus is also co-located with
Tokyo International University of America, providing opportunities to
explore international culture through social, language and living
exchanges. Our physical spaces on campus are also designed for
interaction. Faculty offices line our academic hearths, which are a
focal point for studying, discussion and get-togethers with faculty over
pizza or floats. The relationships students establish with each other,
faculty and alumni are life-changing. Our graduates go on to impressive
careers and lives of achievement and meaning. Willamettes alumni
include a Nobel Prize-winning economist, corporate presidents and CEOs,
top scholars, nationally recognized artists, 15 Oregon Supreme Court
justices and numerous Fulbright Grant-winners.
