900 State Street
Salem, OR 97301

Willamette University was founded in 1842 offering more than 45 liberal arts programs in undergraduate and graduate areas of study. The university, considered the first in the West, is recognized on a national level and was ranked 63 among liberal arts colleges in U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges of 2008."

Some of Willamette University's undergraduate degree programs include women's and gender studies, religious studies and pre-medicine. Graduate programs are offered in areas such as law, business and education.

Willamette's 80-acre campus boasts numerous state-of-the-art facilities for student to take advantage of including the Kaneko Commons residence hall, the Mark O. Hatfield Library, which features a collection of over 400,000 volumes and the Hallie Ford Museum of Art. The Hallie for Museum of Art offers numerous collections and exhibitions with an emphasis on regional art. Students can also enjoy outdoor extracurricular activities in the city of Salem, which features biking trails along the Willamette River, a historic downtown offering numerous restaurants, museums and more. The city of Portland in also nearby campus.

There are a diverse range of students at Willamette University representing more than 40 states and 17 countries. Students can experience culture as well through the Universities Office of International Education study abroad program. This program offers a diverse range of study abroad and exchange programs in roughly 40 different countries. Additionally, every year, 100 students from Tokyo International University come to the university to study the liberal arts, so students are immersed in a wide array of ethnicities and cultures.

Also available are at Willamette are student clubs and organizations ranging from the Model United Nations to the Shakespeare club. The NCAA Division III Athletic program also offers men and women's varsity sports such as swimming, football, soccer, cross country, baseball and more.

Quick Facts:

The Williamette University operates on a two-semester calendar.

There were reportedly 94 National Scholarship winners representing the university in the past decade receiving such nationally recognized scholarships as the Fulbright and Goldwater.

Total faculty at Williamette is more than 300 with 95% holding a Ph.D. or terminal degree.

The student to faculty ratio at Willamette is 10 to one giving students the opportunity to experience small class sizes.

Roughly 62% of Williamette students received need based financial aid

Each year, undergraduate and graduate students at Williamette provide more than 31,000 volunteer hours to organizations such as Habitat for Humanity.

Willamette University was "one of the earliest coeducational institutions in the United States and its first graduate was a woman."


This school profile has been compiled and updated by The CollegeBound Network. The school is not affiliated with The CollegeBound Network and shall not be considered a sponsor of this program.