University of Portland

The University of Portland is a thriving community of more than 4,000 students, who come from around the nation and the world, as well as over 1,000 faculty and staff. The University is located up on a bluff in a residential neighborhood overlooking the Willamette River and the city of Portland. The school’s location also is the inspiration for its nickname, “The Bluff.”

The University is led by Fr. Mark L. Poorman, CSC, who began his tenure as University of Portland’s 20th president in 2014. Since our inception in 1901, the University has been guided by the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Catholic order of priests and brothers. The founder of the order, Blessed Basil Moreau, CSC, said, "The mind will not be cultivated at the expense of the heart.” This commitment to educating the hands, heart, and mind are hallmarks of our belief in educating the whole person.

The University of Portland, an independently governed Catholic university guided by the Congregation of Holy Cross, addresses significant questions of human concern through disciplinary and interdisciplinary studies of the arts, sciences, and humanities and through studies in majors and professional programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. As a diverse community of scholars dedicated to excellence and innovation, we pursue teaching and learning, faith and formation, service and leadership in the classroom, residence halls, and the world. Because we value the development of the whole person, the University honors faith and reason as ways of knowing, promotes ethical reflection, and prepares people who respond to the needs of the world and its human family.

University of Portland prepares you for a successful and meaningful career in medicine, law, engineering, teaching, business and more. UP graduates are creative, effective leaders and ethical decision makers sought by the nation's top companies and graduate schools.

UP is known as one of the top ten universities in the West. With a focus on educating hearts and minds, University of Portland helps students to lead both successful personal and professional lives.

An education at the University of Portland will help prepare you for a successful and meaningful career in medicine, law, engineering, teaching, business, and other fields! University of Portland graduates are regarded as creative, effective leaders and ethical decision makers. An education at the University of Portland is an investment in each student's future success. We are dedicated to helping students and their families finance a high-quality education at the University of Portland.

To take advantage of all UP has to offer, you have to get involved! There's a club or activity to fit nearly every interest level. The Activities Fair, sponsored by the Office of Student Activities the first week of every semester, is a great place to find out about all the opportunities available on campus, or keep reading for more ideas about how to find your place at UP.

International students are an important and integral part of the University. With small classes and many opportunities for involvement on campus, international students have the chance to intimately learn about American culture. The Office of International Student Services helps international students with information about immigration issues, provides support for academic and cultural adjustment, and offers opportunities for involvement in the University community.

University of Portland is Oregon’s only comprehensive university with schools of business, education, engineering, nursing, a College of Arts and Sciences, and a graduate school. There are more than 40 undergraduate programs and 30 minors, as well as 18 graduate programs, and more than 1,300 courses. The University features small class settings (12:1 student-faculty ratio) and award-winning faculty. German professor Laura McLary was named the 2015 Oregon Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation and Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and the University was one of only 14 schools nationwide to be named a top producer of both student and faculty Fulbright awards in 2015-2016. The University offers a rich resource for the community through educational opportunities, research, and experts, in addition to a host of community offerings such as athletic events, cultural events, speakers and lectures.

Believing that education takes place both inside and outside the classroom, the University places a strong emphasis on residential living with 94 percent of freshmen and 57 percent of the total student body living in one of the University’s 10 residence halls, including the newest hall Lund Family Hall, which opened in fall 2016. The University's commitment to an education outside the classroom means that 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.

UP students and alumni are resources for research, internships, and full-time employment. More than half of University of Portland’s 37,000 alumni reside in the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area.