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| An Introduction to Colleges & Universities in Portland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
An Introduction to Colleges & Universities in Portland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By Erin Hasinger Staff Writer - PortlandEducation.com August 26, 2005 |
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Famous for its clean, natural environment and unparalleled livability, Portland has combined the best of nature, urban planning, and recreation to form one of the fastest-growing, most people-friendly cities in the country.
Oregon's largest city is found in the northwest corner of the state on the banks of the Willamette where it meets the Columbia River, 70 miles east of the Pacific Ocean near the Washington state border. Boasting just over half a million residents within the city limits, Portland's metropolitan area is comprised of over two million citizens, and was named the 25th largest Metropolitan Statistical Area based upon the 2000 census. The area spans six counties and even trickles into Washington state. Named one of the best cities for walking by the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA), Portland's short city blocks are built upon a backdrop of dazzling rivers and the rich greenery for which the Pacific Northwest is famous, offering a rare combination in an urban area. The City of Roses' dedication to nature and preservation is evident in its park system. The Portland Parks & Recreation system is comprised of more than 240 parks, including the massive 5,000 acre+ Forest Park and teeny Mills End Park, measuring just 24 square inches. Not lacking in things to do, the city boasts dozens of local pubs and brew houses featuring blues and jazz musicians, as well as Pearl District art gallery walks, museums, comedy clubs, the annual Rose Festival, and the Portland Trail Blazers basketball team. Walking tours are held to showcase the city's fabulous architecture, art, fountains, and parks, while an award-winning transit system- TriMet (Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon) makes it easy for one to go virtually anywhere in the city without worrying about parking a car. In addition to its urban happenings, Portland's nearby natural amenities have been attracting tourists for years. Oregon's 362-mile shoreline offers towering rugged cliffs, sandy beaches, and historic lighthouses. The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, known for excellent windsurfing, features breathtaking waterfalls and stunning basalt formations. Though it may have a reputation as a rainy city, Portland enjoys a temperate climate, with its highest average high just 81 degrees in August, and the lowest average at 34 degrees in January. While the city has an average of 36 inches of rain annually, it is still considerably less than that of Atlanta, Houston, and Seattle. Over the last several years, Portland has experienced a major upswing in its economy. According to a CNNMoney - Best Places 2000 report, the city has an excellent reputation for livability which has brought an influx of new residents, and business has been on the rebound. Like many cities in the Pacific Northwest, wood processing is one of Portland's main industries, but newer industries to the area, such as high tech manufacturing (Intel is a major employer), have helped firmly place Portland at the forefront of innovation and economic growth. Major corporations who have headquarters in Portland's metropolitan region include Nike, Louisiana-Pacific, Columbia Sportswear Company, Pendleton Woolen Mills, and Tektronix. Other major employers are Fred Meyer Stores, Oregon Health Sciences University, Providence Health System, Legacy Health System, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest, Safeway, Inc., and Freightliner LLC.
Going to School in Portland
According to the 2000 census, Portland saw a 5.9% increase in the number of people pursing education beyond high school in 2000 from 1990. 19.23% of Portland's residents over the age of 25 had earned a Bachelor's degree, while 9.62% of residents had earned a graduate or other professional degree and 6.92% had completed an Associate's degree.
Portland's prospective students have a wide array of options when selecting a school. Beyond public and private institutions, there are 21 art, health, and other trade/vocational schools in the metropolitan area offering hundreds of specialties.
According to Jeanie-Marie Price, Director of Marketing and Communications for Portland State University, Portland's location as “the state's economic and cultural center” makes it possible to integrate active community involvement with academic programs. Its position as “one of the nation's most livable cities makes [it] an attractive place to learn, live, and recreate,” she added.
Amy O'Donnell, a 2002 graduate of Portland State University, concurs, and says she enjoyed going to school in downtown Portland. “The downtown area is one of the most bustling and vibrant in the west,” she said, noting the number of restaurants, movie theatres, and shops in the area.
“What you cannot walk to can easily be reached in just minutes on a bus, trolley, or light rail line – all for free!” O'Donnell said.
Nearly half of all high school graduates in the state that opt to pursue studies beyond high school choose to attend community college. The Oregon Community College Association notes that community colleges serve twice the number of minorities than public institutions and 13 times more than private schools, making it both highly accessible as well as diverse. Portland Community College, one of 17 community colleges throughout Oregon administered by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education, boasts an annual enrollment topping 35,000.
Portland State University is Oregon's largest university, and is part of a seven-university system administered by the Oregon University System (OUS). Oregon also has 27 private colleges and universities, eight of which are found in the Portland area, as well as several career/specialty schools.
Private Colleges & Universities
Just outside Portland's metropolitan area are the private college campuses for Linfield College (McMinnville), George Fox University (Newberg), and Pacific University (Forest Grove).
Costs Tuition rates in Portland are varied, and range anywhere from Portland Community College's $1,950 per year tuition (based on a 15-credit course load per semester for a resident) to Reed College's $32,360 per year tuition. Portland State University has the lowest tuition for a four-year school, offering residents a yearly tuition of $4,311 for a 15-credit per semester course load. Rates do not account for room and board charges, books, and other miscellaneous expenses. Tuition rates also depend on residency status – out-of-state students generally pay more than in-state students. All of these factors should be examined when selecting a school.
Financial Aid
Oregon offers its residents a unique grant for undergraduate education – the Oregon Opportunity Grant, administered by the Oregon Student Assistance Commission. In 2003-04, the need-based grant provided over $6 million to students studying at Portland institutions:
In 2005, several educational groups in Oregon (Oregon University System, Oregon Student Assistance Commission, community colleges, and independent institutions) lobbied the state legislature for an increase in funding, reports Endi Hartigan, Administrative and Communications Coordinator in the Office of the Chancellor at Oregon University System. Because of their efforts, the legislature increased funding for the Oregon Opportunity Grant by 77%, and all eligible full-time students attending public colleges will now receive the grant. Hartigan also notes that part-time students will receive the grant for the first time because of the extra funding.
The Oregon Student Assistance Commission works to provide students access to hundreds of scholarships. Applications and more information can be found on their website. They also sponsor GetCollegeFunds.org, a great website that outlines opportunities and applications for funding as well as the complete financial aid process for Oregon's students.
All students should apply for aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, more commonly known as the FAFSA. This form is the gateway to Stafford, PLUS, and Perkins loans; Pell grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Oregon Opportunity Grants, and work study awards. Most schools have their own financial aid applications in addition to the FAFSA. It's a good idea to check with a school's financial aid department about specific procedures and deadlines, as they vary at all institutions.
Internships
Employment in Portland
Most colleges and universities have career services departments that provide students with career guidance starting in the freshman year and continuing well past graduation. Services generally include career planning, resume preparation, interview coaching, internship placement, career fairs, on-campus recruitment, and job opportunity databases. Students should visit the career services office early in their first year to learn of the opportunities available throughout their college careers.
A majority of Oregon graduates stay in the state after earning bachelor's degrees. Endi Hartigan points to a recent study that found 80% of public institution graduates of the class of 2003 were employed in Oregon, with nearly half of them (47.5%) employed in the metropolitan Portland area.
The employment outlook is rosy for the City of Roses, and remains so through the next several years. According to the Oregon Employment Department, Multnomah and Washington Counties are forecasted to experience a 16.1% increase in job growth through 2014, terrific news for any student hoping to start a career in Portland in the near future.
Another report from the same department, "Service Sectors Bolster Industry Trends", indicates that most job growth will be found in trade, transportation, and utilities; educational and health services; and professional and business services - especially architectural, engineering, and computer system design services. Forecasts are also highly optimistic for leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, construction, information technology, and government-related jobs.
Summary With its top-notch higher education institutions, outstanding employment outlook, temperate climate, and unrivaled quality of life, it's no wonder Portland has become the city of choice for many of America's up and comers. The incredible array of educational options makes Portland a fantastic choice for any student. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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One of the best ways to test out a career field and gain valuable real-world experience is to complete an internship. There are plenty of companies in Portland willing to host student interns, and many of them offer paid positions. Nike, located nearby in Beaverton, offers an awesome nine-week internship program called