Portland State University

History, Affiliations and Rankings

For 75 years, Portland State University has empowered students and challenged the status quo in Portland. They have been dedicated to fulfilling the needs of individual students and society as a whole since their foundation to serve World War II veterans returning home. They began in 1946 as the Vanport Extension Centre, which served 220 students in Vanport, a city constructed to house wartime shipyard employees. They relocated three times after surviving a disastrous flood in 1948 before locating their permanent home in 1952 in the centre of downtown Portland, Oregon. The university is academically affiliated with Great Cities' Universities (GCU), Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) and Space-grant. Portland State University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Portland State University secured the ranking of #1001-1200 in the QS World University Rankings. U.S. News and World Report ranked the University at #288 in National Universities (tie), #29 in Most Innovative Schools (tie) and #51 in Top Performers on Social Mobility (tie). 

Infrastructure, Campuses and Courses

Since the 1950s, PSU has been an important element of downtown Portland, Oregon. Students can stroll to internships, bike along the Willamette River, and ride the city streetcar for free from the 44-acre campus. It's no surprise that Portland State is ranked as the greatest college town in America by Niche. The main campus is located in a bustling city noted for its locally roasted coffee, farm-to-table eateries, and thriving music scene. A short streetcar journey from campus will take you to Powell's, the world's largest independent bookshop. In addition, the Pacific Ocean and Mt. Hoods are both within 90 minutes of each other. In diverse fields, the institution provides over 200 majors, minors, certifications, and concentrations. Business, Management, Marketing, Social Sciences, Psychology, Interdisciplinary Studies, Visual and Performing Arts, Engineering, and Biomedical Sciences are some of the most popular majors at Portland State University.

Accomplishments and Alumni 

PSU is the most diversified, innovative, and cost-effective research institution in Oregon. It has a total research budget of $61.5 million dollars. NICHE has named it one of the most diverse universities in the country. U.S. News and World Report rated them one of the nation's most innovative universities, and Best Value Schools awarded them Oregon's most affordable research university. Their research centres are at the forefront of innovation, with breakthroughs in domains such as digital cities, transportation, sustainability, and homelessness solutions. The researchers use an interdisciplinary approach to explore new regions and pave the path for solutions to the city's, region's, and global concerns. The university has around 180,000 alumni globally as of 2019. Some of the notable names are Peter Boghossian, an American philosopher, Sara Jean Underwood, an American model and Mark Dacascos, an American actor.

Student Diversity and Visiting Companies

There are 23,177 students enrolled at the university, with 18,045 undergraduates and 5,132 graduate students. Sixty-two percent of students are full-time, while the remainder are part-time. It welcomes students from all walks of life. International students from all 50 states and 78 countries make up 4.9 percent of the student body. India, China, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam are the most well-represented countries in the student community. By developing employer, university, and community connections, the University Career Center allows students and graduates to explore, develop, and accomplish their career aspirations. Intel, OHSU, Nike, Providence Health, and Kaiser Permanente are among the top employers of university graduates.