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Portland State University

Portland State University

Founded in 1946, Portland State University is a public urban university. It came to be known as "the college that wouldn't die" because it refused to close after the Vanport Flood of 1948. The university provides undergraduate and graduate degree courses. Schools and colleges at PSU are the following:

  • College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Graduate School of Education
  • Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science
  • School of Business Administration
  • School of Fine and Performing Arts
  • School of Social Work College of Urban and Public Affairs

The athletics teams of Portland State University are known as the Portland State Vikings. The official colors are forest green and white. The mascot is a Viking. PSU won the NCAA National Division II Championships in women's volleyball and wrestling. Among the notable alumni of the school are Jean M Auel, author of "The Clan and the Cave Bear," Chief Justice of Oregon Supreme Court Paul de Muniz, and Miss America 2002 Katie Harman.

Overview of Portland State University

The main campus of Portland State is in Portland, OR (a large city). The school is a public school. Portland State offers degrees up to the Doctoral degree.

Portland State Selectivity

The school does not accept everyone who applies. In 2007, SAT verbal scores of half of students were 460 to 590. Three-fourths of students accepted in 2007 had SAT math scores of 460 or more.

Faculty

The school offers tenure to reward and retain some professors.

Student Body

In 2007, Portland State had 24,963 enrolled students.

Student Life

Many students are part-timers. Student athletes at Portland State belong to the Big Sky Conference for major sports.

More complete details are provided below.

Contacting Portland State

Portland State University
724 SW Harrison
Portland, OR 97201
General Phone: (503) 725-4433
http://www.pdx.edu

Portland State Programs and Degrees (2007)

General CategoryDegreesMost Common Majors [see all]
Liberal Arts1,291social services, liberal arts and sciences, English, sociology, history, creative writing, geography, economics, ...
Education And Teaching1,147elementary school teaching, education, secondary teaching, curriculum and instruction, special ed, educational administration, middle school teaching, ESL instruction, ...
Business And Management924business management, accounting, finance, marketing, international business, human resources, MIS, logistics, ...
Family And Social Work339social work, public administration, community organization, human development and family studies, foodservice management
Science328biological and physical sciences, biology, biochemistry, physics, chemistry, geology, hydrology and water resources, geological and earth sciences
Engineering287electrical engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, engineering management, various engineering courses
Therapy And Counseling239psychology, marriage and family therapy
Media133communication studies
Computer Science And Engineering124computer science, computer engineering, software engineering, computer support
Medical Administration114community health, health care administration, public health education
Security And Law Enforcement84criminal justice and safety
Fine Arts78fine arts, art history and criticism, sculpture
Architecture And Planning77urban planning, architecture
Mathematics72mathematics, statistics, systems science and theory
Design56graphic design
Medicine49public health courses, gerontology, health professions
Medical Support And Technology43audiology
Music38music, music performance, conducting
Conservation And Resource Management35environmental studies, environmental science, natural resources management
Religion And Philosophy26philosophy
Real Estate And Construction Management13real estate
Drama And Performing Arts9drama

Number of programs and degrees for Portland State in 2007:

Degree LevelTotal
Awarded
Number of
Programs
Bachelor's degree3,14361
Master's degree1,64059
Postbaccalaureate certificate68725
Doctor's degree3614

Portland State Student Body

In 2007, Portland State had a total enrollment of 24,963 students (18,168 full-time equivalent).

Students in the Freshman Class:

GroupPercent
Men46%
Women54%
Full-Time88%
Part-Time12%

Students By Class:

GroupPercent
Undergraduate67%
Graduate33%

Racial Diversity:
RacePercent
White65%
Black3%
Hispanic4%
Asian7%
American Indian1%
Unknown14%
(Foreign Students)6%

Students by Age:

AgePercent
Under 184%
18-1911%
20-2114%
22-2420%
25-2923%
30-3411%
35-397%
40-496%
50-644%
65+0%

Incoming (Freshman) Students by Place of Residence:
(From available data sampling)

ResidencePercent
Oregon71%
(International Students)9%
Washington5%
Hawaii3%
California3%
Idaho1%
Colorado1%
Alaska1%
Arizona1%
Montana1%
New Mexico1%

Portland State Graduation, Retention, and Transfers

Retention Rates (2007):

GroupReturning From
Previous Year
Full-Time67 %
Part-Time45 %

Portland State Room and Board (2007)

The school does not offer campus housing.

(Please refer to our profile of Portland, Oregon for details about the area surrounding the campus. Also see our list of other Oregon Colleges).

The school does not offer students a meal plan.

Portland State Admissions and Selectivity (2007)

Acceptances:

GroupApplicantsAcceptedPercent
Accepted
EnrolledPercent of
Accepted Enrolled
Total4,0552,87671%1,46051%
Men1,8261,27170%67153%
Women2,2291,60572%78949%

Standardized Test Scores:

Test25th Percentile75th Percetile
SAT Verbal460590
SAT Math460580

Application Requirements:

ItemRequirement
GPArequired
Class Ranknot required
High School Recordrequired
College Prep Programrequired
Recommendationsrecommended
Formal Demonstration of Competencerecommended
Standardized Tests (SAT and/or ACT)required
Percent of Applicants Submitting SAT77%
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)required

Portland State Expenses and Financial Aid (2007)

Expenses and Financial Aid:

ExpenseAmount
In-state tuition and fees$ 5,764
Out-of-state tuition and fees$ 17,830
Books and supplies$ 1,850

Financial Aid:
Portland State participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 321600)

Portland State Faculty

Portland State has a tenure system for faculty.

Tenure Status of Faculty (2007):

Full-Time Faculty LevelMenWomen
Tenured203113
Non-tenured, but on tenure track8655
Non-tenured and not on tenure track129143

Salaries for full-time faculty:

Full-Time Faculty (2007):

Full-Time Faculty LevelContract LengthNumber MenAvg Salary MenNumber WomenAvg Salary Women
Professorcalendar year21$110,66612$95,742
Associate professorcalendar year10$92,9577$68,695
Assistant professorcalendar year4$62,7036$59,390
Instructorcalendar year1*4$45,651
No academic rankcalendar year6$45,0192*
All faculty totalcalendar year42$90,89231$72,225

*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.

Full-Time Faculty (2007):

Full-Time Faculty LevelContract LengthNumber MenAvg Salary MenNumber WomenAvg Salary Women
Professoracademic year122$85,15339$77,240
Associate professoracademic year82$65,93263$63,292
Assistant professoracademic year84$53,53374$52,392
Instructoracademic year35$39,87271$37,017
No academic rankacademic year1*0*
All faculty totalacademic year324$67,077247$54,676

*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.

Portland State Athletics

Athletic Conferences:

SportConference
FootballBig Sky Conference
BasketballBig Sky Conference
BaseballBig Sky Conference
TrackBig Sky Conference

Students on Athletic Scholarships (2007):

SportMenWomenTotal
Total8660146
Football57057
Track72330
Basketball81018
All Other Sports142741

Portland State Degree Programs (2007)

ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING
Architecture (BArch, BA/BS, MArch, MA/MS, PhD)
City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Accounting
Business Administration and Management, General
Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other
Business, Management, Marketing & Related Support Services, Other
Finance and Financial Management Services, Other
Finance, General
Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General
International Business/Trade/Commerce
Logistics and Materials Management
Management Information Systems, General
Marketing/Marketing Management, General
Special Products Marketing Operations
Transportation/Transportation Management

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Computer Engineering, General
Computer Science
Computer Software Engineering
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other

CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Science
Environmental Studies
Natural Resources Management and Policy

DESIGN
Graphic Design

DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General

EDUCATION AND TEACHING
Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services
Curriculum and Instruction
Early Childhood Education and Teaching
Education, General
Educational Leadership and Administration, General
Educational/Instructional Media Design
Elementary Education and Teaching
Foreign Language Teacher Education
Health Teacher Education
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching
Mathematics Teacher Education
Secondary Education and Teaching
Special Education and Teaching, General
Student Counseling and Personnel Services, Other
Teacher Education/Profess Development, Levels & Methods, Other
Teaching English as Second/Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor

ENGINEERING
Civil Engineering, General
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
Engineering, Other
Engineering/Industrial Management
Mechanical Engineering

FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK
Community Organization and Advocacy
Foodservice Systems Administration/Management
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services, Other
Public Administration
Social Work

FINE ARTS
Art History, Criticism and Conservation
Fine/Studio Arts, General
Sculpture

LIBERAL ARTS
African-American/Black Studies
Anthropology
Cartography
Chinese Language and Literature
Creative Writing
Economics, General
English Language and Literature, General
French Language and Literature
Geography
German Language and Literature
Hispanic-American,Puerto Rican & Mexican-American/Chicano Studies
History, General
International Relations and Affairs
Japanese Language and Literature
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
Linguistics
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Near and Middle Eastern Studies
Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
Political Science and Government, General
Russian Language and Literature
Social Sciences, General
Sociology
Spanish Language and Literature
Urban Studies/Affairs
Women's Studies

MATHEMATICS
Mathematics, General
Statistics, General
Systems Science and Theory

MEDIA
Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric

MEDICAL ADMINISTRATION
Community Health and Preventive Medicine
Health/Health Care Administration/Management
Public Health Education and Promotion

MEDICAL SUPPORT AND TECHNOLOGY
Audiology/Audiologist and Hearing Sciences

MEDICINE
Gerontology
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other
Public Health, Other

MUSIC
Conducting
Music Performance, General
Music, General

REAL ESTATE AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
Real Estate

RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy

SCIENCE
Biochemistry
Biological and Physical Sciences
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Chemistry, General
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other
Geology/Earth Science, General
Hydrology and Water Resources Science
Physics, General

SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
Criminal Justice/Safety Studies

THERAPY AND COUNSELING
Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling
Psychology, General

Portland State Highlights

(Details are provided further down on this page.)

What Sets Portland State Apart:

CategoryTrophy 
Number of degree programs
(vs. all colleges)
Top 1%Portland State Number of degree programs
Number of students
(vs. all colleges)
Top 2%Portland State Number of students
% of degrees in education and teaching
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 14%Portland State % of degrees in education and teaching
% of degrees in medical adminstration
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 17%Portland State % of degrees in medical adminstration
Lowest tuition & fees (in-state)
(colleges not offering open-admission)
Top 18%Portland State Lowest tuition & fees (in-state)
% students 40 years or older
(for colleges of its size and type)
Top 19%Portland State % students 40 years or older
% of freshmen enrolled part-time
(vs. all colleges)
Top 19%Portland State % of freshmen enrolled part-time
Explanation of the Highlights categories

Notable:
Accepts some high school credits
Grants credits for AP courses
Offers distance learning
Career counseling
Career services
Student employment services
On-campus day care
Remedial classes for students
Offers remedial adult education
Option to study abroad
Offers part-time study
On-campus library
Tenure system for quality teaching
Has ROTC (army)
Offers athletic scholarships
NCAA athletic conference member

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