Willamette University

From the School

Willamette University, the first institution in the West founded in 1842, is located in Salem, Oregon. Willamette's location is at the heart of the state's civic, business and recreational life. Our campus distinctly combines a College of Liberal Arts, Graduate School of Management and College of Law, providing a liberal arts education combined with professional programs. Willamette is the only institution listed on Forbes' Top MBA programs and Top Private Liberal Arts Colleges in the country.

The campus officially comprises 60 acres (plus 305 at the outdoor forest laboratory at Zena) and extends to the Oregon State Capitol to the north. Only a crosswalk away, the epicenter of Oregon government and policy provides another space for experiential learning where students work side-by-side with the state's top policymakers, legislators, scientists and economists. No other college or university in the country offers the same level of direct access to civic engagement. Students interested in health sciences also intern at Salem Hospital across the street to the south of campus. Various summer and semester internships are offered in the Salem/Portland area and across the country.

When students hear the booming taiko drums at campus events or breeze past students chatting in Japanese by the Mill Stream, they might start to question whether they've been transported from Salem, Oregon to Tokyo, Japan. These are just some of the benefits of Willamette's unique 50-plus year connection with Tokyo International University. This partnership brings more than 100 international students a year to campus and opens doors for Willamette students to study and research in Japan and around the Pacific Rim. In addition to the unparalleled opportunities for cultural and language exchanges on campus, over 55% of students participate in Study Abroad or Study Away programs.

Students interested in pursuing a JD or MBA can enroll in dual-degree programs to earn both their undergraduate and graduate degrees on one campus, and take fewer years to do it--five for the BA/MBA, or six for the BA/JD. The seamless transition from the liberal arts to professional preparation helps students complete their education more quickly and accelerates their entry into their career of choice.

The faculty at Willamette stand out nationally for their dedication to teaching, distinguished scholarly work and positive influence on students' lives. They engage, challenge, guide and collaborate with students to help them live out the university's beloved motto, "Not unto ourselves alone are we born." With an average class size of 15 and student to faculty ratio of 10:1, students have direct access to some of the best scholars in the country. Since 1991, 11 Willamette faculty members have been named to the Carnegie Foundation's Oregon Professors of the Year program, a record unmatched by any school on the West Coast. Faculty have also secured over $13.5 million in external funds for co-authored student research and received awards from the American Psychological Association, National Communication Association and the National Science Foundation.