Website: Willamette University
Willamette University is an independent, nonsectarian institution of higher learning founded in 1842, educating men & women in the liberal arts & selected professional fields. The University’s mission extends far from the Oregon Territory & Pacific Northwest to encompass the larger world beyond.
Willamette University is a top-ranked private liberal arts university located directly across the street from Oregon's Capitol. Home to 1,800 undergraduates and 760 graduate students in law, business and teaching, Willamette University's campus, centered on the Mill Race and festooned with ancient trees and ample green spaces, strongly reflects the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
Described by students in the 2008 Princeton Review of the nation’s best colleges as “academically rigorous,” "intimate" and “seriously gorgeous," Willamette's College of Liberal Arts is defined by its commitment to excellence in scholarship, teaching innovation, and to the success of our graduates, who go on to prestigious graduate and professional schools, and pursue meaningful careers in the public and private sectors.
Willamette’s reputation as a top-tier liberal arts college attracts a wide variety of applicants from all over the nation and the globe. Approximately 4,200 students applied for admission to the class of 2012; 542 have enrolled. The number of Willamette students who apply for admission to Willamette's College of Liberal Arts has increased by more than 80 percent since 2002.
Do you like to sing, dance or play a musical instrument? Are you interested in learning about foreign cultures? Do you enjoy athletic competition, the great outdoors, debating policy initiatives or doing community service work? Whatever your interests, Willamette has a wide assortment of programs, organizations and opportunities available to help you make the most of your college experience.
Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, with an undergraduate college and three graduate schools. In athletics, the university is a member of the NCAA's Division III Northwest Conference, with the bearcat as the school mascot and old gold and cardinal as the school colors. There are approximately 2,500 students enrolled combined between the graduate and undergraduate programs. The school employs over 200 full-time professors at the campus that is situated across the street from the Oregon State Capitol.
Originally named the Oregon Institute, the school was an unaffiliated outgrowth of the Methodist Mission. The name was changed to Wallamet University in 1852, followed by the current spelling in 1870. Willamette founded the first medical school and law school in the Pacific Northwest during the later half of the 19th century. During the 20th century the school started a sister school relationship with Tokyo International University and began competing in college athletics.
Willamette’s College of Liberal Arts is the undergraduate school on campus. The school was rated 63rd among American liberal arts colleges by US News and World Report for 2008. The oldest of the graduate programs is the College of Law, founded in 1883 and located in the Truman Wesley Collins Legal Center. Established in 1974, Atkinson Graduate School of Management is housed in the Seeley G. Mudd Building. The School of Education, established in 1996, has an enrollment of 250 students.
The university was founded as the Oregon Institute in the days of the Oregon Country by the missionary Jason Lee, who had arrived in the territory in 1834 and had founded the Indian Manual Labor Institute for the education of the local Native Americans. Lee requested additional support for his mission, and received 53 additional volunteers in 1839, who arrived on the ship Lausanne. After a series of meetings in Lee's home, the by-laws were adopted and board of trustees elected and the institute was officially established on February 1, 1842. Lee served as the first President of the Board of Trustees, followed by David Leslie after Lee’s death in 1845. Leslie would serve until his death in 1869. The original purpose of the institute was the education of the missionaries' children.
Learn more about Bachelor’s Degree Programs
A program that focuses on the application of biological, chemical, and physical principles to the study of the physical environment and the solution of environmental problems, including subjects such as abating or controlling environmental pollution and degradation; the interaction between human society and the natural environment; and natural resources management. Includes instruction in biology, chemistry, physics, geosciences, climatology, statistics, and mathematical modeling. See more Environmental Science Schools or Online Environmental Science School Degree Programs
A general program that focuses on the English language, including its history, structure and related communications skills; and the literature and culture of English-speaking peoples. See more English Language and Literature Schools or Online English Language and Literature School Degree Programs
A program that focuses on human interpersonal communication from the scientific/behavioral and humanistic perspectives. Includes instruction in the theory and physiology of speech, the history of discourse, the structure and analysis of argument and types of public speech, the social role of speech, oral interpretation of literature, interpersonal interactions, and the relation of speech to nonverbal and other forms of message exchanges. See more Speech and Rhetorical Studies Schools
A program that focuses on the general study of dramatic works and their performance. Includes instruction in major works of dramatic literature, dramatic styles and types, and the principles of organizing and producing full live or filmed productions. See more Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts Schools or Online Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts School Degree Programs
A program in the visual arts that focuses on the study of the history, development, theory, and criticism of the film/video arts, as well as the basic principles of film making and film production. See more Film/Cinema Studies Schools or Online Film/Cinema Studies School Degree Programs
This general program focuses on the literary culture of the ancient Graeco-Roman world and the Greek and Latin languages and literatures and their development prior to the fall of the Roman Empire. See more Classics and Languages, Literatures and Linguistics Schools
A program that focuses on two or more literary traditions in the original languages or in translation. Includes instruction in comparative linguistics; applicable foreign languages; English/French language and literature; literary criticism; and applications to genre, period, national, and textual studies as well as literary forms such as poetry, prose, and drama. See more Comparative Literature Schools
A program that focuses on the French language and related dialects and creoles. Includes instruction in French philology, Metropolitan French, Canadian French, African and Caribbean Creoles, French regional dialects, and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings. See more French Language and Literature Schools
A program that focuses on the German language and related dialects as used in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, neighboring European countries containing German-speaking minorities, and elsewhere. Includes instruction in German philology; Old, Middle, and High German; Plattdeutsch and other regional dialects; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings. See more German Language and Literature Schools
A program that focuses on the Russian language. Includes instruction in Russian philology, Old Russian, Modern Russian and dialects, literature, and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings. See more Russian Language and Literature Schools
A program that focuses on the Spanish language and related dialects. Includes instruction in Spanish philology, Modern Castillan, various Latin American dialects, regional Spanish dialects, and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings. See more Spanish Language and Literature Schools
A program that focuses on combined studies and research in the humanities subjects as distinguished from the social and physical sciences, emphasizing languages, literatures, art, music, philosophy and religion. See more Humanities/Humanistic Studies Schools or Online Humanities/Humanistic Studies School Degree Programs
A program that is a structured combination of the arts, biological and physical sciences, social sciences, and humanities, emphasizing breadth of study. Includes instruction in independently designed, individualized, or regular programs. See more Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies Schools or Online Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies School Degree Programs
A program that focuses on the general study and interpretation of the past, including the gathering, recording, synthesizing and criticizing of evidence and theories about past events. Includes instruction in historiography; historical research methods; studies of specific periods, issues and cultures; and applications to areas such as historic preservation, public policy, and records administration. See more History Schools or Online History School Degree Programs
A general program that focuses on the introductory study and appreciation of music and the performing arts. Includes instruction in music, dance, and other performing arts media. See more General Music Schools or Online General Music School Degree Programs
A program that prepares individuals to provide musical instruction and tutoring to clients in private and institutional settings. Includes instruction in music theory, music composition, mastery of one or more instruments, familiarity with various musical genres and styles, principles of music education, and client communications. See more Music Pedagogy Schools
A program that focuses on the study of the principles of sound manipulation as applied to the creation of music, and the techniques of creating and arranging music. Includes instruction in aural theory, melody, counterpoint, complex harmony, modulation, chromatics, improvisation, progressions, musical writing, instrumentation, orchestration, electronic and computer applications, studies of specific musical styles, and development of original creative ability. See more Music Theory and Composition Schools
A program that prepares individuals to master the piano, organ, or related keyboard instruments and performing art as solo, ensemble, and/or accompanist performers. Includes instruction in piano and keyboard pedagogy, ensemble playing, accompanying, service playing, repertoire, keyboard and pedal skills, recital, and personal style development. See more Piano and Organ Schools
A program that prepares individuals to master the human voice and performing art as solo and/or ensemble performers in concert, choir, opera, or other forms of singing. Includes instruction in voice pedagogy, diction, vocal physiology and exercise, expressive movement, repertoire, recital, and personal style development. See more Voice and Opera Schools
A program that focuses on ideas and their logical structure, including arguments and investigations about abstract and real phenomena. Includes instruction in logic, ethics, aesthetics, epistemology, metaphysics, symbolism, and history of philosophy, and applications to the theoretical foundations and methods of other disciplines. See more General Philosophy Schools or Online General Philosophy School Degree Programs
A program that focuses on the nature of religious belief and specific religious and quasi-religious systems. Includes instruction in phenomenology; the sociology, psychology, philosophy, anthropology, literature and art of religion; mythology; scriptural and textual studies; religious history and politics; and specific studies of particular faith communities and their behavior. See more General Religion/Religious Studies Schools or Online General Religion/Religious Studies School Degree Programs
Students of Art History study of the historical development of art as a social and intellectual phenomenon. Art History programs include the analysis of works of art, and art conservation, art history research methods, connoisseurship, the preservation and conservation of works of art, and the study of specific periods, cultures, styles, and themes. See more Art History, Criticism and Conservation Schools or Online Art History, Criticism and Conservation School Degree Programs
A program that prepares individuals to generally function as creative artists in the visual and plastic media. Includes instruction in the traditional fine arts media (drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, CAD/CAM) and/or modern media (ceramics, textiles, intermedia, photography, digital images); theory of art; color theory; composition and perspective; anatomy; the techniques and procedures for maintaining equipment and managing a studio; and art portfolio marketing. See more Fine/Studio Arts Schools
A scientific program that focuses on the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and biophysics of human movement, and applications to exercise and therapeutic rehabilitation. Includes instruction in biomechanics, motor behavior, motor development and coordination, motor neurophysiology, performance research, rehabilitative therapies, the development of diagnostic and rehabilitative methods and equipment, and related analytical methods and procedures in applied exercise and therapeutic rehabilitation . See more Kinesiology and Exercise Science Schools
A program that prepares individuals, in association with a rehabilitation team or in private practice, to use music in therapeutic relationships to address patients' physical, psychological, cognitive, emotional, and social needs. Includes instruction in music theory and performance, human growth and development, biomedical sciences, abnormal psychology, disabling conditions, patient assessment and diagnosis, treatment plan development and implementation, clinical evaluation, record-keeping, and professional standards and ethics. See more Music Therapy/Therapist Schools
A program that focuses on global and international issues from the perspective of the social sciences, social services, and related fields. See more International/Global Studies Schools or Online International/Global Studies School Degree Programs
Any instructional program that is derived from two or more distinct programs to provide a cross-cutting focus on a subject concentration that is not subsumed under a single discipline or occupational field. See more Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies Schools or Online Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies School Degree Programs
Students in this program study general biology at an introductory level. This major provides students with a broad overview of biology and includes instruction in general biology and programs covering a variety of biological specializations. See more Biology/Biological Sciences Schools or Online Biology/Biological Sciences School Degree Programs
A general program that focuses on the analysis of quantities, magnitudes, forms, and their relationships, using symbolic logic and language. Includes instruction in algebra, calculus, functional analysis, geometry, number theory, logic, topology and other mathematical specializations. See more General Mathematics Schools or Online General Mathematics School Degree Programs
A general program that focuses on the scientific study of the composition and behavior of matter, including its micro- and macro-structure, the processes of chemical change, and the theoretical description and laboratory simulation of these phenomena. See more General Chemistry Schools or Online General Chemistry School Degree Programs
A general program that focuses on the scientific study of matter and energy, and the formulation and testing of the laws governing the behavior of the matter-energy continuum. Includes instruction in classical and modern physics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, mechanics, wave properties, nuclear processes, relativity and quantum theory, quantitative methods, and laboratory methods. See more General Physics Schools
Students of Archeology study past societies, via the excavation, analysis and interpretation of their artefacts. Instruction in Archeology includes archeological theory, field methods, dating methods, conservation and museum studies, cultural and physical evolution, and the study of specific selected past cultures. See more Archeology Schools
A program that focuses on the systematic study of human beings, their antecedents and related primates, and their cultural behavior and institutions, in comparative perspective. Includes instruction in biological/physical anthropology, primatology, human paleontology and prehistoric archeology, hominid evolution, anthropological linguistics, ethnography, ethnology, ethnohistory, socio-cultural anthropology, psychological anthropology, research methods, and applications to areas such as medicine, forensic pathology, museum studies, and international affairs. See more General Anthropology Schools or Online General Anthropology School Degree Programs
This program studies the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of the United States and its Pre-Columbian and colonial predecessors, including the flow of immigrants from other societies. See more American/United States Studies/Civilization Schools
This four year program focuses on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of the peoples of the Asian Continent. Asian Studies programs include the study of Asian diasporas overseas. See more Asian Studies/Civilization Schools or Online Asian Studies/Civilization School Degree Programs
A program that focuses on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the peoples of East Asia, defined as including China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Taiwan, Tibet, related borderlands and island groups, and including the study of the East Asian diasporas overseas. See more East Asian Studies Schools
A program that focuses on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of the peoples of Japan, and related island groups and coastal neighbors. See more Japanese Studies Schools
A program that focuses on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the Hispanic peoples of the North and South American Continents outside Canada and the United States, including the study of the Pre-Columbian period and the flow of immigrants from other societies. See more Latin American Studies Schools
A program that focuses on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the peoples of historical Western Europe, defined as including Britain, Ireland, France, the Low Countries, the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, the Western Mediterranean, and related island groups and borderlands. See more Western European Studies Schools
A program that focuses on the history, sociology, politics, culture, and economics of women, and the development of modern feminism in relation to the roles played by women in different periods and locations in North America and the world. Programs may focus on literature, philosophy, and the arts as much as on social studies and policy. See more Women’s Studies Schools or Online Women’s Studies School Degree Programs
A general program that focuses on the systematic study of the production, conservation and allocation of resources in conditions of scarcity, together with the organizational frameworks related to these processes. Includes instruction in economic theory, micro- and macroeconomics, comparative economic systems, money and banking systems, international economics, quantitative analytical methods, and applications to specific industries and public policy issues. See more General Economics Schools or Online General Economics School Degree Programs
A general program that focuses on the systematic study of political institutions and behavior. Includes instruction in political philosophy, political theory, comparative government and politics, political parties and interest groups, public opinion, political research methods, studies of the government and politics of specific countries, and studies 0f specific political institutions and processes. See more General Political Science and Government Schools or Online General Political Science and Government School Degree Programs
A general program that focuses on the scientific study of individual and collective behavior, the physical and environmental bases of behavior, and the analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders. Includes instruction in the principles of the various subfields of psychology, research methods, and psychological assessment and testing methods. See more General Psychology Schools or Online General Psychology School Degree Programs
A program that focuses on the systematic study of human social institutions and social relationships. Includes instruction in social theory, sociological research methods, social organization and structure, social stratification and hierarchies, dynamics of social change, family structures, social deviance and control, and applications to the study of specific social groups, social institutions, and social problems. See more Sociology Schools or Online Sociology School Degree Programs
A general program that focuses on computers, computing problems and solutions, and the design of computer systems and user interfaces from a scientific perspective. Includes instruction in the principles of computational science, and computing theory; computer hardware design; computer development and programming; and applications to a variety of end-use situations. See more General Computer Science Schools or Online General Computer Science School Degree Programs
Learn more about Master’s Degree Programs
Generally, this program prepares individuals to plan, organize, direct, and control a firm or organization. To aid them in taking a leading role in business, individuals in this program study management theory, human resources management and behavior, accounting and other quantitative methods, purchasing and logistics, organization and production, marketing, and business decision-making. See more Business Administration and Management Schools or Online Business Administration and Management School Degree Programs
A program that focuses on the general theory and practice of learning and teaching; the basic principles of educational psychology; the art of teaching; the planning and administration of educational activities; school safety and health issues; and the social foundations of education. See more General Education Schools or Online General Education School Degree Programs
An advanced, professional study of the law affecting relations between nations, the behavior of international organizations, and the international activities of private citizens and organizations. See more International Law and Legal Studies (LL.M., J.S.D./S.J.D.) Schools
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| Percent of Students International: | 4% |
| On-Campus Housing Available: | Yes |
| Percent of Students Living On-Campus: | 59% |
| Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: | Yes |
| Member of: | NAA, NCAA |
| Sports Include: |
Football (Northwest Conference) Basketball (Northwest Conference) Baseball (Northwest Conference) Track (Northwest Conference) |
| Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) | Expenses | ||
Published Tuition and Fees: |
$ 31,968 | ||
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 31,760 | ||
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 208 | ||
| Financial Aid | Avg. Amount Received | % of Students Receiving Aid | |
Federal Grants: |
$ 4,630 | 17% | |
State and Local Grants: |
$ 3,772 | 5% | |
Institutional Grants: |
$ 13,593 | 94% | |
Student Loans: |
$ 5,696 | 55% | |
Any Aid: |
95% |
| Acceptance Rate: | 77% (Selective) |
| Test Scores | |
| SAT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting SAT Scores: | 79% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Verbal: 570, Math: 550 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Verbal: 690, Math: 660 |
| ACT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting ACT Scores: | 21% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Composite: 25, Verbal: 24, Math: 23 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Composite: 29, Verbal: 31, Math: 28 |
| Application Fee: | $ 50.00 |
| Formal Demonstration of Competencies: | Not Required |
| High School Diploma or Equivalent: | Required |
| High School GPA: | Required |
| High School Rank: | Recommended |
| High School Record: | Required |
| Recommendations: | Required |
| TOEFL: | Recommended |
| Test Scores: | Required |
College Advice on Willamette University |
Question: liberal arts v. university?I'm a senior in highschool and i still don't know where to go to college--I cant decide between the University of Washington and a small liberal arts school Willamette University. Money is not an issue and I plan on going to UW medical school either way. has anyone been to either school and can give me some advice? University of Washington is awefully big, and I may be leaning towards Willamette.....but my boyfriend of 5 months (but also my best friend for 3 years) will be attending University of WA....34 months ago
Best AnswerHave you visited? My son has been accepted to both, as well as some other schools. Willamette has an admitted students day tomorrow, the 20th. You can spend a night in the dorm afterward as well. My son has found it very helpful to sit in on a class or two at the colleges he's most interested in, and spend a night in the dorm. It really helps to get the feeling of what the students are like. I say visit and go with your gut about what is best for you. The boyfriend might or might not last if you are at different colleges, but you could always visit occasionally, it's about a four hour drive between Seattle and Salem. |