Portland State University

Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the next 20 years and was granted university status in 1969. It is one of two public universities in Oregon that are in a large city. It is governed by a board of trustees. PSU is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". Portland State comprises seven constituent colleges, offering undergraduate degrees in 123 fields and postgraduate degrees in 117 fields. As of 2023, the university had a total enrollment of approximately 21,000 students. Its athletic teams are known as the Portland State Vikings, with school colors of green and white. They compete at the NCAA Division I level, primarily in the Big Sky Conference. History 1946–1964: Establishment Portland State University was established as the Vanport Extension Center in June 1946, founded by Stephen Edward Epler, a native of Iowa. Epler graduated from Cotner College in Lincoln, Nebraska, and later Columbia University in New York City, before joining the army to fight in World War II. After returning to the United States after serving, Epler became a veterans' counselor in Oregon's General Extension Division in Portland. The Vanport Extension Center was conceived by Epler in order to satisfy the demand for higher education in Portland for returning World War II veterans, taking advantage of the G.I. Bill. The first classes were held in the Vanport Junior High School and given its location in the Columbia River floodplain was promptly given the colloquial title, "The U by the Slough." This first summer session had 221 students, and tuition and fees were $50. Over 1,410 students registered for the 1946 fall term, which was delayed until October 7, 1946, due to a lack of space. Since the population in Vanport was decreasing after World War II, the extension center was able to use buildings created for other purposes: two childcare centers, a recreation building with three classrooms, and a shopping center, which required substantial modification to house a library, offices, and six classrooms. In addition to Vanport Junior High School, Lincoln and Jefferson high schools were used after school hours, as well as the University of Oregon's dental and medical schools, located in Portland. Following the May 30 Vanport Flood of 1948, the college became known as "the college that wouldn't die" for refusing to close after the flood. The term was coined by Lois Hennessy, a student who wrote about the college and the flood in the Christian Science Monitor, though students nicknamed the school "The college without a future." (Hennessy was the mother of poet Gary Snyder.) The school occupied Grant High School in the summer of 1948, then to hastily converted buildings at the Oregon Shipyard, known as the Oregon Ship. In 1953, the school moved to downtown Portland and occupied the vacated buildings of Lincoln High School on SW Broadway Street, including Lincoln Hall, then known as "Old Main." The school changed its name to the Portland State Extension Center between December 1951 and February 1952. In 1955, the Center changed its name to Portland State College to mark its maturation into a four-year degree-granting institution, although severe restrictions were placed on the college's curriculum and growth. Epler, who had campaigned for a presidency role at the college, was not elected by the State Board. Without an administrative stake in the college, Epler left and accepted presidency at Reedley College in California. By 1956, the veteran population at the college had subsided, and baby food was no longer stocked in the bookstore. 1965–2000: Expansion and development Architecture at the university was a topic of controversy in its early stages. In 1968, incoming university president Gregory Wolfe commented that the buildings were distressing evidence of Stalinist cubism on campus, although urban renewal chairman Ira Keller found them to be "perfectly lovely." Portland State University's growth for the next couple of decades was restricted under the Oregon University System's 1929 ruling that no public university or college in Oregon could duplicate the programs offered by another, with grandfathered exclusions for the University of Oregon and Oregon State University. Nevertheless, graduate programs were added in 1961 and doctoral programs were added in 1972. The institution was granted university status by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education in 1969, becoming Portland State University. In 1993, PSU did away with the traditional undergraduate distribution system and adopted a new interdisciplinary general education program known as University Studies. The University Studies curriculum consists of one year of required freshman inquiry courses followed by a year of sophomore inquiry, junior cluster courses (which serve as upperclassmen electives) and, finally, a senior capstone; the senior capstone course serves as a "culmination of the University Studies program," and requires students to take part in a community-based project of their choosing, often followed by a public presentation on their experience in the project. The program garnered national attention for its learning communities, service-learning, senior capstones, and successful retention of first-year students. U.S. News & World Report has on multiple occasions listed University Studies as a "Program to Look For". In 1995, two years before his death, the university honored Stephen Epler for his contributions to the university's origins. 2001–present In 2003 Portland State was approved to award degrees in Black Studies. That same year the university opened a center housed in the Native American Student and Community Center. In 2004 the College of Engineering and Computer Science was renamed the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science, after an alumnus Fariborz Maseeh. In August 2020, citing the George Floyd protests as well as the killing of a Black man by PSU (campus police) officers in 2018, university President Stephen Percy announced that the campus police will no longer carry guns on patrol (though firearms will still be stored in the public safety office for use in case of an active shooter situation). In case of dangerous calls, Portland police will respond instead. The policy took effect on September 1, 2021. However, this policy was later reversed, and as of early 2023 campus police have resumed carrying weapons. Founders and presidents Founders and presidents of the university include: Stephen E. Epler (Vanport Extension Center), 1946–1952 John F. Cramer, 1955–1958 Brandford P. Millar, 1959–1968 Gregory B. Wolfe, 1968–1974 Joseph C. Blumel, 1974–1986 Natale A. Sicuro, 1986–1988 Roger N. Edgington (Interim President), 1988–1990 Judith A. Ramaley, 1990–1997 Daniel O. Bernstine, 1997–2007 Michael F. Reardon (Interim President), 2007–2008 Wim Wiewel, 2008–2017 Rahmat Shoureshi, 2017–2019 (ousted) Stephen Percy (Interim President 2019–2020), 2020–2023 Ann Cudd, 2023–present Academics Portland State offers undergraduate degrees in one hundred twenty-three fields, and postgraduate degrees in one hundred and seventeen. The university has increasingly added more doctoral programs as it has grown from its original mission as a liberal arts undergraduate college into a more broad-based research university. Recently added fields where doctorates are awarded are mathematics, biology, chemistry, applied physics, computer science, applied psychology, engineering & technology management, mechanical engineering, and sociology. Graduate education is now offered in more than 70 master's degree programs, more than 30 graduate certificate programs, and 20 doctoral programs. In 2006, the College of Urban and Public Affairs established Portland State University's first fully online degree. The Division of Criminology and Criminal Justice offers an online bachelor's degree in criminology and criminal justice as well as certificates in Advanced Crime Analysis, Criminal Behavior, Leadership in Criminal Justice, and a post-baccalaureate certificate in Criminology and Criminal Justice. Portland State awarded a total of 6,050 degrees for the 2014–15 academic year, including 4,250 bachelor's degrees, 1,725 master's degrees and 75 doctoral degrees. Admissions According to the U.S. News & World Report and Forbes, the university's acceptance rate was 95% in 2012, which was considered selective for a state university. According to Forbes in their 2015 survey, the university's acceptance rate was 61%. Portland State also has a dual enrollment agreement with Portland Community College and Clackamas Community College that allows students of the two schools to take courses at either school, and also complies with the Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer Degree curriculum (A.A.O.T.), which allows accepted students who have completed two year associate degrees at an Oregon community college to transfer into the university at junior level. Colleges and schools Portland State University's academic programs are organized into nine major academic units: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences School of Business Administration College of Education OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science College of the Arts School of Social Work College of Urban and Public Affairs University Honors College In addition, Portland State University, through the Center for Executive and Professional Education, offers non-credit, short term, professional education programs for the public as well as customized education for organizations. Undergraduate curriculum University Studies In 1993, PSU comprehensively reformed its undergraduate curriculum with a new curriculum called University Studies that is unique to the institution. The curriculum was conceived to address issues of credit distribution which required students in upper-level courses to enroll in classes outside of their majors. In a 1993 summary report on the reform, it was stated that the University Studies sought to incorporate "'across-the-curriculum' themes including writing, diversity and multiculturalism, ethics, and global studies," as well as form a foundation that "includes the capacity and the propensity to engage in inquiry and critical thinking, to use various forms of communication for learning and expression, to gain an awareness of the broader human experience and its environment, and appreciate the responsibilities of persons to themselves, to each other, and to community." PSU's University Studies curriculum begins with Freshman Inquiry courses, which are interactive and theme-based, and "explore topics and issues using an interdisciplinary approach to show how they can be understood from different perspectives." The Sophomore Inquiry courses are heavily communication-based, and are focused on group dialogue as well as presentations and research projects. As students transition into junior level, they are required to enroll in Upper Division Cluster Courses which are more in-depth and focused, as they pertain more closely to the students' chosen majors. Unlike the inquiry courses that make up students' freshmen and sophomore years, the upper-division courses do not feature mentor sessions. The "clusters" from which students choose their courses cover a wide range of disciplines and themes. During their senior year, while still completing upper-division Cluster Courses, students are also required to complete a six-credit senior capstone project in order to graduate. The capstone integrates class work with community-based work. These projects are integrated with local community organizations, and cover a wide range of issues, from social justice to grantwriting, environmental conservation, youth education, and more. Capstone courses often conclude with a public presentation from the students on their experiences with the community organization or cause which they explored. The university received national recognition for the program from the U.S. News & World Report, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Corporation for National Service, the Atlantic Foundation, and the Pew Charitable Trust for the innovative pedagogical approach to undergraduate education. Research Portland State University is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, reflecting levels of research expenditures and doctoral production reported through the National Science Foundation's Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey. In 2025, the Oregon Legislature designated Portland State University as Oregon's Urban Research University, formally recognizing its role as the state's primary public research institution embedded in a major metropolitan center. Research at PSU emphasizes applied, interdisciplinary, and community‑engaged scholarship, with particular attention to urban systems, sustainability, public policy, and workforce development. Faculty research is frequently conducted in partnership with local, state, federal, and nonprofit organizations throughout the Portland metropolitan region, reflecting the university's urban mission. Several academic units account for a significant share of the university's research activity. The School of Social Work is nationally recognized and ranked among the top social work programs in the United States, and its affiliated research centers — including the Regional Research Institute and the Center for Improvement of Child and Family Services — together account for approximately one‑fifth of the university's externally funded research, with an average annual research budget of about $11 million. Research in the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science emphasizes applied and interdisciplinary work in areas such as infrastructure, transportation, environmental systems, computing, and resilience in urban environments. The School of Business conducts applied research in fields including organizational behavior, real estate, supply chains, and sustainable organizations, often in collaboration with regional industry partners. Rankings U.S. News & World Report ranked Portland State as a second tier research university in their 2017 report, but listed it as unranked nationally. The university is ranked among The Best 376 Colleges in its 2012 edition, "Best in the West", and as a "College With a Conscience" by The Princeton Review. Portland State's MBA (Master's of Business Administration) was ranked in the top 100 by The Princeton Review, who also named Portland State as one of the best institutions in the country for undergraduate education. In 2015, the university ranked at number 16 as one of the "Most Innovative" colleges in the nation. In 2024, Washington Monthly ranked Portland State124th among 438 national universities in the U.S. based on Portland State's contribution to the public good, as measured by social mobility, research, and promoting public service. Portland State University's School of Business Administration is also ranked in surveys, such as The Princeton Review's Best 294 Business Schools. U.S. News & World Report currently ranks Portland State University's graduate Urban & Regional Planning Program as the 14th best in the Nation. Planetizen currently ranks the university's graduate Urban & Regional Planning Program, at the Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning, within the top 25 best urban planning programs in the nation. Other top programs/colleges at Portland State University include its graduate College of Urban and Public Affairs which is ranked 46th in the nation, its Rehabilitation Counseling and Social Work graduate degrees ranked 23rd and 33rd respectively, its Speech-Language Pathology program is ranked 62nd, as well as its Graduate School of Education is ranked as being among the "Best" by U.S. News & World Report. The university is listed by U.S. News & World Report as having one of The Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs. The Carnegie Foundation ranked PSU as a Top School in Curricular Engagement, Outreach, and Partnerships, and it is ranked as the ninth Best Neighbor Universities. Campus The majority of the PSU campus is located across a 50-acre (20 ha) section of southwest downtown Portland, in an area known as the University District. The campus is situated against the West Hills, and is bound by Clay Street to the north, Fourth Avenue to the east, Interstate 405 to the south, and 12th Avenue to the west. SW Broadway runs through the center of the campus, where the university's central buildings are located: Lincoln Hall, Cramer Hall, Smith Memorial Student Union, Fariborz Maseeh Hall, and Shattuck Hall; Cramer Hall, Smith Memorial, and Fariborz Maseeh Hall are connected by tunnels on the basement levels, as well as by skybridges on the upper levels, which allows students access between buildings without having to use street sidewalks. The university's South Park Blocks, situated on the opposite side of the central buildings, run parallel to Park Avenue, and begin at Market Street where Lincoln Hall is located, and end at Shattuck Hall. The northern edge of the PSU campus is eight blocks away from Pioneer Courthouse Square, and four blocks from the Portland Art Museum. The Keller Auditorium is located at the northwestern edge of the campus, on 3rd Ave. and Clay St. In 2010, the university opened a $62 million Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified Student Rec Center. The six-story building houses an aquatics center, climbing wall, basketball/volleyball/badminton courts, an indoor soccer court, a large fitness area, and an outdoor program; it is located in the university's Urban Center, a quadrangle which is also home to the College of Urban and Public Affairs, the university bookstore, and several restaurants; the Portland Streetcar runs west through the center. The student-managed PSU Film Committee operates the 5th Avenue Cinema, one of the only student operated theaters in the United States. Residence halls PSU houses around 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students, and has ten residence halls. Its largest include University Pointe, a sixteen-story apartment building operated by American Campus Communities built in 2011, and Ondine, a fifteen-story high rise. Older residence halls, many of which were originally apartment buildings that were purchased by the university, include Blackstone, built in 1930, and Montgomery Court, built in 1916. Other older residence halls include St. Helens Court, built in 1927; the art deco Parkway Manor, built in 1931; and Blumel Hall, built in 1986. Greek system There are several fraternities and sororities on campus. They are represented by a student-run group called "Greek Life." Art and galleries Portland State University has numerous pieces of public art around campus from renowned local, national and international artists, such as Frederic Littman, Thomas Hardy, Ken MacKintosh & Lillian Pitt, Emily Ginsburg, Harrell Fletcher with Avalon Kalin, Linda Stein, John Aiken, and Ed Carpenter. PSU is also home to the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at Portland State University, with art donated by Jordan Schnitzer. Sustainability The university has made great efforts to make its buildings environmentally sustainable, both in its new architecture as well as through renovation of its older buildings. In September 2008 the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation awarded Portland State University a $25 million challenge grant. The grant and the funds raised to match it must be used exclusively for sustainability programs. As of 2012, eight buildings on the PSU campus are LEED-certified, two of which are at Platinum status, and the university announced plans for renovations on Neuberger Hall to bring it to LEED certification as well in 2014. Portland State has been named among the most eco-friendly universities in the United States. In addition to the university's eco-conscious architecture and reconstructive work, it has also been recognized for its utilization of mass transit, including light rail, streetcar, and bus systems all central to the campus. It has also been recognized for its abundance of bicycle transportation; in 2013, PSU was ranked one of America's six most bike-friendly universities, third to Stanford University and University of California, Davis. Outside Shattuck Hall, the university's architecture department constructed the Shattuck Hall Ecological Learning Plaza, a garden featuring green walls, solar panels, and permeable pavement. Student life Student body Portland State differs from the other universities in Oregon partially because, as an urban institution, it attracts a student body older than other universities; in the 2010–2011 school year, it was reported that the average age of an attending undergraduate student was 26 years. Some programs only offer night classes. PSU also delayed the development of its campus for decades after its founding. The institution sold land in a neighboring block soon after its move to downtown Portland, and delayed the construction of student housing until the early 1970s. The student government is the Associated Students of Portland State University (ASPSU). In addition to a student body President and Vice President, there is a Student Fee Committee, a 25-member Student Senate, and a Judicial Board which rules on ASPSU constitutional questions. There are also a number of university committees that have student members appointed by the ASPSU President. Portland State also participates in the Oregon Student Association, the statewide student lobbying non-profit. Publications The fully student-run newspaper at Portland State is the Portland State Vanguard, established in 1946. Student-run broadcasters run radio station KPSU which is ranked in the Top 20 College Radio Stations by several organizations and is one of only a handful of "Free Format" radio stations in the country, and television station PSU TV. The Portland Review is a literary magazine of poetry, fiction, and art published by PSU's Student Publications Board since 1956. Additional student newspapers at PSU were The Rearguard, a monthly newspaper, and The Spectrum. Following budget cuts for these publications, they were consolidated into a monthly magazine The Pacific Sentinel in January 2016. Human resources The university houses a Women's Resources center, a Disability Resources center, a Resource Center for Students with Children, a Queer Resource Center for LGBT students, and a Veteran's Resource Center. Transportation The university contains four parking structures for automobiles: two located on 6th Avenue; one on 12th Street at the northwestern edge of the campus; and one 5th Avenue between Montgomery and Harrison Streets. A guest parking lot is located on the south end of Shattuck Hall. Portland State University is serviced with mass transit by TriMet, which includes fifteen bus lines as well as the MAX light rail system. There are also shuttles available through Oregon Health & Science University and Portland Community College on SW Harrison Street at SW Broadway. In addition to use of mass transit, the university also has a large population of students who travel by bicycle. Religious services PSU's campus is home to two Christian churches. St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church is home to the Portland State Newman Center. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints operates an Institute of Religion which holds Sunday services. Other clubs for Christian, Muslim, and Jewish students meet on campus. Athletics Portland State competes at the NCAA Division I level in football, basketball, women's volleyball, golf, soccer, tennis, softball, indoor and outdoor track and field, and cross country as a member of the Big Sky Conference. The football team competes in Division I FCS (Football Championship Subdivision). Prior to joining Division I, the school won NCAA National Division II championships in women's volleyball and wrestling. The university has 30 student-managed club sports on campus including the PSU Rugby Club, the PSU Ice Hockey Club and the PSU Lacrosse Club. In addition, the Student Activities and Leadership Program sponsors 120 student clubs including the Tango, Fencing, Medieval and Brewers' clubs. Portland State's colors are green and white, and its mascot is the Viking personified as "Victor E. Viking". Home games for football are held off-campus at Hillsboro Stadium, and home games for basketball are held on-campus in the Viking Pavilion. Alumni and faculty Notable alumni The university has several alumni in law and government, including Barbara Roberts, the 34th Governor of Oregon, U.S. Federal Judge Anna J. Brown, and American diplomats Joseph LeBaron and Marisa Lino. Betty Roberts, the first woman to serve on the Oregon Supreme Court, and Margaret Carter, the first African American woman elected to the Oregon House of Representatives, are also graduates of the university. Casten Nemra, the seventh president of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Arnold I. Palacios the 12th Lt. Governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are graduates of Portland State University as well. Portland State has produced many academics across the sciences and humanities; alumni include: cultural anthropologist and professor at Duke University Lee D. Baker; Michael Kazin, historian and professor at Georgetown University; Dali Yang, professor of political science at the University of Chicago; Thomas Talbott, professor of philosophy at Willamette University; and Hans G. Furth, professor of psychology at The Catholic University of America. Businessman and engineer Norm Winningstad, United Parcel Service CEO D. Scott Davis, and Judi Hofer, executive CEO of The May Department Stores Company are also graduates. Business magnate and co-founder and chairman of Nike, Inc., Phil Knight was an assistant professor of business at the university, and his son, animator and CEO of Laika, Travis Knight, is an alumnus. Carolyn Davidson, an alumnus of the university's visual arts department, invented the Nike swoosh while she was a student there. Tarah Wheeler, cybersecurity executive and author of Women In Tech, received her MS in Political Science from the Hatfield School. Writer Francisco Laguna Correa; poets Michael Dickman and John Sibley Williams; and novelists Deborah J. Ross and David James Duncan are among the university's alumni; Mike Richardson, publisher and founder of Dark Horse Comics, is an alumnus as well. In 2007, Dark Horse donated copies of all of its published works to the PSU Library, which maintains both a browsing collection of book titles, in addition to a research collection which also includes every "print, poster, statue, figure, and all other products." In the sciences, the university's alumni base include computer scientist and Turing Award winner Ivan Sutherland, theoretical physicist Mohammad Aslam Khan Khalil, autism researcher Paul Shattuck, and Antarctic researcher Jill Mikucki. Several social activists are among alumni as well, including British political scientist and peace-building initiative pioneer Harry Anastasiou; Native American activist Robert Robideau; gay rights activist Paul Popham, who founded the Gay Men's Health Crisis in New York City and social activist and recipient of the Director's Community Leadership Award (DCLA) Musse Olol. The university's contribution to performing arts and entertainment include actors Mark Dacascos and Terence Knox; four-time Grammy Award-winning jazz musician Esperanza Spalding; film composer Rob Simonsen; and Jack Ely, guitarist of The Kingsmen. Emmy-winning writer, stand-up comedian, and fantasy draft expert; Ian Karmel. Alternative rock singer and guitarist Courtney Love of Hole also attended the university, but did not graduate. Sportsmen who attended Portland State include football players Tony Curtis, Super Bowl XLVIII Champion DeShawn Shead, Julius Thomas, two-time Super Bowl Champion (XVII, XXII) Clint Didier, Dave Stief, and Neil Lomax. Freeman Williams, who has the second-highest NCAA score in NBA history, is also an alumnus. Notable current and former faculty Notes References Further reading "Portland State University: At a Glance". America's Best Colleges. U.S. News & World Report. 2006. External links Official website Portland State University Athletics website