What Kind of School It Is, in a Few Words
Lewis & Clark College is a private, nonprofit, four-year college that Carnegie classifies in the baccalaureate group focused on arts and sciences. It is small and highly residential—at least half of its undergraduates lived in institution-owned housing—and Carnegie places it in its more selective admissions group. IPEDS records that it reports offering programs through the doctoral level, although that is a general institutional fact: it does not tell you whether your child's specific major is offered there or whether it connects to a graduate program. You ask about that by program name; you do not assume it.
It is in Portland, within Multnomah County, in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro metropolitan area, a large city with 250,000 residents or more. That does not mean the campus is right downtown. If your child were considering living at home, the only way to know whether it is practical is to drive the route on a weekday at the actual time of the child's classes. The map almost never tells the whole truth.
One thing is worth clarifying right away: Lewis & Clark College has none of the three specific designations tracked by the government—it is not a historically Black college or university, it is not a tribal college or university, and it is not a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 colleges and universities in this directory, 138 carry at least one of those three labels. Lewis & Clark's absence from that group says nothing about which students it serves or how your child will feel on that campus. Ask directly which student organizations and cultural centers exist today.
Who Studies There and How Large It Is
Here is something worth looking at directly if your child is Latino: among the undergraduates the school reported in fall 2023, 12 out of every 100 are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority. Compared with the 941 selective private four-year schools in this census that reported the data, Lewis & Clark ranks above the middle of the group but below the top quarter. It is not the worst figure you will find, but it is not a large community either. That does not remove the school from the list; it does give you something to ask about during a visit: which student group, which cultural center, and who in the office speaks Spanish.
An honest note about that comparison: it is constructed by school type, not by state. It does not account for the fact that Oregon carries a different demographic weight from other states because of its geography. And all these figures cover the entire school, not a particular major.
As for the rest of the student profile, there are hardly any adult students—the share between the ages of 25 and 64 is just 1 out of every 100—and women outnumber men, accounting for 63 out of every 100. IPEDS simply does not report where entering students came from for this school in this cycle. The information is not there, and it should not be invented.
As for size, official fall enrollment is 3,526, placing the school in the midsize band—between 1,000 and 4,999—and on the larger side of its peer group. But one detail changes the number that matters to you: of that total of 3,526, undergraduate enrollment is only 2,194. The remainder, 1,332, is graduate enrollment. If your child is entering a bachelor's degree program, the number that describes the child's actual world is 2,194, not the total. The total is inflated by people who have already completed a degree.
How Academics Work
The calendar follows semesters, two periods of about 15 weeks. The school accepts credit from AP exams, but it did not indicate that it accepts credit for life experience. Saying that it accepts AP does not mean it automatically awards credit for every exam: the data do not say what score is required or whether those credits will count toward your child's major. Ask for that in writing before enrolling; do not assume it in advance.
In a recent year, the school awarded 426 bachelor's degrees across 16 families of majors. The largest family was social sciences, accounting for 25 out of every 100 degrees—no other area comes close, but it does not dominate the total either. The offerings are distributed rather than concentrated in a single path. This counts degrees awarded; it does not measure quality or what happens afterward. Before deciding, ask about the exact major: how many students completed it and how long they took.
The official student-to-faculty ratio is 12 to 1. Compared with similar schools, its position is above the median—meaning that, within its group, it is among the schools with lower ratios, although in absolute terms it is still a moderate ratio, not a tiny one. This number does not tell you the actual size of a first-year class; it is an institutional average, not a class-size measure.
The institution also reports structured pathways: study abroad, undergraduate research, and teacher-certification preparation. If any of these interests your child, ask directly about the program details.
Getting In: What It Requires and How Accessible It Really Is
Here comes one of the central pieces of this story. Lewis & Clark stated that it does not have open admission: it reviews specific components before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, it marked four as required: the high school transcript, the personal essay, letters of recommendation, and an English-proficiency exam for applicants to whom it applies. Put simply, gathering paperwork is not enough at this college. The essay is required, so your child has to write—and write well. The application fee, by the way, is $0.
And now the figure that probably overturns a preconceived idea: of a first-time applicant pool numbering 6,334 in the 2023 cycle, 4,721 received an offer of admission. That is 75 out of every 100. Compared with 942 similar selective private schools, that percentage ranks in the middle of the group, slightly above halfway. This is not a school that rejects most of its applicants; it is more accessible than its “more selective” label might suggest at first glance. Still, this figure comes from a single cycle, not a permanent rule: when it is your child's turn to apply, check the figure for the relevant year.
Here is the contrast that truly matters to understand: for every 100 admitted students, only 12 ultimately enrolled. Put another way, out of every 8 who received a yes, roughly one decided to attend. The others had a place and did not take it. Compared with similar schools, this enrollment rate is on the low side—in seven out of ten similar schools, a larger share of admitted students enrolls. And here is something I want to tell you directly, without embellishment: this is not a stain on the school. The federal record does not say why each person chose what they chose. What it does mean is this: receiving an admission letter is not the same as deciding to attend, and what other families decided tells you nothing about what you will be offered. Wait for your own financial aid letter—the actual net price—before deciding whether this school stays on the list.
As for standardized tests, neither the SAT nor the ACT is required. Among those who did enroll and submit SAT scores—just 10 out of every 100—the middle half scored between 620 and 720 in reading and writing and between 590 and 670 in mathematics. Those numbers describe students who were already admitted and chose to submit scores; they are not a minimum you must reach or a guarantee of anything.
As for transfers into this school, in fall 2023 the count of students arriving from another institution was 42. That count is on the low side compared with similar schools, but remember that it is a number of people, not a proportion, and it goes hand in hand with the school's size. How many credits were accepted for those 42 is something to ask the admissions office directly.
The List Price and Why It Is Not the Real Price
At Lewis & Clark College, among first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000—a group numbering 57—the average net price was $17,251. For the segment of the same population numbering 48, with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $25,542; for the segment numbering 305, with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $43,993. For dependent students, the band combines their parents' income with their own.
Between the average for the lowest-income band, whose student count was 57, and the average for the highest-income band, whose student count was 305, there is a difference of $26,742. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family's price. Among first-year students who received some form of scholarship, the average was $38,247.
$17,251 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in academic year 2022-23. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting the aid letter.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, identifying yours correctly is the first step. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with scholarship or grant aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants. The aid letter you receive is what matters.
How It Is Paid For: Scholarships, Loans, and What They Mean
Here the school distributes aid broadly: 99 out of every 100 degree-seeking students received some form of scholarship or grant aid that does not have to be repaid. The average among recipients was $38,604 per year. That sounds enormous, and it is, but it is an average: it includes people who received much more and people who received much less. It is not your offer.
Now the other side: Pell, the federal aid specifically intended for low-income families, reached only 19 out of every 100 students. That means the great majority of the aid distributed by this school comes from other sources—from the institution itself, the state, or other programs—and not from the federal support directed toward families with greater financial need. Broadly distributed aid is not the same as equal aid for everyone: ask directly who provides the scholarship you are offered, who qualifies, and what is required to renew it each year.
And here comes a truth that cannot be softened: 68 out of every 100 Lewis & Clark undergraduates received a federal student loan in the 2022-23 school year. That is the majority. Compared with similar schools, this proportion is on the high side: in seven out of ten similar schools, fewer students borrowed than here. Among those who borrowed, the average amount per borrower was $6,336 that year. If your child borrowed a similar amount during all four years of the program, the total would be around $25,344, not counting interest—and that calculation should be made before the first signature, not at the end of the journey. Moreover, this number covers only federal loans in the student's name: it does not include Parent PLUS loans, bank debt, or credit cards. It is not the total debt with which someone graduates.
The fact that borrowing is common here does not determine whether your child will need to borrow. That depends on the actual aid letter and what your family can contribute. If debt appears in that letter, request the estimated monthly payment before signing anything.
Living There: Campus, Support, and What Still Needs Confirmation
Lewis & Clark has its own housing and does not require all first-time students to live there—which does not mean that no program requires it; ask on a case-by-case basis. It also offers meal plans with a fixed number of meals per week. The reported maximum housing capacity is 1,516 students. The existence of rooms does not guarantee an available bed: ask for the current year's rate, the application deadline, and whether housing is guaranteed or you will be placed on a waiting list.
There is a ROTC opportunity, but only the Army branch is confirmed in writing. The other two branches are not marked—which does not mean they are impossible; it means you need to ask directly.
In sports, the school does compete at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA. This does not tell you which division each sport plays in or whether athletic scholarships are available: ask the coach of the sport that interests your child directly.
Regarding distance education, the official file itself is contradictory: one part says there are no undergraduate distance-education courses, while another says there are. We are not going to resolve that ourselves; if that format matters to your child, request written confirmation for the specific major.
The library employs staff, has physical and digital materials, and participates in interlibrary loan. The institution also reports academic and career counseling services, student employment, and participation in the Yellow Ribbon program for veterans.
What Happens to Those Who Enroll: Retention and Graduation
This may be the most useful part of all because it deals with outcomes, not just promises.
Of the cohort that entered in fall 2022 as full-time, bachelor's-degree-seeking students, with a student count of 623, 508 were still enrolled or had already graduated one year later: 82 out of every 100. Compared with similar schools, it ranks slightly above the middle of the group, in the middle range. This number does not tell you what happened to the remaining 18%—not returning does not always mean leaving higher education; some transferred and continued studying elsewhere.
And here is the number that probably carries the most weight in this entire story: of the cohort that began bachelor's-degree study in 2017, with a full-time student count of 525, 374 had a degree in hand six years later. That is 71 out of every 100. Compared with 920 similar schools, that figure places it in the top quarter: three out of four similar schools had an equal or lower rate. At the four-year mark, however, the figure drops to 62 out of every 100—a difference of 9 points showing that many graduate, but they take a little more time to do so.
I want to tell you this with complete clarity because it is the truth, not a routine disclaimer: a high graduation percentage is not a promise about your child. It is what happened to a specific cohort that entered in 2017. What is within your control, and your child's, is starting the first semester with the credits in order, knowing who the academic advisor is, and learning in time when registration opens for courses in the major.
One additional fact, looking further ahead: among a cohort that entered between 2015 and 2016, after eight years, 75 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 79 out of every 100—four points above the group without Pell. Compared with similar schools, it also ranks in the top quarter. Again, this describes an earlier cohort; it does not determine the future of anyone who enrolls today.
What These Numbers Allow You to Do
You now know in detail one real piece of this decision: what kind of school Lewis & Clark is, who studies there, what it actually costs according to a family's income, how realistic admission is, and what typically happens to those who enroll. That is much more than most families manage to gather before deciding.
But this piece alone does not complete the plan. It lacks what only your child knows—what the child wants to study, how far from home the child is willing to live, and how much the size of this specific Latino community matters—and it lacks what only your family can define: how much you can and are willing to pay, and how much debt all of you are willing to accept.
If your child is just beginning to build a college list, this is a good time to sit down together and ask the questions left open here: about the exact major, about living in Portland, and about what truly matters in a student community. If your child is about to apply, verify the admission and price figures for the relevant cycle because they change from year to year.
That combination—what the school is, what your child wants, and what you can afford—is what turns a college name into a well-made family decision.
Source note: the information in this article comes from official data reported by Lewis & Clark College to the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System), primarily from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, and from directories of comparable institutions constructed from the same source. Best College Aid does not represent Lewis & Clark College or any agency of the United States government.