Let’s walk through it together, piece by piece, using the numbers the federal government reports about this university. Not to tell you whether it is “the right one” for your child—no article can decide that—but so you know it well enough to thoughtfully include it in the decision your family is making at home.
Who this university is, in a few words
University of Portland is a private, nonprofit, four-year-or-higher institution located in Portland, Oregon, in Multnomah County, within the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro metropolitan area. The federal Carnegie Classification system describes it as a master’s university with medium-sized programs that is selective and highly residential: at the time of that report, at least half of its undergraduate students lived in institution-owned or institution-affiliated housing, and at least 80 out of every 100 attended full time.
It offers programs through the doctorate as the highest reported level, although that is a general institutional fact, not a promise that the specific major your child is interested in extends to that level. And it has none of these three designations: it is not a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. That says nothing about which communities it serves well or poorly; that is something to ask directly by talking with people who already study there.
If your child were considering living at home while attending this university, the location data does not tell you how long the commute actually takes. You should test that yourself on a weekday, at the exact time of your child’s classes.
What the community your child would find is like
Among undergraduates, 18 out of every 100 students were reported as Hispanic or Latino in the fall of 2023. They are not the majority, but neither are they unusual: compared with 941 similar private schools with selective admission, University of Portland ranks in the top quarter for this proportion.
There are more women than men—63 out of every 100 are women—and there are almost no adult students: only 2 out of every 100 are between 25 and 64 years old. And something worth knowing if you are thinking about distance: fewer than half of first-time students, 34 out of every 100, had a reported permanent residence in Oregon. The rest come from other states or other countries, or their residence was not specified. That information does not measure the cost of airfare or moving, but if it applies to your family’s life, it is a signal to build the budget around actual travel rather than assumptions.
As for size: total enrollment is 3,457, with 3,136 undergraduates and only 321 graduate students. Above all, it is an undergraduate institution. Compared with similar schools, it is on the larger side, although being large does not mean more options for your child in particular. That is something to ask about by major, not by the size of the entire institution.
How the academic year works and how broad the offerings are
The calendar is semester-based: two long terms of about 15 weeks. The university reported that it accepts credit from AP exams, but it did not indicate that it accepts credit for life experience, and it does not enroll high school students in college courses for credit.
Saying that it accepts AP credit does not mean that every exam automatically earns credit. We do not know what scores are required or whether those credits apply to your child’s exact major. You need to request that information in writing, with the course-equivalency evaluation in hand, before budgeting for any savings in time or money.
In the most recently reported year, the university awarded 865 bachelor’s degrees across 22 fields of study. But the distribution is uneven: health professions accounted for 267 of those 865 degrees, or 31 out of every 100. Compared with similar schools, it ranks in the quarter with the greatest number of fields represented in its reported offerings. Even so, 22 fields do not mean 22 guaranteed majors with active students: a row may report zero degrees for that year. The only way to know whether the major your child is interested in is active here is to ask for it by its exact name.
One figure that often catches parents’ attention: the student-to-instructional-staff ratio is 9 to 1, one of the lowest among similar schools—it is in the bottom quarter of the comparison group. But be careful not to read it as a guarantee of small classes. It is an institutional average, not a count of seats in a classroom. Ask directly how many students are in first-year classes.
The academic opportunities it reports
The university reports several structured pathways: study abroad, cocurricular undergraduate research, preparation for teacher certification below the postsecondary level, the ability to complete preparation here in certain teacher-specialization areas, and state approval of its initial teacher-certification program. These are reported pathways, not promises that they are available to every student; it is worth asking how they apply to your child’s specific plan.
The entrance door: what it requires, who gets in, and who stays afterward
Here we come to the heart of this story, because three numbers tell three different things and should not be confused with one another.
First, what the application requires. University of Portland does not have open admission: it reviews application materials before saying yes. Of the nine considerations evaluated in this report, it marked six as required: high school transcript, high school GPA, completion of the college-preparatory coursework the university requires, personal essay, letters of recommendation, and an English-proficiency exam when applicable. It also considers, though it does not require, your child’s class rank, work experience, and whether a family member previously attended—this last factor is something your child cannot change, so if it does not apply, do not spend energy on it. Spend that energy on what is within your child’s control. The published application fee, incidentally, is $0.
Second, who receives a yes. Of 9,041 first-time applicants, 8,624 were offered a place. That is 95 out of every 100—one of the highest acceptance rates among similar selective private schools: at least nine out of ten schools in that group accept fewer people than University of Portland. Even so, 417 applicants did not receive an offer. At this school, your child’s energy will probably go further toward completing the application carefully and meeting deadlines than toward worrying about competition.
Third—and this is the turn that is most important to understand—who actually enrolls after being accepted. Out of every 100 admitted students, only 8 enrolled. Put another way: out of every 13 young people who received a yes, roughly one ended up attending. It is one of the lowest enrollment rates among similar schools—nine out of ten rank above this number.
Do not read that as a mark against the school. The federal record does not say why each admitted student chose something else; many already had an acceptance in hand and decided to go elsewhere. What this figure does tell you is something practical: what others decided does not predict what your family will have to pay or what you will decide. Wait for your own letter with the net price—what you would actually have to pay—before removing this school from the list or confirming it.
As for tests: the SAT and ACT are not required. Among the first-time students who enrolled, only 13 out of every 100 submitted an SAT score, and among those students, the middle half scored between 620 and 693 in reading and writing and between 570 and 663 in mathematics. These are data for students who enrolled and chose to submit a score, not for all applicants, and they are not evidence that the score determined anything.
And regarding transfers: of the bachelor’s-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2017, 16 out of every 100 transferred to another institution without completing here—a common percentage among similar schools, neither high nor low. Separately, in the fall of 2023, 91 students arrived who were attending this university for the first time after studying elsewhere. Changing schools is not failing. It is wise, however, for your child to know in advance how credits are submitted and recognized in case a move ever becomes necessary.
The sticker price: the big number that must be faced directly
For the 2023–24 year, University of Portland reported a total cost of attendance of $74,700 for first-time, full-time undergraduate students living on campus. That figure is the same whether the student is from Oregon or out of state.
It breaks down as follows: $54,900 for tuition and fees, $16,600 for on-campus housing and food, $810 for books and supplies, plus an estimate for other expenses that each financial aid office calculates separately. Compared with 888 similar schools, this total is among the highest in the group.
But this number—I want this to be absolutely clear—is the sticker price, not your family’s bill. It is what is used to calculate aid, not what you will necessarily pay. Completing the FAFSA and receiving the aid letter in writing is the only real way to know how much this school would cost your family.
The real price: what other families actually paid, according to income
At University of Portland, among 74 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $24,994. Among 88 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $32,078; among 203 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $43,754. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.
There is a difference of $18,760 between the average for the lowest-income band (74 students) and the average for the highest-income band (203 students). These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $34,951.
Among the 937 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same time coverage, University of Portland falls in the most expensive quarter for the lowest-income families. That does not mean it should be ruled out. It means you need to request the aid letter before deciding.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours comes first. 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 grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The aid letter you receive is what matters.
How it is paid for: grants, loans, and what each number does and does not say
The good news first: 99 out of every 100 degree-seeking students received some form of grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid. Among those who received it, the annual average was $34,060. But it is an average: it includes students who received much more and others who received much less. It is not your offer; it is only the starting point for asking questions.
An important contrast: while almost everyone receives some kind of aid, the federal Pell Grant—reserved for low-income families with demonstrated need—reached only 19 out of every 100 students. That means most of the aid flowing here comes from somewhere else: the university itself, the state, or other sources. The report does not identify exactly which source, so ask directly who awards each grant or scholarship, who qualifies, and what is required to renew it each year.
Regarding loans: 40 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal loan in the 2022-23 academic year—more than two out of ten, but fewer than half. Among those who borrowed, the average amount per student that year was $6,357. Compared with similar schools, this proportion is on the low side: seven out of ten or more similar schools had a higher proportion of students with loans.
That average of $6,357 is for a single year and covers only federal loans in the student’s name. It does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes end up signing for, bank debt, or credit-card debt. Nor is it the cumulative debt someone has upon graduating: calculating that would require adding multiple years, and that figure is not in this report.
No overall percentage determines which of these groups your child falls into—the one that gets through without debt or the one that borrows. The specific financial aid letter your child receives will determine that. The university also reports offering an installment tuition-payment plan as a cost-management option.
Life outside the classroom: housing, ROTC, sports, the library, and support
University of Portland does have its own housing, and it does not require all first-time, full-time students to live there—although that does not rule out the possibility that a particular program may require it. It offers meal plans, though the number of meals per week varies by plan. The reported capacity of institution-controlled housing is 2,112 students. The existence of housing does not guarantee a bed for everyone: request the annual rate, deadline, and whether a space is guaranteed or you will be placed on a waiting list in writing.
There are ROTC opportunities in two branches: Army and Air Force. Navy is not marked. Its being reported does not indicate whether the program is based on this campus or another one, how many spaces are available, or whether a scholarship is offered: ask about it by name.
The university competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported membership in basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. If sports are part of your child’s plan, the right approach is to write directly to the coach for that sport and ask about roster openings, division, and athletic scholarships.
It offers distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, but in the reported fall count, no undergraduate student took an entire course load through distance education, and the university stated that it does not offer a complete undergraduate program that can be taken entirely that way. If distance education is important to your family, confirm its availability in writing for the exact major.
The library has employed staff, physical and digital collections, and interlibrary loan. Exceeding the spending threshold required by the government does not guarantee specific databases for your child’s major: ask about them by program name.
Finally, the university reports combined academic and career counseling services, employment services for current students, placement services upon program completion, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program for veterans, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and service members, a student veterans organization, and a published web address for disability services. The fact that these services are reported does not yet show how accessible or effective they are for your child in particular; you learn that by talking with the people who use them today.
Who stays and who finishes: the numbers that truly matter in the end
We have reached the part that, to me, is the most important in this entire journey, because it shows whether the path that begins with such an open door also ends well.
First-year retention. Of 812 first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students who entered in the fall of 2022, 674 were still enrolled or had already completed their degrees one year later: 83 out of every 100. Compared with similar schools, this figure ranks toward the top. But remember two things this number does not distinguish: it does not separate those still studying here from those who have already graduated, and not returning is not synonymous with dropping out—someone who transferred and continues studying elsewhere is counted the same as someone who left college entirely.
Graduation within six years. Of the cohort that entered in 2017—1,001 first-time, full-time students—805 had earned a degree six years later: 80 out of every 100. At four years, the figure drops to 69 out of every 100, eleven points lower. Compared with similar schools, this six-year rate ranks in the top quarter.
It is worth looking at the full breakdown of those 1,001 students: 805 completed here, 159 transferred without completing at this school, 8 remained enrolled without finishing, and 29 fell into the federal “no longer enrolled” category—a category that does not explain the reason and may include people who graduated after the deadline.
At eight years. Following a broader cohort of 1,100 students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016, 80 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this institution as of August 2023. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 78 out of every 100—three points below the group without Pell. Compared with similar schools, it also ranks in the top quarter.
A high graduation rate is not a promise for your child. It describes what happened to an earlier cohort, not what will happen to your child. What is within your family’s control is making sure your child starts with credits in order, knows who the academic advisor is from the first semester, and learns in time when registration opens for courses in the major.
What this article cannot tell you
This overview does not include—because the federal source does not cover it—anything about what happens after graduation: employment, salaries, or cumulative debt upon completing the degree. That belongs to another investigation using other sources.
Closing: a map, not a destination
But this article is only one part of the map. What remains is what your child wants to study, what your child has built so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay. A real plan grows out of those three pieces together—not from this one alone.
Your child’s part is the effort, the curiosity, and the major chosen for exploration. Your part is the money, the documents, the dates, and offering support without carrying the entire map alone. It is not your journey. It is your child’s. But while you are on the road together, make sure no exit passes by because you did not see it in time.
Source note: The information in this article comes from data reported by University of Portland to the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System), primarily for the 2023-24 cycle and related cohorts as indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent University of Portland or the U.S. government; this content is informational and does not replace the official admission and financial aid letter that each family receives directly from the university.