Portland State University

School Overview: Acceptance Rate, Tuition, and More

Portland, OR

$7,907

Avg in-state tuition

$25,536

Avg out-of-state tuition

BestColleges.com is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Discover programs by subject area to find the best college for your future.

Search All Programs

Work here? Claim your school's profile

About Portland State University

School Type: Public

Status: Non-profit

Accreditation: Regional

Religious Affiliation: N/A While the student experience is largely unaffected at most schools with religious affiliations, some schools place more of an emphasis on religion. Learn how religious affiliations may impact students' experience.

Military Friendly: YesMilitary-friendly schools are Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges, offer the Yellow Ribbon Program, and have a dedicated point of contact to support veterans, military service members, and their families. Explore our college guide for service members and veterans to learn more.

Portland State University is a large public university located on an urban campus in Portland, Oregon. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 18,656, and admissions are selective, with an acceptance rate of 95%. The university offers 86 bachelor's degrees, has an average graduation rate of 49%, and a student-faculty ratio of 19:1. Tuition and fees for in-state students are $7,907, while tuition and fees for out-of-state students are $25,536.

Admissions Breakdown

Acceptance Rate Insight

This school has a high acceptance rate.

This school accepts students at a higher rate than other schools. High acceptance schools welcome 51-100% of all applicants.

95% of students were accepted during the 2020-2021 school year. Sometimes schools with midrange acceptance rates have higher standards of entry but are still accessible to many students who apply.

Retention Rate Insight

75% of full-time students stayed to continue their studies the following academic year. These students started in Fall 2019 and returned in Fall 2020.

Graduation Rate Insight

49% of students graduated out of all full-time, first-time students who began their studies in Fall 2014. Keep in mind many students who enroll are not typically first-time students, as most are adult learners. Therefore, the number of first-time students is traditionally low.

Application Considerations

Test scores Considered (not required)

High school transcript Required

High school rank Not required or recommended

Letter of recommendation Recommended

High school GPA Required

Open admission No

Completion of college prep program Required

Test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL) Required

Transfer Credit Policy

Dual enrollment Yes

Credit for qualified life experience* Yes

Advance placement (AP) credits Yes

*This can include previous jobs, trainings, licenses/credentials, or seminars. You may need to complete an exam or provide a portfolio to earn credit.

SAT & ACT

ACT 25th-75th Percentile 17-24

SAT 25th-75th Percentile 1000-1190

Resource

Undergraduate Application Guide

Learning Environment

Student Body Stats

This school has a student body of more than 15,000 students.

Learn more about how we determine school awards

24k

Students enrolled

36%

Online student enrollment

19:1

Student to faculty ratio

Ways Students Can Learn

Online

On-campus

Hybrid

The program is a combination of on-campus and online learning and varies per program.

International

Online classes are available for students around the world.

Demographics

White

50%

Hispanic

16%

Unknown

Asian

Two or more races

Non-U.S. Citizen

Black

American Indian/Alaska Native

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

Female student population

58%

Socio-economic diversity

54% of students received an income-based Federal Pell Grant intended for low-income students.

Explore Similar Schools

Eastern Oregon University

La Grande, OR · Public · Non-profit

Costs to Consider	Price
Books and supplies	$1,200
On-campus room and board	$13,500
On-campus other expenses	$3,210
Off-campus (not with family) room and board	$13,500
Off-campus (not with family) other expenses	$3,210
Off-campus (with family) other expenses	$3,210

Total cost by category	In-state	Out-of-state
On-campus	$25,817	$43,446
Off-campus without family	$25,817	$43,446
Off-campus with family	$12,317	$29,946

#	Programs	BA	MA	Doc
1	Architecture And Related Services
	Architecture (BArch, BA/BS, MArch, MA/MS, PhD)
	City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning
2	Area, Ethnic, Cultural, And Gender Studies
	African-American/Black Studies
	Women's Studies
	Ethnic, Cultural Minority, and Gender Studies, Other
3	Biological And Biomedical Sciences
	Biology/Biological Sciences, General
	Biochemistry
	Biostatistics
4	Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
	Business Administration and Management, General
	Logistics and Materials Management
	Accounting
	Taxation
	Real Estate
	Marketing/Marketing Management, General
	Finance, General
	International Business/Trade/Commerce
	Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General
	Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other
5	Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
	Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric
	Publishing
6	Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
	Recording Arts Technology/Technician
7	Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
	Computer Science
8	Education
	Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services
	Educational Leadership and Administration, General
	Education, General
	Early Childhood Education and Teaching
	Curriculum and Instruction
	Higher Education/Higher Education Administration
	Special Education and Teaching, General
	Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor
9	Engineering Technologies/Technicians
	Engineering/Industrial Management
10	Engineering
	Mechanical Engineering
	Materials Engineering
	Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
	Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
	Computer Engineering, General
	Civil Engineering, General
11	English Language And Literature/Letters
	English Language and Literature, General
	Creative Writing
	Technical and Business Writing
12	Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
	Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services, Other
13	Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
	Arabic Language and Literature
	French Language and Literature
	Spanish Language and Literature
	German Language and Literature
	Russian Language and Literature
	Japanese Language and Literature
	Linguistics
	Chinese Language and Literature
14	Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
	Public Health, General (MPH, DPH)
	Environmental Health
	Public Health Education and Promotion
	Community Health and Preventive Medicine
	Public Health, Other
	Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other
	Health/Health Care Administration/Management
	Audiology/Audiologist and Hearing Sciences
	Health and Wellness, General
15	History
	History, General
16	Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
	Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
17	Mathematics And Statistics
	Financial Mathematics
	Statistics, General
	Mathematics, General
18	Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
	Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
	International/Global Studies
	Systems Science and Theory
	Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
	Biological and Physical Sciences
19	Natural Resources And Conservation
	Environmental Studies
	Natural Resources Management and Policy
	Environmental Science
20	Philosophy And Religious Studies
	Jewish/Judaic Studies
	Philosophy
21	Physical Sciences
	Chemistry, General
	Geology/Earth Science, General
	Physics, General
22	Psychology
	Community Psychology
	Psychology, General
23	Public Administration And Social Service Professions
	Community Organization and Advocacy
	Public Administration
	Public Policy Analysis
	Social Work
24	Security And Protective Services
	Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
25	Social Sciences
	Economics, General
	Social Sciences, General
	Anthropology
	Political Science and Government, General
	Sociology
	Geography
	Urban Studies/Affairs
	Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
	International Relations and Affairs
26	Visual And Performing Arts
	Voice and Opera
	Piano and Organ
	Conducting
	Musicology and Ethnomusicology
	Music Theory and Composition
	Visual and Performing Arts, Other
	Music, General
	Art History, Criticism and Conservation
	Fine/Studio Arts, General
	Film/Cinema Studies
	Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
	Graphic Design
	Music Performance, General

Portland State University

School Overview: Acceptance Rate, Tuition, and More

About Portland State University

Admissions Breakdown

Acceptance Rate Insight This school has a high acceptance rate. This school accepts students at a higher rate than other schools. High acceptance schools welcome 51-100% of all applicants.

This school has a high acceptance rate.

Retention Rate Insight

Graduation Rate Insight

Application Considerations

Transfer Credit Policy

SAT & ACT

Learning Environment

Student Body Stats

This school has a student body of more than 15,000 students.

Ways Students Can Learn

Demographics

Socio-economic diversity

Explore Similar Schools

Eastern Oregon University

Oregon Institute of Technology

Western Oregon University

Idaho State University

Southern Oregon University

Western Washington University

University of Idaho

University of Oregon

Oregon State University

Explore Similar Schools

Eastern Oregon University

Oregon Institute of Technology

Western Oregon University

Idaho State University

Southern Oregon University

Western Washington University

University of Idaho

University of Oregon

Oregon State University

Eastern Washington University

Online Programs

Offers Online Programs

Online Programs

Total Online Enrollment

Student Location Breakout

Percent of Programs Online

Types of Online Programs Offered

Student Charges

Tuition and Required Fees

Cost of Undergraduate Attendance

Total Undergraduate Cost

Financial Breakdown

Students Receiving Aid

Average Aid Awarded

Financial Outlook

Varsity Athletic Teams

NCAA Division I-FCS

Participation

Degrees Awarded by Program

Architecture And Related Services

Area, Ethnic, Cultural, And Gender Studies

Biological And Biomedical Sciences

Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services

Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs

Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services

Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services

Education

Engineering Technologies/Technicians

Engineering

English Language And Literature/Letters

Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences

Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics

Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences

History

Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities

Mathematics And Statistics

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

Natural Resources And Conservation

Philosophy And Religious Studies

Physical Sciences

Psychology

Public Administration And Social Service Professions

Acceptance Rate Insight

This school has a high acceptance rate.

This school accepts students at a higher rate than other schools. High acceptance schools welcome 51-100% of all applicants.