Willamette University

Private · Moderately Selective · OR

Photo: M.O. Stevens (CC BY-SA 3.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationOR · West

SettingUrban

Undergrads1,592

Student:faculty13:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate62.2%

6-yr grad rate71.2%

Drop-out rate13.5%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$51k

Out-of-state tuition$51k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity35%

Gender diversity61.9%

International1.6%

Identity—

Overview

Willamette University, founded in 1842, is the oldest university in the American West, sitting directly across the street from Oregon's State Capitol in Salem. That location is not incidental — it shapes the university's identity around politics, policy, and public service in a way few other liberal arts colleges can match.

Academics

Politics and public policy are Willamette's signature strength, with statehouse internships genuinely just steps away rather than a special arrangement, and environmental science is another solid draw given the region. The Atkinson Graduate School of Management offers an MBA with pathways open to strong undergraduates, letting some students combine degrees efficiently. Willamette's College of Law, one of the oldest in the Pacific Northwest, adds further pre-law depth to the undergraduate experience.

Campus & student life

The arboretum-like campus, with the Mill Stream running through it, adjoins the Capitol mall directly, blurring the line between campus and the seat of Oregon's state government. Willamette also maintains Zena Forest, an off-campus environmental field station used for coursework and research.

Getting in

Willamette reviews applications holistically, and given its politics and policy identity, genuine civic engagement and demonstrated interest in public affairs can carry real weight in the process alongside academics.

After graduation

Graduates move into Oregon state government, law, and public policy careers at a notable rate, helped directly by the statehouse proximity and internship pipeline, and the law school connection gives strong pre-law students an unusually direct path forward.

Worth knowing

The joint-degree pathways into the MBA program are a genuine structural advantage for students who know early that they want a business credential alongside a liberal-arts foundation, letting them move through both more efficiently than applying separately after graduation.

willamette.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate77.1%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1240–1440 · ACT 28–33

Test policyoptional

Rec letters1

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early actionNov 1

Regular decisionJan 15

Applying