Universities
The first university established in Oregon, Willamette University is a Division III school with 2,500 students. WU is right across the street from the Oregon State Capitol, creating internship opportunities for politically-minded students. Ten of its faculty members have been named Oregon Professor of the Year in the last 20 years, and the university’s challenging academics and beautiful campus frequently rank highly on national lists.
Corban University is a private Christian university with approximates 925 students. Students complete 50 hours of community service and study liberal arts from a Biblical perspective. Corban has ranked in US News & World Report‘s Top Ten in the West for the last nine years; it’s the only Christian school with that distinction.
Chemeketa Community College’s main campus is in Salem, with five satellite campuses around the Willamette Valley. Chemeketa offers courses in over 40 professional-technical programs, along with programs in the arts, communications, and education, and its viticulture program was the first of its kind in the state.
Western Oregon University is a public, Division II liberal arts college with around 6,200 students. WOU is known for its award-winning Teacher Education Program and its high-quality American Sign Language program. WOU is one of the most diverse universities in Oregon, and it’s the only university in the western USA that guarantees that undergraduate students will have the same tuition rate for all four academic years.