Portland State University

www.pdx.edu/

Add Comparison

2021 Undergraduate Tuition

$8,106

2.52% growth from 2020

2021 Average Net Price

$13,015

After Financial Aid

2019 Student Loan

1.51%

Default Rate

2021 Acceptance Rate

98.4%

6,859 Applicants

2021 Enrolled Students

22,858

63.1% Full-Time

2021 Graduation Rate

53.8%

889 Graduates

About

Portland State University is a higher education institution located in Multnomah County, OR. In 2021, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at Portland State University were General Psychology (405 degrees awarded), General Social Sciences (256 degrees), and General Business Administration & Management (252 degrees).

In 2021, 7,733 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Portland State University. 58.6% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 41.4% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (4,373 degrees), 3.91 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (1,117 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Portland State University is $8,106, which is $−20,886 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,992).

Photo by David Wilson

Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity Doctoral Universities

Costs

In 2021, the median undergraduate tuition at Portland State University is $8,106, which is $−20,886 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,992).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $13,015.

In 2021, 49% of undergraduate students attending Portland State University received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 36% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$8,106

2021 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2021, the cost of tuition at Portland State University was $8,106. The cost of tuition at Portland State University is $−20,886 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,992).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Portland State University (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$13,015

2021 Value

6.72%

1 Year Growth

In 2021 Portland State University had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $13,015. Between 2020 and 2021, the average net price of Portland State University grew by 6.72%.

This chart compares the average net price of Portland State University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$13,500

Room and Board

$1,200

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Portland State University was of $13,500 in 2021. The cost of room and board decreased by 0.816% between 2020 and 2021.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,200. The cost of books and supplies decreased by 4.99% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Portland State University (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

49%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

36%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

49% of undergraduate students at Portland State University received financial aid through grants or loans in 2021. This represents a decline of 9.26% with respect to 2020, when 54% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Portland State University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

1.51%

2019 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2019 the default rate for borrower's at Portland State University was 1.51%, which represents 90 out of the 5954 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

Portland State University received 6,859 undergraduate applications in 2021, which represents a 2.36% annual growth. Out of those 6,859 applicants, 6,751 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 98.4% acceptance rate.

There were 22,858 students enrolled at Portland State University in 2021. 9% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Portland State University has an overall enrollment yield of 25.8%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

98.4%

Acceptance Rate in 2021

6,751

Accepted Out of 6,859

In 2021, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Portland State University was 98.4% (6,751 admissions from 6,859 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2020, which was 95.2%. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of applicants grew by 2.36%, while admissions grew by 5.83%..

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Portland State University (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

SAT Scores

Submission Percentage (2021)

146

Scores Submitted (2021)

9% of enrolled first-time students at Portland State University in 2021 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Portland State University had a total enrollment of 22,858 students in 2021. The full-time enrollment at Portland State University is 14,418 students and the part-time enrollment is 8,440. This means that 63.1% of students enrolled at Portland State University are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Portland State University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 51.5% White, 17.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.65% Asian, 6.02% Two or More Races, 3.94% Black or African American, 1.12% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.529% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at Portland State University in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (27.7%), followed by White Male (20%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (13.2%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (36.5%), followed by White Male (19.6%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (8.78%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

63.1%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Portland State University in 2021, both undergraduate and graduate, is 22,858 students. The full-time enrollment at Portland State University is 14,418 and the part-time enrollment is 8,440. This means that 63.1% of students enrolled at Portland State University are enrolled full-time compared with 76.6% at similar Doctoral Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Portland State University (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

76%

2021 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Portland State University was 76%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (84%), Portland State University had a retention rate lower than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Portland State University (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
11,780 enrolled students
Hispanic or Latino
3,950 enrolled students
Asian
2,205 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at Portland State University is 51.5% White, 17.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.65% Asian, 6.02% Two or More Races, 3.94% Black or African American, 1.12% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.529% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 48.9% White, 15.1% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.56% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 1,133 students (4.96%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2021, 1,335 more women than men received degrees from Portland State University. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Portland State University is white (4,373 degrees awarded). There were 3.91 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (1117 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Portland State University is General Psychology (405 degrees awarded), followed by General Social Sciences (256 degrees) and General Business Administration & Management (252 degrees).

In 2021, the most specialized majors across all degree types at Portland State University, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Architecture and Related Services (103 degrees awarded), Public Administration and Social Service (447 degrees), and Interdisciplinary Studies (430 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Portland State University are Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (336,528 people), Other managers (285,237 people), Social workers, all other (205,499 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (198,130 people), and Postsecondary teachers (138,324 people).

The most specialized majors at Portland State University in 2021 are Architecture and Related Services (103 degrees awarded), Public Administration and Social Service (447 degrees), Interdisciplinary Studies (430 degrees), Language & Linguistics (118 degrees), and Social Sciences (642 degrees) (as of 2021).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Portland State University are Surgeons, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists, Magnetic resonance imaging technologists, and Aircraft pilots & flight engineers

The most specialized majors at Portland State University are Architecture and Related Services (103 degrees awarded), Public Administration and Social Service (447 degrees), Interdisciplinary Studies (430 degrees), Language & Linguistics (118 degrees), and Social Sciences (642 degrees) (as of 2021).

Common Industries by Major

Elementary & secondary schools

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Portland State University are Elementary & secondary schools (474,044 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (321,592 people), Legal services (271,862 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (256,168 people), and Justice, public order, & safety activities (205,830 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Portland State University.

Most Common (2021)

General Psychology
405 degrees awarded
General Social Sciences
256 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
252 degrees awarded

In 2021, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Portland State University was General Psychology with 405 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Portland State University according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

3,199

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2021

4,534

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2021

In 2021, 3,199 degrees were awarded to men at Portland State University, which is 0.706 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (4,534).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at Portland State University by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2021, 241 degrees were awarded to men at Portland State University in Computer Science, which is 3.95 times more than the 61 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2021, 313 degrees were awarded to men at Portland State University in General Psychology, which is 3.13 times more than the 100 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

22%

100% Completion Time

48%

150% Completion Time

In 2021, 22% of students graduating from Portland State University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 48% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 51% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

Asian Female

Highest Graduation Rate (77.6%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2021 at Portland State University is Female and Asian (77.6% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.9%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 1.69% of graduates (15 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
4,373 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
1,117 degrees awarded
Asian
597 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Portland State University is white (4,373 degrees awarded). There were 3.91 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (1117 degrees).

3.12% of degree recipients (241 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2021)

White Female
2,596 degrees awarded
White Male
1,777 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Female
704 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Portland State University is white female (2,596 degrees awarded). There were 1.46 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (1777 degrees).

Operations

Portland State University has an endowment valued at nearly $106M, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 4.71M (4.46%) compared to the 10.4% average return (40.5M on 388M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2021, Portland State University had a total salary expenditure of 526M. Portland State University employs 212 Professors, 206 Associate professors and 166 Assistant professors. Most academics at Portland State University are Male Professor (135), Male Associate professor (110), and Female Assistant professor (103).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Portland State University are: Business and Financial Operations, with 438 employees, Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media, with 204 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 179 employees.

Endowment

$106M

2021 Endowment

4.25k%

growth from 2020

Portland State University has an endowment valued at about $106M, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The endowment of Portland State University grew 4.25k% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $282M lower than than the median endowment of Doctoral Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Portland State University (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity Carnegie Classification grouping.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$39.5M - Federal
$13M - State
$2M - Local

As of 2021, Portland State University received $39.5M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $13M from state grants and contracts, and $2M from local grants and contracts.

Salary Expenditure

$221M

2021 Salaries

5.22%

decline from 2020

In 2021, Portland State University paid a median of $221M in salaries, which represents 42% of their overall expenditure ($526M) and a 5.22% decline from the previous year.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 234M (42.8% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$68.1M

Instructional Salaries

725

Number of Employees

In 2021, Portland State University paid a total of $68.1M to 725 employees working as instructors, which represents 30.8% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $71M (30.3%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Occupations by Share

Professor

Most Common Instructor

212 Employees

Business and Financial Operations

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

438 Employees

In 2021, the most common positions for instructional staff at Portland State University were Professor with 212 employees, Associate professor with 206 employees, and Assistant professor with 166 employees.

In 2021, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Portland State University were Business and Financial Operations with 438 employees, Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 204 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 179 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic (2021)

Male Professor
Male Associate professor
Female Assistant professor

In 2021, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Portland State University was Male Professor with 135 employees, Male Associate professor with 110 employees, and Female Assistant professor with 103 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at Portland State University.