Portland State University
Public four-year university in Portland, OR that costs an average of $8,337 a year after financial aid, admits 91% of applicants and graduates 53% of full-time students.
Net price / year
$8,337
Acceptance rate
91%
Graduation rate
53%
Earnings after 10 yrs
$62,447
PublicLarge city13,182 undergraduates
Cost of Portland State University
| Total cost of attendance (per year) | $20,561 |
|---|---|
| Tuition and fees, in-state | $12,315 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state | $32,565 |
| Housing and food (on campus) | $15,783 |
| Books and supplies | $750 |
| Average net price after aid | $8,337 |
Net price by family income
| Family income | Average net price / year |
|---|---|
| $0–30,000 | $6,255 |
| $30,001–48,000 | $5,757 |
| $48,001–75,000 | $7,522 |
| $75,001–110,000 | $10,215 |
| $110,001+ | $17,621 |
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships (in-state students). Get your own estimate with Portland State University's net price calculator ↗.
Admissions
| Acceptance rate | 91% |
|---|---|
| Test scores | Considered but not required |
Graduation, earnings and debt
| Graduation rate | 53% |
|---|---|
| First-year retention | 76% |
| Median earnings 6 years after enrolling | $53,005 |
| Median earnings 10 years after enrolling | $62,447 |
| Rank in Oregon (earnings) | 12th of 22 similar colleges |
| Median debt of graduates | $19,489 |
| Typical monthly loan payment | $221 (10-year plan) |
| Students with Pell grants | 46% |
| Students with federal loans | 32% |
Majors and programs at Portland State University
Earnings one year after graduation and median debt, by program. Click a program for details and comparisons.
Bachelor's degree programs (74)
Certificate programs (23)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | 1 | — | — |
| Area Studies | 4 | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 1 | — | — |
| Business/Corporate Communications | 25 | — | — |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 53 | — | — |
| Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature | 1 | — | — |
| Economics | — | — | — |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | 31 | — | — |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | — | — | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 7 | — | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 2 | — | — |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | 10 | — | — |
| Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other | 1 | — | — |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | 29 | — | — |
| International Business | 21 | — | — |
| International/Globalization Studies | 4 | — | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 21 | — | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 9 | — | — |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 7 | — | — |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 5 | — | — |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 5 | — | — |
| Sustainability Studies | 6 | — | — |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | 33 | — | — |
Post-baccalaureate certificate programs (2)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Related Services | — | — | — |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | — | — | — |
Master's degree programs (86)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Materials Engineering | 25 | $125,486 | — |
| Mechanical Engineering | 40 | $117,066 | — |
| Computer Science | 199 | $112,908 | $39,144 |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering | 274 | $112,888 | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 215 | $96,412 | $41,000 |
| Civil Engineering | 26 | $95,050 | — |
| Real Estate | 37 | $90,275 | — |
| Public Administration | 61 | $86,609 | $37,936 |
| Applied Mathematics | 55 | $83,395 | — |
| Taxation | 35 | $76,595 | — |
| Curriculum and Instruction | 71 | $68,696 | $21,068 |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | 71 | $68,508 | $38,000 |
| Social Work | 565 | $66,965 | $56,750 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 87 | $65,188 | $50,053 |
| Special Education and Teaching | 133 | $60,533 | $41,000 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 82 | $58,602 | $36,799 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | 83 | $57,448 | $61,500 |
| Education | 279 | $56,448 | $35,756 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 73 | $54,653 | $35,500 |
| Publishing | 49 | $39,953 | $38,707 |
| Anthropology | 17 | — | — |
| Applied Statistics | — | — | — |
| Architecture | 34 | — | $41,000 |
| Architecture and Related Services, Other | — | — | — |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | — | — | — |
| Biology | 8 | — | — |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | 16 | — | — |
| Chemistry | 3 | — | — |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | — | — | — |
| Communication and Media Studies | 15 | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other | — | — | — |
| Computer Engineering | — | — | — |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | — | — | — |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | — | — | — |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 18 | — | — |
| Data Analytics | — | — | — |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | — | — | — |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 4 | — | — |
| Economics | 14 | — | — |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | — | — | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | — | — | — |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians | — | — | — |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 46 | — | — |
| English Language and Literature | 28 | — | — |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | — | — | — |
| Environmental Design | — | — | — |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | 9 | — | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | — | — | — |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 3 | — | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 16 | — | — |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | — | — | — |
| Geography and Cartography | 22 | — | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 11 | — | — |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 1 | — | — |
| Gerontology | — | — | — |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 42 | — | — |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | — | — | — |
| History | 9 | — | — |
| Homeland Security | 9 | — | — |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | — | — | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | — | — | — |
| International Business | — | — | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | — | — | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | — | — | — |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 55 | — | $20,500 |
| Mathematics | 32 | — | — |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | — | — | — |
| Music | 23 | — | — |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 14 | — | — |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | 8 | — | — |
| Physics | 4 | — | — |
| Political Science and Government | 7 | — | — |
| Psychology | 13 | — | — |
| Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other | — | — | — |
| Public Health | 154 | — | — |
| Public Policy Analysis | 25 | — | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 35 | — | — |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 12 | — | — |
| Social Sciences | — | — | — |
| Sociology | 12 | — | — |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | — | — | — |
| Statistics | 19 | — | — |
| Systems Engineering | 16 | — | — |
| Systems Science and Theory | 1 | — | — |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | 29 | — | — |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | 9 | — | — |
Doctoral degree programs (27)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | 5 | — | — |
| Chemistry | 8 | — | — |
| Civil Engineering | 6 | — | — |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 13 | — | — |
| Computer Science | 9 | — | — |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | — | — | — |
| Curriculum and Instruction | 8 | — | — |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 15 | — | — |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering | 6 | — | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | — | — | — |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 9 | — | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | — | — | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | 9 | — | — |
| Mechanical Engineering | 3 | — | — |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 5 | — | — |
| Physics | 4 | — | — |
| Psychology | — | — | — |
| Public Health | 11 | — | — |
| Public Policy Analysis | 12 | — | — |
| Social Work | 13 | — | — |
| Sociology | 4 | — | — |
| Special Education and Teaching | 3 | — | — |
| Statistics | — | — | — |
| Systems Science and Theory | 1 | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 6 | — | — |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | 7 | — | — |
Graduate certificate programs (66)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 49 | $71,622 | — |
| Accounting and Related Services | 76 | — | — |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | — | — | — |
| Applied Statistics | 5 | — | — |
| Architecture and Related Services, Other | 4 | — | — |
| Area Studies | — | — | — |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | 3 | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 19 | — | — |
| Business/Corporate Communications | — | — | — |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | 3 | — | — |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 21 | — | — |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | — | — | — |
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other | — | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other | 1 | — | — |
| Computer Engineering | — | — | — |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | 38 | — | — |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | 18 | — | — |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 4 | — | — |
| Dance | — | — | — |
| Data Analytics | 13 | — | — |
| Demography | 1 | — | — |
| Economics | 9 | — | — |
| Education | 4 | — | — |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 24 | — | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | — | — | — |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 6 | — | — |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 12 | — | — |
| Engineering, Other | 4 | — | — |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | 9 | — | — |
| Environmental Design | 8 | — | — |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | — | — | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 7 | — | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | — | — | — |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | 18 | — | — |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | — | — | — |
| Geography and Cartography | 27 | — | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 7 | — | — |
| Gerontology | 11 | — | — |
| Homeland Security | 8 | — | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 6 | — | — |
| International Business | — | — | — |
| International/Globalization Studies | — | — | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | — | — | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | — | — | — |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 9 | — | — |
| Materials Engineering | 26 | — | — |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | — | — | — |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 8 | — | — |
| Music | 1 | — | — |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | 5 | — | — |
| Public Administration | 4 | — | — |
| Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other | 10 | — | — |
| Public Health | 1 | — | — |
| Public Policy Analysis | 8 | — | — |
| Real Estate | 38 | — | — |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Special Education and Teaching | 25 | — | — |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | 11 | — | — |
| Statistics | — | — | — |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | — | — | — |
| Systems Engineering | 11 | — | — |
| Taxation | 1 | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 529 | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | — | — | — |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | — | — | — |
| Turkic, Uralic-Altaic, Caucasian, and Central Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
Similar colleges in Oregon
| College | City | Net price / yr | Acceptance | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Oregon | Eugene | $22,547 | 88% | $66,990 |
| Oregon State University | Corvallis | $21,504 | 77% | $67,894 |
| Western Oregon University | Monmouth | $17,140 | 98% | $56,475 |
| Oregon Institute of Technology | Klamath Falls | $17,499 | 95% | $78,398 |
| Southern Oregon University | Ashland | $20,998 | 89% | $54,657 |
| Eastern Oregon University | La Grande | $15,665 | 98% | $53,987 |
| Oregon Health & Science University | Portland | — | — | $109,788 |
| Oregon State University-Cascades Campus | Bend | $17,853 | 63% | $67,894 |
About Portland State University
| Type | Public four-year university |
|---|---|
| Location | Portland, OR |
| Setting | Large city |
| Undergraduates | 13,182 |
| Student-to-faculty ratio | 17 to 1 |
| Accreditor | Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities |
| Website | pdx.edu ↗ |
Frequently asked questions
What is Portland State University's acceptance rate?
Portland State University admits 91% of applicants.
How much does Portland State University cost per year?
The full cost of attendance is $20,561 a year (tuition and fees: $12,315 in-state, $32,565 out-of-state). After grants and scholarships the average student pays $8,337 a year, and students from families earning under $30,000 pay about $6,255.
How much do Portland State University graduates earn?
Former students earn a median of $62,447 a year, 10 years after first enrolling — 12th of 22 similar colleges in Oregon. The best-paid bachelor's program is computer engineering ($96,791 a year after graduation).
What is Portland State University's graduation rate?
53% of full-time students graduate within six years, and 76% of first-year students return for a second year.