Willamette University
Salem, Oregon
Private Liberal Arts College
Willamette is a beautiful campus in Salem, OR right across the street from the Capitol building, which was built on land Willamette sold to the state. Willamette was the first university west of the Mississippi, and is home to the first law school in the West. The “STAR” trees were planted in 1942 so that their tops would create a star. The Start Tree lighting is a well attended winter tradition on the Willamette campus.
It is within easy walking distance of vibrant downtown Salem, with shopping, cafes, and restaurants. The buildings are remarkably well maintained, with newish furniture, even in the dorm common areas. The kitchens in the dorms are homey and stylish, with tiled backsplashes. The rooms are on the larger side, and the common rooms are large and comfortable. Willamette currently has about 1,500 undergraduates and 500 graduate students.
Study rooms within each department are housed near professor’s offices, providing students a place to study within close proximity to their professors. These study rooms are calls “Hearths.” Professors hold office hours, but also have an “open door” policy, which means that if they are in, they are available to students. Professors often bring their pets to campus, and there is even a pet llama that is walked occasionally through the grounds.
Willamette has four professional schools, with pathways to a 3+2 MBA or 3+3 JD. Their law school, the first in the west, and their top ranked business school are located in Salem. Their new 3+1 Computer and Information Data program is housed both in Portland and in Salem with cohorts in both. The Portland cohort tends to be professionals earning the advanced degree in the evenings. The Pacific Northwest College of the Arts, part of Willamette, is located in Portland. Willamette is in the process of pursuing an undergraduate engineering degree as well.
Students can walk to the Amtrak station and shuttles are available for students heading to the Portland airport. Biking is a popular mode of transportation on and around campus.
