Dr. Miguel Cardona (left), Secretary of Education and Cindy Marten, Deputy Secretary | https://www2.ed.gov/news/staff/bios/index.html
Dr. Miguel Cardona (left), Secretary of Education and Cindy Marten, Deputy Secretary | https://www2.ed.gov/news/staff/bios/index.html
Of the 22 institutions in the county, 10 provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Lewis & Clark College, Portland Actors Conservatory and Portland State University.
At least 35,407 people applied to Multnomah County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 64,468 students enrolled in the universities, including 53,658 in undergraduate and 10,810 in graduate programs. In total 6.8% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (50.2%) and Hispanic (19.2%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, Portland State University stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 21,609 students.
U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.
This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.
NCES shows that enrollment data was not available for two institutions in Multnomah County, including Western Seminary and Oregon College of Oriental Medicine.
Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.
| Institution | # of Applicants | # of Admitted Students | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Community College | -- | -- | 19,400 |
| Warner Pacific University Professional and Graduate Studies | -- | -- | 376 |
| Beau Monde Academy of Barbering and Cosmetology | -- | -- | 84 |
| Carrington College-Portland | -- | -- | 285 |
| Concorde Career College-Portland | 231 | 213 | 487 |
| Oregon College of Oriental Medicine | -- | -- | -- |
| East West College of the Healing Arts | -- | -- | 196 |
| Western Seminary | -- | -- | -- |
| Reed College | 9,023 | 2,797 | 1,534 |
| University of Western States | -- | -- | 1,096 |
| Portland State University | 7,926 | 7,371 | 21,609 |
| Aveda Institute-Portland | -- | -- | 219 |
| Mt Hood Community College | -- | -- | 6,012 |
| Oregon Health & Science University | -- | -- | 2,870 |
| National University of Natural Medicine | -- | -- | 374 |
| Warner Pacific University | 436 | 314 | 444 |
| American College of Healthcare Sciences | 60 | 55 | 987 |
| Lewis & Clark College | 6,663 | 4,597 | 3,595 |
| Pacific Northwest College of Art | 471 | 443 | 487 |
| University of Portland | 10,122 | 9,413 | 3,793 |
| Portland Actors Conservatory | 1 | 1 | 12 |
| Multnomah University | 474 | 251 | 608 |
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