Portland State University
Portland State University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Portland State University Featured Rankings
- #1 Oregon's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #2 Best Online MBAs Oregon
- #3 Best Public Colleges in Oregon
- #3 Best Grad Schools in Oregon
- #3 Online Bachelor's in Philosophy
- #3 Most Affordable Colleges in Oregon 2026
- #3 Best Research Universities in Oregon
- #3 Oregon's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #3 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #4 Best Colleges in Oregon
- #4 Online Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice
- #6 Online Master’s in Social Work-MSW
- #7 Criminal Justice Colleges and Universities
- #7 Online Bachelor’s in Social Work
- #9 Online Bachelor's in Accounting
- #9 Online Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and Humanities
- #15 Online Bachelor’s in Business Administration
- #18 Online Master’s in Data Science
- #19 Criminal Justice Research Universities
- #19 Online Bachelor’s in Public Health
- #20 Best Online Colleges
About Portland State University
According to Wikipedia, Portland State University is a public research university in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the following two decades and was granted university status in 1969. It is one of two public universities in Oregon that are located in a large city. It is governed by a board of trustees. PSU is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".
Portland State University's Online Degrees
Graduate Certificate in Global Supply Chain Management
- Required Credits: 16
- Format: Fully online
Undergraduate Certificate in Business Blockchain
- Required Credits: 18
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Business Blockchain
- Required Credits: 18
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Analytics
- Required Credits: 18
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Taxation
- Required Credits: 20
- Format: Fully online
MS in Applied Data Science
- Required Credits: 45
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
MS in Global Supply Chain Management
- Required Credits: 45
- Completion Time: 18 months
- Format: Fully online
MS in Taxation
- Required Credits: 45
- Completion Time: 1-2. years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Accounting
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Accounting
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Business Technology And Analytics
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Business Technology And Analytics
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Human Resources Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Human Resources Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Management And Leadership
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Management And Leadership
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Supply And Logistics Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Systems Engineering Fundamentals
- Required Credits: 16
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Collaborative Governance
- Required Credits: 16
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Criminology And Criminal Justice
- Required Credits: 40
- Format: Fully online
BS in Criminology And Criminal Justice
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Criminology And Criminal Justice
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
MS in Curriculum And Instruction
- Required Credits: 45
- Format: Fully online
MS in Early Childhood: Inclusive Education And Curriculum And Instruction
- Required Credits: 45
- Format: Fully online
MS in Early Intervention Special Education
- Required Credits: 64
- Format: Fully online
Undergraduate Certificate in Social Innovation And Social Entrepreneurship
- Required Credits: 16
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Social Innovation And Social Entrepreneurship
- Required Credits: 16
- Format: Fully online
MS in Postsecondary Adult And Continuing Education
- Required Credits: 45
- Format: Fully online
BA in Arts And Letters
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Cultural History Of The Arts
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Liberal Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Liberal Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Philosophy
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Philosophy
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Social Science
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Social Work
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Infant/Toddler Mental Health
- Required Credits: 20
- Format: Fully online
BS in Public Health Studies: Aging
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Public Health Studies: Aging
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Public Health Studies: Community Health Promotion
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Public Health Studies: Community Health Promotion
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Gerontology
- Required Credits: 17-19
- Format: Fully online
BS in Science
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Science
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
Portland State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8,877 | 91% | 76% | 53% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Portland State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $12,315 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $6,255 |
| 30K - 48K | $5,757 |
| 48K - 75K | $7,522 |
| 75K - 110K | $10,215 |
| 110K+ | $17,621 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Portland State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Portland State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $62,447 a year, and 88% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Portland State University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 24,869 | 19,139 | 5,730 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Portland State University?
Portland State University is located at 724 SW Harrison St., Portland, OR 97201.
How Safe is Portland State University?
Relative to its enrollment, Portland State University has a violent crime rate of 0.04% and a property crime rate of 0.28%. Portland has a violent crime rate of 0.73% and a property crime rate of 5.61%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Portland State University Known For?
Portland State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Criminal Justice
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Economics
- Computer Science
- Political Science
- Literature
- Business
- History
- Engineering
- Chemistry
- Anthropology
- Education
- Communications
- Philosophy
- Mathematics
- Earth Sciences
- Biology
- Psychology
- Medical
- Physics
- Religious Studies
- Nursing
Portland State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Portland State University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Portland State University ranks #55 in the U.S. and #70 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesPortland State University ranks #109 in the U.S. and #232 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesPortland State University ranks #121 in the U.S. and #401 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesPortland State University ranks #159 in the U.S. and #693 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesPortland State University ranks #175 in the U.S. and #648 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesPortland State University ranks #203 in the U.S. and #782 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesPortland State University ranks #210 in the U.S. and #594 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesPortland State University ranks #217 in the U.S. and #685 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesPortland State University ranks #228 in the U.S. and #651 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesPortland State University ranks #235 in the U.S. and #1313 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesPortland State University ranks #238 in the U.S. and #1160 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesPortland State University ranks #240 in the U.S. and #740 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesPortland State University ranks #241 in the U.S. and #996 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesPortland State University ranks #244 in the U.S. and #867 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesPortland State University ranks #248 in the U.S. and #813 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesPortland State University ranks #251 in the U.S. and #1009 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesPortland State University ranks #259 in the U.S. and #1103 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesPortland State University ranks #261 in the U.S. and #1015 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesPortland State University ranks #268 in the U.S. and #661 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesPortland State University ranks #310 in the U.S. and #1102 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesPortland State University ranks #342 in the U.S. and #1532 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesPortland State University ranks #369 in the U.S. and #1598 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesPortland State University ranks #637 in the U.S. and #1663 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesWho Are Portland State University's Most Influential Alumni?
Portland State University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Sociology. Here are some of Portland State University's most famous alumni:
- Peter Boghossian
- An American philosophy professor and author.
- Michael Kazin
- An American historian.
- Melanie Mitchell
- An American scientist.
- Charles Moose
- An American police officer and writer.
- Alexander Reid Ross
- An American author.
- Bill Plympton
- An American artist and director.
- Thomas Talbott
- An American theologian.
- Hans G. Furth
- A Professor emeritus in the Faculty of Psychology .
- Mike Richardson
- An American publisher, writer, and producer.
- Dali Yang
- An American political scientist.
- Jill Mikucki
- An American microbiologist, educator and Antarctic researcher.
- Amos Yong
- A Malaysian-American theologian.
Who Are Portland State University's Most Influential Faculty?
Portland State University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Sociology. Here are some of Portland State University's most famous faculty:
