Oregon Teacher Colleges and Degrees Online Guide

The information found below is designed as a school guide to help future teachers find teaching schools in Oregon. In order to be eligible to teach in the state, teachers must complete an approved program at an accredited school. Fortunately, there are several colleges and universities that offer degree programs. For useful information on the various teaching degrees offered in Oregon, take a look at the list below of accredited teacher preparation programs and student reviews. This guide is a good place to find the right program for those fresh out of college or experienced teachers looking to advance in their current career.

School Facts:

• There are 32 colleges and universities with teacher degree programs in Oregon.¹
• 18 colleges and universities offer a master’s or advanced degree in education.¹
• Highest graduation rate*: Willamette University, 78%.¹
• Highest transfer-out rate*: Southern Oregon University, 18%.¹
• Highest net price per year*: University of Portland, $33,384.¹
• Lowest net price per year*: Eastern Oregon University, $13,286¹
• Annual undergraduate tuition range for teaching degree programs in Oregon*: $15,720-$40,874.²
• One school ranked in US News National Universities Rankings in 2013 (top 200): University of Oregon (115).
• Two schools ranked in Forbes Top Colleges List (top 100): Reed College (68), Willamette University (90).
• Eight teacher programs are accredited by the NCATE, TEAC, or CAEP (see below).*

*For 4-year colleges and universities with teacher degree programs.

Profiles of Well-Known Schools

University of Oregon: The University of Oregon’s College of Education houses the departments of counseling psychology and human services, education studies, educational methodology, policy and leadership, and special education and clinical studies. Each department offers current and future educators several degrees to choose from. Offerings include added subjects and added endorsements that are designed to take the educator to new heights in his or her career and area of interest. In addition to coursework taught by outstanding faculty members, there are a wide range of student services each UO student can partake in. Those services include mentoring, academic advising, research opportunities, and time spent in the classroom.

Top-Rated Teacher Preparation Programs

The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) evaluated 1,100 college programs that prepare future teachers for a professional carreer in the education sector (Teacher Prep Review 2013 Report). According to the organization’s evaluations, there were no programs in Oregon made the “honor roll” of 3 stars or higher. For more information, read more about the NCTQ Teacher Prep Review 2013 Report.

The following teacher preparation programs in Oregon received the highest ratings by the National Council on Teacher Quality:

Oregon State University (Graduate Secondary)
Oregon State University (Undergraduate Elementary)
Pacific University (Graduate Secondary)
Pacific University (Undergraduate Elementary)

The following reviewed schools were cited as problematic (no stars):

Lewis and Clark College (Graduate Secondary)
University of Oregon (Graduate Elementary)
University of Oregon (Graduate Secondary)
Western Oregon University (Undergraduate Secondary)

Teacher Preparation Programs Accredited by the NCATE, TEAC, or CAEP

• George Fox University
• Lewis and Clark College
• Oregon State University
• Pacific University
• Portland State University
• University of Portland
• Western Oregon University
• Willamette University

Read more about the CAEP, NCATE, and TEAC accrediting bodies.

School Programs for Becoming a Teacher in Oregon

Request free information from the following schools to learn more about your options for choosing a teacher degree program. We recommend you: Request information from one or more of these schools

Schools with Teaching Degree Programs in Oregon

Blue Mountain Community College
2411 NW Carden Ave
Pendleton, OR 97801
(541) 276-1260
www.bluecc.edu

Chemeketa Community College
4000 Lancaster Dr NE
Salem, OR 97305
(503) 399-5000
www.chemeketa.edu

Concordia University-Portland
2811 NE Holman Street
Portland, OR 97211-6099
(503) 288-9371
www.cu-portland.edu

Eastern Oregon University
One University Blvd
La Grande, OR 97850
(541) 962-3672
www.eou.edu

George Fox University
414 N Meridian St
Newberg, OR 97132
(503) 538-8383
www.georgefox.edu

Lewis & Clark College
0615 S W Palatine Hill Rd
Portland, OR 97219-7899
(503) 768-7000
www.lclark.edu

Linfield College
900 SE Baker
McMinnville, OR 97128-6894
(503) 883-2200
www.linfield.edu

Linn-Benton Community College
6500 Pacific Blvd SW
Albany, OR 97321
(541) 917-4999
www.linnbenton.edu

Mt Hood Community College
26000 SE Stark St
Gresham, OR 97030
(503) 491-6422
www.mhcc.edu

Northwest Christian University
828 East 11th Avenue
Eugene, OR 97401-3745
(541) 343-1641
www.northwestchristian.edu

Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97331
(541) 737-0123
www.oregonstate.edu

Pacific University
2043 College Way
Forest Grove, OR 97116
(877) 722-8648
www.pacificu.edu

Portland Community College
12000 SW 49th Avenue
Portland, OR 97219-7132
(503) 244-6111
www.pcc.edu

Student Review: “I have had a great experience with Portland Community College. I enrolled in my classes before I’d moved here and had tons of help from the financial aid office. I’ve attended PCC three terms now. I’ve always been able to get the class or teacher that I wanted. If you carefully select your professors you’ll get great ones. There’s also an exorbitant amount of help with classwork offered in the Tutoring Center. All of my professors have also been able to help me via office hours. I’ve had several students who have transferred to university tell me to get all I can out of the resources PCC has to offer, because once you get to the university everything gets very impersonal. I’ve never had a teacher there who didn’t know my name at the end of the term. PCC also has a great scholarship application program; once a year students fill out one application that applies to hundreds of local scholarships. I’ve never gotten one but I know people that have. The streamlined scholarship process makes it much easier to apply for the aid a student needs.” -Cora S., student at Portland Community College

Student Review: “I was taking general studies to get pre-requisites out of the way to apply for a degree. Since I have two children, the online classes were my best option at the time. The online classes though were sometimes hard to navigate and the options for the classes weren’t as substantial as the campus offerings. Since I didn’t have the required credits, I typically had to apply later for classes than others, and by then there wasn’t much left. I had to take classes that I had not much interest in, since the availability could be difficult. Even for these classes, I would have to be put on a waiting list. For what people pay for college, It would be nice to have better customer service, and not be considered to be “replaceable.” I think that people that attend college should not be considered to be a “dime a dozen”, which is truly the case. Though colleges have an overload of students, it would be nice to be given some consideration. Overall, this college is mediocre. I will not be attending again.” -Leanne G., student at Portland Community College

Portland State University
724 SW Harrison
Portland, OR 97201
(503) 725-4433
www.pdx.edu

Student Review: “Portland State is right in the center of downtown Portland. Because of that, the stated goal of working with the community really happens there. Many of the professors stay in contact with local businesses and invite influential guests for presentations. Portland State works with many government agencies, so a student can gain a good understanding of the government community as well as the business community. At least in my department, there could be a bit more coordination between professors subject matter and, specifically, software. At times it was not clear whether we were intended to learn the subject or just the software. Portland State is a low-pressure university. There was not much competition to be the best. Most students were interested in learning, but were not under the illusion that to win, others had to fail. Perhaps a bit more communication amongst the professors and tougher grading would help Portland State’s academic reputation. As an interface between government, business, and even the nearby research hospital, Portland State is in an enviable position.” -Brian M., student at Portland State University

Southern Oregon University
1250 Siskiyou Blvd
Ashland, OR 97520
(541) 552-7672
www.sou.edu

Southwestern Oregon Community College
1988 Newmark Ave
Coos Bay, OR 97420-2193
(541) 888-2525
www.socc.edu

Treasure Valley Community College
650 College Blvd
Ontario, OR 97914
(541) 881-8822
www.tvcc.cc

Umpqua Community College
1140 College Rd.
Roseburg, OR 97470-0226
(541) 440-4600
www.umpqua.edu

University of Oregon
110 Johnson Hall
Eugene, OR 97403
(541) 346-1000
www.uoregon.edu

University of Portland
5000 N Willamette Blvd
Portland, OR 97203-5798
(503) 943-7911

Warner Pacific College
2219 SE 68th Ave
Portland, OR 97215-4026
(503) 517-1000
www.warnerpacific.edu

Western Oregon University
345 N Monmouth Ave
Monmouth, OR 97361-1394
(503) 838-8000
www.wou.edu

References:
1. National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator: https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
2. Niche College Search: https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/best-colleges-for-education/