Best Colleges in Oregon by Salary Potential

When you graduate with your bachelor’s degree, you want to earn a good salary. Learn which Oregon school is the best college by alumni salary.

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Bachelor's Only
All Alumni
RankSchool NameSchool TypeEarly Career Pay
Mid-Career Pay
% High Meaning
% STEM Degrees
Rank:1School Name:Reed CollegeSchool Type:Liberal Arts School, Private SchoolEarly Career Pay:$61,600Mid-Career Pay:$120,100% High Meaning:40%% STEM Degrees:31%
Rank:2School Name:Willamette UniversitySchool Type:Liberal Arts School, Private SchoolEarly Career Pay:$55,600Mid-Career Pay:$116,100% High Meaning:53%% STEM Degrees:13%
Rank:3School Name:University of PortlandSchool Type:Private School, Religious, For Sports FansEarly Career Pay:$64,000Mid-Career Pay:$112,300% High Meaning:51%% STEM Degrees:31%
Rank:4School Name:Oregon State UniversitySchool Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$61,200Mid-Career Pay:$110,000% High Meaning:52%% STEM Degrees:36%
Rank:5School Name:Oregon Institute of TechnologySchool Type:State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$67,200Mid-Career Pay:$109,000% High Meaning:59%% STEM Degrees:29%
Rank:6School Name:Oregon Health & Science UniversitySchool Type:State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$74,700Mid-Career Pay:$105,400% High Meaning:74%% STEM Degrees:6%
Rank:7School Name:University of OregonSchool Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$56,000Mid-Career Pay:$104,700% High Meaning:47%% STEM Degrees:14%
Rank:8School Name:Lewis & Clark CollegeSchool Type:Liberal Arts School, Private SchoolEarly Career Pay:$53,900Mid-Career Pay:$104,500% High Meaning:57%% STEM Degrees:11%
Rank:9School Name:Linfield University-Online and Continuing EducationSchool Type:Private School, ReligiousEarly Career Pay:$56,500Mid-Career Pay:$100,600% High Meaning:55%% STEM Degrees:1%
Rank:10School Name:Linfield University-McMinnville CampusSchool Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, ReligiousEarly Career Pay:$56,100Mid-Career Pay:$99,900% High Meaning:48%% STEM Degrees:17%
Rank:11School Name:Pacific UniversitySchool Type:Private SchoolEarly Career Pay:$52,000Mid-Career Pay:$99,700% High Meaning:64%% STEM Degrees:8%
Rank:12School Name:Portland State UniversitySchool Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$55,300Mid-Career Pay:$96,200% High Meaning:50%% STEM Degrees:18%
Rank:13School Name:Pacific Northwest College of ArtSchool Type:Art, Private SchoolEarly Career Pay:$50,600Mid-Career Pay:$95,200% High Meaning:-% STEM Degrees:0%
Rank:14School Name:George Fox UniversitySchool Type:Private School, ReligiousEarly Career Pay:$55,300Mid-Career Pay:$91,300% High Meaning:50%% STEM Degrees:10%
Rank:15School Name:Corban UniversitySchool Type:Private School, ReligiousEarly Career Pay:$47,100Mid-Career Pay:$89,600% High Meaning:67%% STEM Degrees:3%
Rank:16School Name:Bushnell UniversitySchool Type:Private School, ReligiousEarly Career Pay:$50,700Mid-Career Pay:$88,800% High Meaning:60%% STEM Degrees:6%
Rank:17School Name:Southern Oregon UniversitySchool Type:State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$50,100Mid-Career Pay:$87,300% High Meaning:55%% STEM Degrees:6%
Rank:18School Name:Western Oregon UniversitySchool Type:State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$48,800Mid-Career Pay:$83,100% High Meaning:53%% STEM Degrees:7%
Rank:19School Name:Multnomah UniversitySchool Type:Private SchoolEarly Career Pay:$43,100Mid-Career Pay:$81,200% High Meaning:79%% STEM Degrees:3%
Rank:20School Name:Warner Pacific UniversitySchool Type:Private School, ReligiousEarly Career Pay:$49,500Mid-Career Pay:$78,700% High Meaning:61%% STEM Degrees:21%
Rank:21School Name:Eastern Oregon UniversitySchool Type:State SchoolEarly Career Pay:$49,000Mid-Career Pay:$72,300% High Meaning:53%% STEM Degrees:6%
Rank:22School Name:New Hope Christian College-EugeneSchool Type:Private School, ReligiousEarly Career Pay:$38,200Mid-Career Pay:$62,500% High Meaning:-% STEM Degrees:0%

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College Student

There are a number of colleges and universities in Oregon included in Payscale’s College Salary Report. Some of the most notable colleges in Oregon are Oregon State University (OSU), University of Oregon (UO), Portland State University (PSU), and the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT).

In the first five years after graduation, Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), located in Portland, is a Oregon college with some of the highest-paid graduates with a bachelor’s degree only. OHSU produces lots of nurses and other healthcare workers who are in high demand right after graduation. But a tiny, super liberal private school often produces the highest-paid graduates overall: Reed College, also in Portland. About 25 percent of degrees from Reed are in STEM subjects — that’s a high statistic for a liberal arts school.

Phil Knight is just one of the famous alumni to graduate from an Oregon colleges. Other notables include: Esera Tuaolo (NFL), stem-cell pioneer Ann Kiessling, actor Mark Dacascos, and actress/painter Ariana Richards (of Prancer and Jurassic Park fame).

The rivalry between Oregon State University and the University of Oregon is called the Civil War. And while the OSU vs. UO rivalry generally applies to sports and school spirit in general, when you pit the Ducks and Beavers against each other in terms of earning potential, the OSU Beavers win by almost $10,000 per year.

Top Employers in Oregon

The largest employers in Oregon are Nike Inc, Hewlett-Packard, Intel Corp, as well as several hospitals and universities.