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.
| Rank | School Name | School Type | Early Career Pay | Mid-Career Pay | % High Meaning | % STEM Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | School Name: Reed College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$61,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$120,100 | % High Meaning:40% | % STEM Degrees:31% |
| Rank:2 | School Name: Willamette University | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$55,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$116,100 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:13% |
| Rank:3 | School Name: University of Portland | School Type:Private School, Religious, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$64,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$112,300 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:31% |
| Rank:4 | School Name: - Main Campus_50px.png) Oregon State University | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$61,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$110,000 | % High Meaning:52% | % STEM Degrees:36% |
| Rank:5 | School Name:_50px.png) Oregon Institute of Technology | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$67,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$109,000 | % High Meaning:59% | % STEM Degrees:29% |
| Rank:6 | School Name:_50px.png) Oregon Health & Science University | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$74,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$105,400 | % High Meaning:74% | % STEM Degrees:6% |
| Rank:7 | School Name: University of Oregon | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$56,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$104,700 | % High Meaning:47% | % STEM Degrees:14% |
| Rank:8 | School Name: Lewis & Clark College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$53,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$104,500 | % High Meaning:57% | % STEM Degrees:11% |
| Rank:9 | School Name: Linfield University-Online and Continuing Education | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$56,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$100,600 | % High Meaning:55% | % STEM Degrees:1% |
| Rank:10 | School Name: Linfield University-McMinnville Campus | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$56,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$99,900 | % High Meaning:48% | % STEM Degrees:17% |
| Rank:11 | School Name: Pacific University | School Type:Private School | Early Career Pay:$52,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$99,700 | % High Meaning:64% | % STEM Degrees:8% |
| Rank:12 | School Name:_50px.png) Portland State University | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$55,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$96,200 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:18% |
| Rank:13 | School Name:Pacific Northwest College of Art | School Type:Art, Private School | Early Career Pay:$50,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$95,200 | % High Meaning:- | % STEM Degrees:0% |
| Rank:14 | School Name: George Fox University | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$55,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$91,300 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:10% |
| Rank:15 | School Name:Corban University | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$47,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$89,600 | % High Meaning:67% | % STEM Degrees:3% |
| Rank:16 | School Name:Bushnell University | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$50,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$88,800 | % High Meaning:60% | % STEM Degrees:6% |
| Rank:17 | School Name: Southern Oregon University | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$50,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$87,300 | % High Meaning:55% | % STEM Degrees:6% |
| Rank:18 | School Name: Western Oregon University | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$48,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$83,100 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:7% |
| Rank:19 | School Name:Multnomah University | School Type:Private School | Early Career Pay:$43,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$81,200 | % High Meaning:79% | % STEM Degrees:3% |
| Rank:20 | School Name:Warner Pacific University | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$49,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$78,700 | % High Meaning:61% | % STEM Degrees:21% |
| Rank:21 | School Name: Eastern Oregon University | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$49,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$72,300 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:6% |
| Rank:22 | School Name:New Hope Christian College-Eugene | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$38,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$62,500 | % High Meaning:- | % STEM Degrees:0% |
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.