What Is Pacific University?

Updated

Pacific University is a private, nonprofit university in Oregon with more than 175 years of history. It offers over 50 undergraduate majors and 20-plus graduate and professional programs, and operates campuses in Forest Grove and Hillsboro plus healthcare clinics across the greater Portland area. It fits readers who want a mid-size private university with a health-sciences and community-service orientation, and who are considering undergraduate, graduate, or professional study in the Pacific Northwest.

Basic profile

Item Detail
Type Private, nonprofit university
Location Forest Grove and Hillsboro, Oregon; clinics across greater Portland
History More than 175 years old
Academic breadth 50+ undergraduate majors; 20+ graduate and professional programs
Origin Founded as a school for orphans
Stated purpose High-quality, high-access education that empowers students to uplift themselves and their communities

What makes it distinctive

  • Health and community presence. Pacific runs healthcare clinics across the greater Portland area and an on-site elementary school, with employee volunteers and student interns involved in that work.
  • Access-focused mission. The university describes itself as providing "high-quality, high-access education," a framing that traces back to its founding as a school for orphans.
  • Career outcomes orientation. Alumni are described as pursuing careers as educators, healthcare providers, researchers, creators, and community leaders.
  • Regional identity. It is among Oregon's oldest private universities and is moving forward with merger plans with Willamette University.

Academic and campus footprint

Pacific's programs span undergraduate majors and graduate/professional fields, with a notable concentration in healthcare and education. Study takes place at the Forest Grove or Hillsboro campuses, and the university's clinical and community work extends into the wider Portland area.

Recent developments

  • Pacific and Willamette universities announced plans to merge, which would create Oregon's largest private university.
  • Pacific became the first institution in Oregon to offer in-person three-year degrees.
  • The university has highlighted work in healthcare policy and alumni achievements such as a Fulbright-Nehru award.

Who it may suit

Pacific is worth a closer look if you want a private, nonprofit university in Oregon with strong health-sciences and education pathways, a service-oriented culture, and both undergraduate and graduate options. If you need current tuition, admission requirements, or program-specific details, check the university's official pages directly, since those figures are not covered here.