Indicators of quality
Student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1
Percentage of classes with fewer than 20 students: 62%
Oregon Professors of the Year in the past 13 years: 6
Percentage of full-time faculty members with Ph.D.s: 93%
Number of Teaching assistants: 0
Rank among liberal arts colleges in terms of “commitment to instruction,” according to U.S. News & World Report (2003): 20

Study hard. Sleep when you can.
Our rigorous academic program will prepare you for anything.
Fact: If you decide to attend Willamette, you’re going to have to study – a lot. You’re going to have to put up with professors who challenge your assumptions and pinpoint weaknesses in your research papers. And no matter where you sit, you won’t be able to hide in class.

The good news: You won’t have to listen to lectures that put you to sleep. Your pen will become a more powerful ally than it ever was before. And you’ll develop critical thinking skills that will serve you well no matter where you go after graduation.

“I think the students here push each other to strive toward excellence,” says Emily Scott, a 2003 graduate from Portland, Ore. “People won’t climb over you to get to the top, but they’ll push you in that direction. My friends here are the most intelligent people I know who are my age. There are people here I’ll stay in touch with simply because I can’t wait to see how far they go in life.”

Question authority. Then become one.
Our research programs will help you unlock your potential.
When you put your mind to it, you’re capable of doing practically anything you want. Our undergraduate research programs will give you the freedom – and the resources – to explore long-held interests or newly discovered passions.

The Science Collaborative Research Program, which serves up to 20 students and 10 instructors each summer, provides the opportunity to work shoulder-to-shoulder with a faculty member. The program covers all of your housing, travel and equipment costs, and it includes an additional stipend of $3,450. Our Carson Undergraduate Research Grant program, meanwhile, will allow you to engage in a creative, scholarly or professional research project during the summer. About 10 grants of up to $3,000 each are available every year.

“The money allows you to live off it so you don’t have a job that takes up your time,” says Graeme Byrd, a 2003 graduate from Turlock, Calif. “It allows you to follow your dream.”

We also realize that some dreams can’t wait. At Willamette, you don’t have to be an upperclassman to experience the power of undergraduate research. You can apply for these competitive grants in either your sophomore or junior year. And you might be surprised how eager our faculty members are to work with you.

“When I was getting ready to do my Carson grant, I talked to several professors I’d never even had a class with who were willing to help me with my project,” recalls Amy Nanney, a 2003 graduate from Costa Mesa, Calif. “The professors are more than willing to talk with you and meet with you, even if they’ve never met you before. At Willamette, the professors really care about you.”

The world is your laboratory.
At Willamette, our academic program knows no boundaries.
If you like the idea of studying abroad, Willamette might just be the ticket. We’ll encourage you to explore your interests throughout the rest of the world, and you won’t be alone: About half of our undergraduates study abroad while they’re here.

Tommy Ziemer’s overseas studies led to a series of unforgettable experiences. In South Africa, he witnessed the profound changes sweeping through the racially divided nation. In Cuba, he found himself in the midst of a protest during the height of the Elian Gonzalez controversy. And on the streets of Londonderry in Northern Ireland, he was amazed by the spectacle of children hurling objects at the Royal Ulster Constabulary police.

“When I talk about Willamette, I talk about my opportunities to travel,” says Ziemer, a 2002 graduate from Portland, Ore. “Willamette just expanded my world view.”