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Willamette University

Where Firstsare Born

The College of

Arts & Sciences

The Graduate School of

Law

The Graduate School of

Management (MBA)

The Willamette Edge

The edge effect is the transformative condition that occurs when two ecosystems meet. It also describes our multi-disciplinary approach to higher education. Willamette is where areas of study come to collide.

The Breakdown

Join the ranks of leading scientists, CEO's of Fortune 500 companies, notable artists and change-makers throughout the world.

  • Governors, Senators & Representatives

    Nobel Prize Winner

    Oregon Supreme Court Justices

    Future Innovative Leaders

  • Undergraduate Programs.

    Students enrolled

    Students engaged in internships during time at WU

    Community Service Hours Across the University

the Willamette Edge?

Will Nordhorn - Physics - 2023
Kawika Kalama - Religious Studies | Civic Communication and Media - 2021
Kristin Jradi - Economics & MBA - 2022
State Capitol

Learn at the Center

Study in the state's capital at the heart of Oregon, where historical roots run deep and innovation travels far.

  • Willamette University

    First Graduate

    In a time when women were frequently barred from college, Emily York is Willamette's first graduate.

  • Willamette University

    First female elected official

    A political powerhouse and trailblazer, Norma Paulus advanced women’s rights, education and environmental protection. In 1976, she became the first woman to be elected to statewide office in Oregon as secretary of state.

  • Willamette University

    Special Teams

    Liz Heaston was the first female to play and score in a college football game. Since 1997, Willamette has had two more female kickers.

  • Willamette University

    First Black graduate

    George Cannady was a Senior Scholar who was involved in football and track. He later became an attorney in Los Angeles and died in 1968.

  • Willamette University

    Resilience Baked In

    Carina Comer has overcome cancer and blindness. She is the founder of a Scandinavian-inspired, vegan bakery in Beaverton where she employs people with disabilities.