Willamette University has been honored nationally for a wide range of accomplishments, from being a good value and preparing students for successful careers to showing leadership in sustainability and public service. Our students and faculty frequently earn some of the top scholarships and fellowships in the country for their accomplishments both in and out of the classroom.
College of Arts & Sciences
Colleges That Change Lives
Willamette University enriches students’ lives for the better, according to “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges.”
The national guide, which was first published in 1996, is designed as an aid for prospective college students and their parents. Content for the newest edition is base on school tours and candid assessments by students, professors and deans.
According to the guide, “... Willamette is a rising star — a place that does its work well and has momentum to claim its rightful spot among the few colleges in this country that prioritize undergraduate education.”
Top liberal arts college in the Northwest
Washington Monthly ranked Willamette the top liberal arts college in the Northwest in its 2018 College Guide and Rankings. Schools are ranked based on their “contribution to the public good” in three areas: recruiting and graduating low-income students, producing cutting-edge scholarship through research and encouraging students to give back through service. Willamette is also ranked among western four-year colleges providing the “best bang for the buck.”
No. 8 in the nation for best student-faculty interaction
A Times Higher Education/Wall Street Journal survey of student satisfaction placed Willamette University No. 8 out of nearly 1,000 colleges and universities for opportunities to make meaningful connections with faculty members.
One of the country’s best universities
Willamette is featured in the “Fiske Guide to Colleges 2020,” which highlights the best and most interesting colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland. Willamette is praised as ”the place where you can grow as a student, leader, and person as you pursue your passions.”
U.S. News ranks Willamette top Oregon liberal arts college
U.S. News & World Report ranked Willamette University atop the Oregon schools listed in its 2020 “National Liberal Arts Colleges” rankings. Willamette is also ranked among the “Top Performers on Social Mobility” and “Best Value Schools.” The magazine’s ranking formula takes account of factors such as SAT scores, student/faculty ratio, peer reputation and alumni giving.
Willamette among top Teach for America colleges
With seven alumni serving in Teach for America in 2019, Willamette University madeTeach For America’s Top Contributors List for schools with less than 3,000 students. This nationwide organization recruits promising leaders to teach for at least two years in low-income communities.
Willamette creates pathway to success for underrepresented students
Strive for College, an organization dedicated to educational access, gives Willamette high marks for fostering an environment that leads to timely graduation and rewarding careers.
Willamette named ‘Best Value College’ by Princeton Review
University receives high marks for academic quality, affordability and success of alumni.
Named No. 9 small school in nation for Peace Corps volunteers in 2019
Willamette has been ranked among the top small schools in the country for number of alumni serving as Peace Corps volunteers 15 of the last 17 years. Since the Peace Corps was established in 1961, more than 345 Willamette alumni have joined its ranks.
Willamette is a ‘hidden gem’ among universities nationwide
College Raptor highlights Willamette University in several 2019 rankings including the 25 Best Colleges in the Northwest, Hidden Gems in the U.S. and Hidden Gems in the Northwest.
One of the Best National Liberal Arts Colleges
College Consensus named Willamette University one of the Best National Liberal Arts Colleges and one of the 100 Best Small Colleges for 2019.
One of the nation’s best universities for exemplary service
The Corporation for National and Community Service named Willamette to the 2015 Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.
College of Law
Top law school in Oregon for graduate employment
With more than 80% of 2018 graduates employed in “gold standard” positions by March 2019, Willamette Law has posted the top employment numbers in Oregon six out of the last seven years.
Most Diverse Law Schools
Pre-Law Magazine named Willamette University College of Law one of the most diverse law schools in January 2017. Willamette was one of 60 and the only Oregon school recognized. To compile the list, the editors used a formula that incorporated six categories: percentage of minority faculty; percentage of black students; percentage of Asian and Hawaiian students; percentage of Hispanic students; percentage of American Indian students; and percentage of Caucasian students.
Best Schools for Small Law
Willamette University College of Law is the only school in the Pacific Northwest recognized by the National Jurist magazine for its success in assisting graduates in finding employment. Willamette is one of the best schools in the country at placing students in jobs at firms with fewer than 100 attorneys.
Atkinson Graduate School of Management
Willamette ranked in Poets & Quants Top 100 U.S. MBA programs
Willamette University Atkinson Graduate School of Management is the highest ranked MBA program in Oregon and one of only three schools in the Pacific Northwest on the list. Poets&Quants scores programs by combining scores from the world’s five most influential business-school rankings into one comprehensive, composite score for each school.
Businessweek ranks Willamette MBA a ‘Best Business School’
For the fifth consecutive year, Bloomberg Businessweek named Willamette MBA a “Best Business School.” Willamette is the top-listed program in Oregon, one of only three in the Northwest, and No. 9 in the nation for entrepreneurship. Rankings are based on a number of elements including student satisfaction, alumni success, employer feedback and faculty expertise.
CEO Magazine names Willamette MBA a Tier 1 school for the second year in a row
Rankings are based on quality of faculty, international diversity, class size, accreditation, instructor-student ratio and a number of other “fact-based criteria.” During the 2016–17 academic year, Willamette MBA was also recognized by Businessweek, Princeton Review and Poets&Quants.
The Princeton Review names Willamette MBA a 2018 Best Business School
The Princeton Review named Willamette’s Atkinson Graduate School of Management as one of the most outstanding business schools in the country. Selections are based on statistical data provided by the institutions and surveys of 23,000 business students. According to survey answers, Willamette MBA is well known as a leader in the Pacific Northwest, producing “top-notch, innovative graduates.”
International Accreditation for Business Administration and Public Administration
The Willamette MBA program is only one of two programs worldwide to hold dual accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration (also known as NASPAA). Both accreditation agencies represent the highest standards of excellence in graduate management education. Less than 10% of schools of management and business achieve AACSB International accreditation.
10 Least Costly Private Business Schools
US News and World Report named the Willamette MBA program among the 10 least expensive private MBA programs in the U.S. The list profiled ten private universities delivering high quality, personalized education with 2016–17 tuition and fees less than $45,000.
Forbes names Atkinson top MBA in Oregon for return on investment
Willamette MBA has been recognized as a “top MBA program for return on investment” on Forbes magazine’s biannual “Best Business Schools” list. At number 57, Willamette is the top-ranked program in Oregon and one of two programs in the Pacific Northwest to make the list.