Portland State University lets students trade in a closed-off campus quad for a front-row seat to all the eclectic Oregon city has to offer.
Located in the heart of downtown, PSU is a major public research university situated between Washington Park and the Willamette River. The school, which scores particularly well on Money’s affordability measures, attracts an artistic and socially-minded student body — more than 80% of whom are Oregonians.
The university prides itself on welcoming people from all walks of life and integrating itself within the community. Because the campus bleeds into downtown, it's common to see everyday Portlanders mingle with the student body at the school’s massive farmers market and its newly installed dog park or on the Portland streetcar, which weaves straight through campus.
PSU fields over a dozen Division I sports teams, but it's hard to call it a sports school. Students are just as likely to attend a Vikings game as they would be catching a double-feature at the on-campus 5th Ave Cinema or testing out a new route on the Rec Center’s 32-foot rock climbing wall.
