Getting in
For Fall 2024, 9,077 first-year students applied to Portland State, 8,248 were admitted and 1,502 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 90.9%.
Source: IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2024, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab), first-time, degree-seeking first-year students. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By school or major. Portland State has not posted a Common Data Set since 2022-2023, so these counts come from the Department of Education's IPEDS survey for Fall 2024, which gives one first-year rate for the whole university and none by major.
Source: IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2024, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Programs with extra requirements
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
Most majors need only admission to Portland State. Some ask for a separate application:
- Music (Composition, Education, History, Jazz, Performance, Theory, Voice). A separate application or audition for admission.
- Architecture, Art Practice, Graphic Design, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, Elementary Education, Special Education, Social Work. A separate application to enroll in restricted upper-division coursework. Each program's page gives its deadlines, prerequisite courses and requirements.
Source: Portland State Admissions, Important Undergraduate Dates & Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Majors
70 majors across 1 school. Every bachelor's major in Portland State's 2026-2027 Bulletin, with the degree as the Bulletin writes it. Minors and certificates are left out.
Majors, A to Z70
- Anthropology (B.A./B.S.)
- Applied Health & Fitness (B.A./B.S.)
- Applied Linguistics (B.A.)
- Architecture (B.A./B.S.)
- Art & Design (B.A./B.S.)
- Art History (B.A./B.S.)
- Artificial Intelligence (B.S.)
- Art Practice (B.F.A.)
- Arts & Letters (B.A./B.S.)
- Biology (B.A./B.S.)
- Black Studies (B.A./B.S.)
- Business Administration (B.A./B.S.)
- Business Economics (B.A./B.S.)
- Chemistry (B.A./B.S.)
- Chicanx/Latinx Studies (B.A./B.S.)
- Child, Youth, and Family Studies (B.A./B.S.)
- Civil Engineering (B.S.)
- Communication (B.A./B.S.)
- Community, Urban Studies, and Planning (B.A./B.S.)
- Computer Engineering (B.S.)
- Computer Science (B.S.)
- Conflict Resolution (B.A./B.S.)
- Creative Writing (B.F.A.)
- Criminology and Criminal Justice (B.A./B.S.)
- Criminology and Criminal Justice (B.A.S.)
- Cultural History of the Arts (B.A./B.S.)
- Data Science (B.S.)
- Earth Science (B.A./B.S.)
- Economics (B.A./B.S.)
- Electrical Engineering (B.S.)
- Elementary Education (B.A./B.S.)
- English (B.A./B.S.)
- Environmental Engineering (B.S.)
- Environmental Science (B.A./B.S.)
- Environmental Studies (B.A./B.S.)
- Film (B.A./B.S.)
- Geography (B.A./B.S.)
- Geology (B.A./B.S.)
- Graphic Design (B.F.A.)
- History (B.A./B.S.)
- Human Services (B.A./B.S.)
- Indigenous Nations and Native American Studies (B.A., B.S.)
- International and Global Studies (B.A./B.S.)
- Judaic Studies (B.A.)
- Liberal Studies (B.A./B.S.)
- Linguistics & Computer Science (B.S.)
- Management & Leadership (B.A.S.)
- Mathematics (B.A./B.S.)
- Mechanical Engineering (B.S.)
- Music (B.A./B.S.)
- Music (B.M.)
- Philosophy (B.A./B.S.)
- Physics (B.A./B.S.)
- Political Science (B.A./B.S.)
- Psychology (B.A./B.S.)
- Public Health Studies (B.A./B.S.)
- Quantitative Economics (B.S.)
- Science (B.A./B.S.)
- Sexuality, Gender and Queer Studies (B.A./B.S.)
- Social Justice and the Arts (B.A./B.S.)
- Social Science (B.A./B.S.)
- Social Work (B.A./B.S.)
- Sociology (B.A./B.S.)
- Sonic Arts and Music Production (SAMP) (B.A./B.S.)
- Special Education (B.A./B.S.)
- Speech and Hearing Sciences (B.S./B.A.)
- Theater Arts (B.A./B.S.)
- Urban and Public Affairs (B.A./B.S.)
- Women's Studies (B.A./B.S.)
- World Language (B.A.)Majors in French, German, Japanese, Russian and Spanish.
Source: PSU Bulletin 2026-2027, Programs of Study (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Deadlines for Fall 2027
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
| Plan | Apply by | Decision | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priority date (Tuition-Free Degree, with the FAFSA) | March 1 | not published | No |
| Application deadline | August 1, 2027 | 4 to 6 weeks after all documents arrive | No |
Applications for fall 2027 open August 1, 2026, and documents are due by August 5, 2027; the term begins September 27, 2027. Priority goes to applicants who apply by the dates given. March 1 is also the deadline for PSU general and most departmental scholarships, and August 1 the deadline to be considered for many of PSU's free and discounted tuition programs. The University Honors College has its own deadlines. Admitted students confirm enrollment by June 15 for priority, and by September 20, 2027 at the latest.
Source: Portland State Admissions, Important Undergraduate Dates & Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Admission is not binding. Students admitted for fall confirm enrollment with a $200 enrollment tuition deposit, which some students do not have to pay.
Source: Portland State Admissions, Admissions Policies (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Testing
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
Portland State is test-optional: sending SAT or ACT scores is optional and not needed for an admission decision. You need 15 units of college preparatory courses with grades of C- or better, and applicants with a GPA below 3.0 are considered through holistic review.
Source: Portland State Admissions, First Year (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Applying next year?
For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028
Not announced yet. When we checked Portland State's admission pages on October 1, 2026, we found no announced changes for fall 2028 entry. The deadlines and rules above are for fall 2027 entry.
Source: Portland State Admissions, Important Undergraduate Dates & Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Cost, and what families paid after aid
The published cost of a year at Portland State, 2026-2027:
| Item | In-state, on campus | Out-of-state, off campus |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | $13,593 | $36,249 |
| Housing and food | $14,763 | $19,566 |
| Other living expenses | $1,080 | $2,880 |
| Books and supplies | $900 | $900 |
| Transportation | $3,348 | $3,348 |
| Personal expenses | $3,078 | $3,078 |
| Loan origination fees | $87 | $87 |
| Total | $36,849 | $66,108 |
Portland State's estimated budgets for an Oregon resident living on campus and a nonresident not living on campus; it publishes no on-campus budget for nonresidents. The budget page gives no year; its tuition and fees match PSU's published 2026-2027 rates for a 16-hour load in each of fall, winter and spring, plus mandatory fees. Students in the Western Undergraduate Exchange or the Washington Border Discount pay lower nonresident tuition.
Source: Portland State Student Finance, Cost of Attendance (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:
| Family income | Paid after grants |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $7,655 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $7,752 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $8,981 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $12,993 |
| Over $110,000 | $19,112 |
| All incomes | $9,552 |
What first-year, full-time, in-state students who received federal aid paid after grants and scholarships, by family income, in 2023-24, the latest year the Department of Education publishes. Your own price comes from Portland State's aid offer.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Similar schools
Chosen for how close each is to Portland State University on acceptance rate, public or private, location and majors offered.
University of OregonEugene, OR · Public87.4% admitted$22,182 average net price
California State University, FullertonFullerton, CA · Public88.1% admitted$6,555 average net price
University of Hawaii at ManoaHonolulu, HI · Public88% admitted$15,664 average net price
University of California, RiversideRiverside, CA · Public86.1% admitted$14,304 average net price
University of California, MercedMerced, CA · Public97% admitted$11,983 average net price
Admitted: each school's latest first-year acceptance rate, so the year can differ from school to school; each school's page names its year and source. Average net price: what federal aid recipients paid per year after grants, 2023-24, and the in-state figure for a public university.