Education in Portland, Oregon facts for kids

Portland State University

Portland, Oregon, is a big city with many schools for students of all ages. You can find public schools, private schools, colleges, and universities here. It's a great place to learn!

Public Schools for Kids and Teens

Portland has several public school districts. These districts manage schools from kindergarten all the way through 12th grade. The biggest one is the Portland Public School District. It has about 100 schools and serves around 53,000 students! This means most school-aged kids in Portland go to public schools.

Other school districts in the area include:

Metropolitan Learning Center, a public school in Northwest Portland

Some districts, like Parkrose and David Douglas, are completely inside the city of Portland. Other districts, like Beaverton and Lake Oswego, mostly serve people in the suburbs. But they also include some parts of Portland.

High Schools in Portland

Portland has many high schools where students can finish their K-12 education. Some of these schools are known for their special programs or famous graduates.

Private Schools

Besides public schools, Portland also has many private schools. These schools are not run by the government. They often have different teaching styles or focus on specific subjects or religions.

Some private schools in the area include:

• Catlin Gabel School
• Central Catholic High School
• Jesuit High School
• De La Salle North Catholic High School
• French American International School
• The International School
• Oregon Episcopal School
• St. Mary's Academy
• Portland Jewish Academy
• Portland Christian Schools
• Portland Adventist Academy

Colleges and Universities

After high school, many students go on to college or university. Portland has both public and private options for higher education.

Public Colleges and Universities

Waldschmidt Hall at the University of Portland.

Portland State University is the largest university in Oregon. It has over 26,000 students studying many different subjects. Its main campus is right in the middle of downtown Portland.

Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) is a special university. It focuses on health and science. OHSU has schools for medicine, nursing, and dentistry. It's a big center for medical research and care.

Portland Community College (PCC) is a great place to start college. It has several campuses in and around Portland. PCC offers many different programs and classes.

Private Colleges and Universities

Portland also has many private colleges and universities. These schools are not funded by the state. They often have smaller class sizes and unique programs.

Other private schools include Portland Bible College, Walla Walla University (which has a School of Nursing in Portland), and Western Seminary.

Specialized Schools

Portland has schools for many different interests:

• Medical Schools: OHSU has major schools for doctors, dentists, and nurses. There are also schools for alternative medicine like Oregon College of Oriental Medicine and the National University of Natural Medicine.
• Law Schools: The only law school in Portland is Lewis & Clark Law School.
• Art Schools: If you love art, you can find schools like the Art Institute of Portland, Pacific Northwest College of Art, and the Northwest Film Center.
• Other Schools: There's also the Oregon Culinary Institute for aspiring chefs and Pensole for shoe design.

Weekend Learning Programs

Some communities in Portland have special weekend programs. For example, the Portland Japanese School helps Japanese citizens and Japanese Americans learn about their culture and language. Students from all over the Portland area attend these classes.

The main campus of OHSU is on Marquam Hill, southwest of Downtown Portland.