Advantages & Disadvantages of Studying in Portland

You think about studying in Portland but want to get additional information about student life, housing, living costs, nightlife, safety, entertainment and much more before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! Stick with me since I will show you the pros and cons of studying in Portland in the following chapters.

Table of Contents

Study in Portland – Overview

Number of Universities23 colleges in the Portland region, including 3 community colleges, 3 public colleges and 18 private colleges.
Quality of UniversitiesWhile there is a handful of really good universities in Portland, the majority of colleges are just average.
Networking OpportunitiesStudents in Portland have a rather easy time building a strong business network since they can connect with many ambitious students and will also be able to meet up with many influential people in this region in general.
Student LifeStudent life in Portland is pretty interesting since you will find many student clubs and extracurricular activities where you can meet many interesting people and can have a great time together.
International StudentsWhile Portland is pretty popular all over the US, it is not the most popular city on a global scale and you will therefore not meet as many international students in Portland compared to people who study in Los Angeles or other renowned places.
Career ProspectsWhile graduates from University of Oregon, Portland have decent career prospects, they still may not have the same great career options as people from top-tier schools like Harvard.
NightlifeWhile nightlife in Portland is decent, you will still not have the same great nightlife as students in Chicago or other more vibrant cities.
Living CostsWhile living costs in Portland are above national average, they are still lower than in the Bay Area or other fancy places in the US.
HousingSince rents in Portland are pretty high and housing shortage is a big problem, many people who study in Portland really struggle to find a decent place to stay.
Weather & ClimateStudents in Portland can enjoy warm and sunny summers and rather mild winters.
advantages and disadvantages of studying in portland

Advantages of Studying in Portland

  1. Many colleges to choose from in the Portland region
  2. Decent quality of education in Portland
  3. Many decent guest professors at University of Oregon, Portland
  4. Decent career prospects for graduates in Portland
  5. Many interesting bars in Portland
  6. You will find many decent student clubs in Portland
  7. Many extracurricular activities for students in Portland
  8. Many decent libraries where students in Portland can prepare for their exams
  9. Decent public infrastructure in Portland
  10. Easy to get around for students in Portland
  11. Traffic jams are not a big problem in Portland yet
  12. Portland is a rather relaxed place
  13. Easy to socialize for people who study in Portland
  14. Many student jobs in Portland
  15. Many opportunities to work as an intern
  16. Portland is surrounded by interesting nature
  17. Mild climate is attractive to many students in Portland
  18. Many of your friends will envy you for your plans of studying in Portland
  19. Portland is a relatively safe city
  20. Relatively easy to build a strong business network for students in Portland

Many colleges to choose from in the Portland region

One advantage of studying in Portland is that you will have many different colleges to choose from and this enables you to specialize in rather exotic majors and you can also become a real expert in your field while you would have far fewer options in this regard if you studied in smaller towns where there is often only one single university and variety of courses is rather limited.

Decent quality of education in Portland

While you should not expect world-class education, you will still find many decent universities and colleges in the Portland region and can therefore learn many valuable skills that may help you in various parts of life and you can also be really proud of the education level you can get.

Many decent guest professors at University of Oregon, Portland

You will also be able to attend many lectures of decent guest professors in the Portland region and this can help you get a different perspective on certain topics so you can see the world from a different point of view and can get a more comprehensive picture of reality in general.

Decent career prospects for graduates in Portland

Thanks to decent education you can find in the Portland region, chances are that you will also have pretty decent career prospects and can work in many fancy positions in the corporate world.

Many interesting bars in Portland

Another upside to studying in Portland is that there are also many good bars and clubs where you can hang out with other like-minded people and can also party all night long and just have a great time.

You will find many decent student clubs in Portland

You can also make your student life in Portland more interesting by joining student clubs where you can meet many other students and can share useful advice and tips and tricks on how to optimize student life in this region in general so you can have the best time possible and can make many memories for a lifetime.

Many extracurricular activities for students in Portland

Apart from just studying and getting your degree, you will also have many extracurricular activities you can engage in so you can also do good for society and will likely stay motivated to finish your studies at the same time.

Many decent libraries where students in Portland can prepare for their exams

You will also find many decent libraries and other locations where you can study and prepare for your exams in an efficient manner without getting distracted by other people so you can really focus on exam preparation and can get the best grades possible.

Decent public infrastructure in Portland

Another benefit of studying in Portland is that you will also find most things you need pretty close to your home and this allows you to study in a pretty efficient manner since you don’t have to waste lots of time on rather unimportant stuff.

Easy to get around for students in Portland

Students in Portland also have a rather easy time getting around by bicycle or public transport and you may therefore not even need a car while studying in Portland while students in Columbus and other places where public transport may be worse may have a harder time getting around in an efficient manner.

Traffic jams are not a big problem in Portland yet

Since Portland is not the most crowded city, students also have a rather easy time getting around by car.

In fact, traffic jams are rather rare and you will therefore not lose as much time in traffic as students in New York City or other more crowded places.

Portland is a rather relaxed place

You should also know that Portland is a pretty relaxed city where you can meet many laid-back people and can just have a great time with other students since they are often not as career-focused as people in other bigger cities and have more time helping you out in various parts of life.

Easy to socialize for people who study in Portland

Since most people in Portland are friendly and outgoing, you will also have a pretty easy time meeting new people in the Portland region and some of them will become really good friends or even friends for a lifetime.

Many student jobs in Portland

Since Portland is an important economic region, you will also find many student jobs in this area and can make some money on the side so you can finance your degree with those student jobs at least to a certain extent.

Many opportunities to work as an intern

Not only will you find many student jobs, but you will also have many opportunities to work as an intern in the Portland region and this can help you gain valuable working experience so you will have better chances of finding a decent job later on.

Portland is surrounded by interesting nature

There are also many lakes, forests and nature reserves surrounding Portland and this gives you the opportunity to spend lots of time outdoors as a student in Portland which lets you exercise in a completely natural manner so you can get lots of fresh air and can also stay in shape.

Mild climate is attractive to many students in Portland

Also climatic conditions are pretty attractive to many people who study in Portland since you can enjoy warm summers and relatively mild winters which gives you the incentive to spend lots of time outdoors.

Many of your friends will envy you for your plans of studying in Portland

Since Portland is a pretty popular city all over the US, you can also really brag about your plans of studying in Portland and your friends will also envy and admire you which can give you a pretty good feeling and may also give you a pretty high social standing among your peers.

Portland is a relatively safe city

You should also know that crime rates in Portland are relatively low compared to many other big cities in the US and while some students in Philadelphia or other places with higher crime rates often no longer feel safe, students in Portland usually don’t have to worry much in this regard.

Relatively easy to build a strong business network for students in Portland

Since you can meet many smart and ambitious students and Portland is also a pretty big economic region where you can meet many influential people in the corporate world, you can also build a strong business network rather quickly from which you can benefit for your entire professional life.

Now that you know the reasons for studying in Portland, we also have to talk about the drawbacks of studying in Portland so you will be better able to decide whether you still want to study in Portland or rather want to spend your student life in a different city instead.

Disadvantages of Studying in Portland

  1. Students in Portland have to deal with high living costs
  2. Hard to find a decent place to stay for many students in the Portland region
  3. Housing is pretty expensive in Portland
  4. Tuition costs can be pretty high in Portland
  5. High overall financial pressure for students in Portland
  6. Many students have to use significant student loan debt to finance their degrees
  7. Students in Portland often live in rather dodgy districts
  8. Nightlife in Portland is not as great as in many other bigger cities
  9. Portland is not directly located at the coast
  10. Hard to find world-class education in the Portland region
  11. Portland may be an overrated student city

Students in Portland have to deal with high living costs

One problem with studying in Portland is that living costs are pretty high in this region and students therefore often have to deal with financial problems and may have to spend lots of money on drinks and various things of daily life.

Thus, unless you have lots of money in the bank or get financial support from your parents, you may be better off studying in Oklahoma City or other cheaper regions.

Hard to find a decent place to stay for many students in the Portland region

Since Portland is a pretty popular city not only for students but also for many middle-aged people, it also becomes increasingly crowded and overall demand for housing is pretty high which makes it hard for students to find a decent place to stay within a reasonable amount of time.

Housing is pretty expensive in Portland

You should also know that rents in Portland have skyrocketed over the past decades and this means that many students have to spend lots of money on housing and may not have enough money left to spend on other important things of daily life.

Tuition costs can be pretty high in Portland

Another downside to studying in Portland is that high tuition costs can be a serious problem and before making this huge financial commitment, you should make sure that your degree is really worth it to you to invest those huge sums of money.

High overall financial pressure for students in Portland

Due to high tuition, living and housing costs, studying in Portland also often comes along with high financial pressure and if you don’t have a strong mindset, you may worry about monetary problems quite a lot and may not be able to focus on your studies which may result in pretty poor grades.

Many students have to use significant student loan debt to finance their degrees

Since everything is pretty expensive, students who don’t get financial support from their parents often have to use significant amounts of student loan debt to finance their degree and since they have to pay back huge amounts of money later in life, this may financially constrain them for many years.

Students in Portland often live in rather dodgy districts

Since rents are pretty high in the Portland region, many people who study in Portland are also not able to afford to rent a place in a nice neighborhood but may have to stay in rather dodgy boroughs instead and may just not feel comfortable and safe.

Nightlife in Portland is not as great as in many other bigger cities

While you will find some decent bars in Portland, you should still not expect the same great nightlife as in many other big metropolitan cities and in case you are a party person, you may get fed up with nightlife in Portland sooner or later.

Portland is not directly located at the coast

Since Portland is not located directly at the coast, you will also not have the luxury of going surfing on a regular basis while students in Seattle and other coastal cities have a much easier time in this regard.

Hard to find world-class education in the Portland region

While you will find decent education in Portland, you will still not find the same great universities as people who study in Boston or other more renowned places.

Portland may be an overrated student city

Since Portland has become pretty expensive, you may also not get enough value for your money compared to other less popular cities and Portland may therefore be considered an overrated student city.

Top 10 Studying in Portland Pros & Cons – Summary List

Studying in Portland ProsStudying in Portland Cons
Decent student clubs in PortlandMany students in Portland struggle with high rents
You can join many extracurricular activitiesHigh living costs are a problem for many students
Many different colleges to choose from in PortlandHigh overall financial pressure for students in Portland
Decent quality of education in PortlandTuition can be pretty high as well
Many decent guest professors in PortlandHard to find a decent place to stay for students in Portland
Studying in Portland can be great for your CVPortland may be an overrated student city
Many decent student jobs in PortlandHard to find world-class education in Portland
Easy to build a strong network for students in PortlandPortland is not directly located at the coast
People who study in Portland can enjoy beautiful natureYou may have to finance your degree with student loan debt
Portland is a pretty tolerant cityNightlife in Portland is not really great
Advantages & Disadvantages of Studying in Portland

Is Portland A Good City For Students?

While studying in Portland can make a lot of sense since you will find many decent universities and can work in decent student jobs, you should also know that living and housing costs are pretty high and many students in Portland have to use significant amounts of student loan debt to finance their degrees and have to worry about financial problems quite a lot.

Alternative Cities To Study

If you don’t want to study in Portland anymore, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of studying in Denver

Advantages and disadvantages of studying in Las Vegas

Advantages and disadvantages of studying in Washington D.C.

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/portlandcityoregon

Own research.

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.

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