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Willamette University Changes Students’ Lives

With campuses in both Oregon's center of business and center of government, we prepare students for the connected and flexible careers of the future.

View of Waller Hall on a sunny spring day.

Colleges That Change Lives

The popular guide, “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges,” named Willamette among an elite group of schools that provide hands-on academic experiences that cultivate critical thinking and creativity; professors dedicated to mentorship; and lively, diverse opportunities for fun and personal growth. These characteristics cited for Willamette’s undergraduate program — plus rich research opportunities and a dedication to the university motto — apply equally to our graduate schools of law and management.

Here is just some of what CTCL had to say about Willamette:

“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.”

Willamette students “happily skip the prestige mill in exchange for honest mentorship, a rich array of hands-on experiences, and liberal learning that cultivates critical thinking and values. You would do well to join them.”

  • Two students sitting in the mill stream.

    Read the Chapter

    Want to know what else “Colleges That Change Lives” had to say about Willamette? Check out the entire chapter from the guidebook.

  • Professor speaking to two students in a classroom.

    Distinguished Faculty

    CTCL notes that our professors are superb mentors who often “talk about how a Willamette education changes a student.”

  • Two students doing research at the Mill Stream

    Undergrad Research

    “Students aren’t just learning how to do research here. They’re actually doing it,” says Professor Emma Coddington in CTCL.