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A College Town Vibe with Big City Resources

At Willamette, your classroom doesn’t stop at the edge of campus. Located in the heart of downtown Salem, Oregon’s capital city, you’re surrounded by opportunities. From internships at the State Capitol to kayaking on the Willamette River, Salem blends big-city resources with small town accessibility.

Willamette students shopping and enjoying downtown Salem, Oregon

Your Classroom Has an Internship Next Door

Walk Into Your Career

Willamette is literally located between the Oregon State Capitol and Salem Health, the region’s largest hospital. That means internships, research, and networking opportunities are across the street, not across the state. Want to work in public policy, law, social justice, or healthcare? It’s all here, just footsteps away.

Willamette University's Waller Hall is right across the street from the Oregon State Capitol building.

Nature That Doesn’t Require a Road Trip

Trails and Fresh Air Are All Inside City Limits

Salem gives you immediate access to outdoor escapes without hours of planning. Bush’s Pasture Park, Riverfront Park, and Minto Brown Park are within minutes of campus, offering trails, picnic spots, biking, and kayaking. Here, a breath of fresh air is just a short walk between classes.

Willamette students kayaking on the Willamette river -- within walking distance of campus.

Culture and Community, All Around You

Downtown Energy Meets Campus Creativity.

Willamette is woven into downtown Salem. Coffee shops, galleries, theaters, and food trucks are part of your everyday rhythm. Explore downtown festivals, catch a show at the historic Elsinore Theatre, or step inside the Hallie Ford Museum of Art (right on campus) for exhibitions, collections, and curatorial experiences. In Salem, city life and campus life blend seamlessly, giving you real connections that last beyond graduation.

Two Willamette University students enjoying their time at a local coffee shop.

The Sweet Spot

Big City Resources with a Small City Feel

College in Salem is more than just going to class and then going home. It means internships where policy is written, cultural life at your doorstep, outdoor adventures minutes away, and food that tastes like it came straight from the farm (because it did). Salem has the Capitol, the culture, the food, and the opportunities that shape careers.

A bird's eye view of downtown Salem, Oregon with the Willamette River in the foreground.

Willamette University