Willamette University

What Willamette University does

Willamette University is a private, non-profit liberal arts university founded in 1842 in Salem, Oregon, with a secondary campus presence in Portland. It operates five academic units — Willamette College (undergraduate liberal arts), Atkinson Graduate School of Management (MBA programs), the School of Law (JD), the School of Computing & Information Sciences (computer science and data science), and the Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA, wholly-owned and retained as a brand) — delivering undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees to a primarily regional and Pacific Northwest student base, supplemented by international and exchange students.

The university's technology footprint is primarily instructional and research-oriented rather than commercial. Distinguishing technical assets include an in-development R package for scientific machine learning and computer-vision models for field-photo analysis, both produced by Assistant Professor Zechariah Meunier in support of the CRAZIE (Community Recovery in the Algal Zone Interaction Experiment) long-term coastal ecosystem study across 13 Oregon and Northern California field sites. Institutional systems include an online application platform, FERPA-compliant student records infrastructure, and prospective-student CRM tooling (inquiry forms with SMS/counselor follow-up).

Willamette generates revenue principally through tuition and fees across its five schools, supplemented by charitable contributions routed through a dedicated 'Give' page. Pricing is subscription-style annual tuition, varying by program (undergraduate, graduate, law, MBA), with separate Net Price Calculators for Willamette and PNCA and dedicated financial aid offices for undergraduates, graduate students, joint-degree students, and veterans. Go-to-market is sales-led admissions: student-led campus tours weekday, admissions counselor engagement, and program-specific recruitment teams for Salem undergraduate, MBA, Law, and Computing programs, with international student recruitment handled as a dedicated channel.

Name

Willamette University

Legal name

Willamette University

Website

https://willamette.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1842

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Willamette University is a private, non-profit liberal arts university founded in 1842 in Salem, Oregon, operating five academic units — undergraduate college, MBA, Law, Computing & Information Sciences, and the Pacific Northwest College of Art — serving primarily Pacific Northwest students across two campuses in Salem and Portland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHACAA

General Liberal Arts Colleges

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Liberal Arts Colleges

Keywords

• Private higher education
• Liberal arts college
• Graduate professional programs
• Law school education
• Business school programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Educational Services: Willamette University generates revenue primarily through tuition fees charged to undergraduate and graduate students for educational programs across its five academic units: Willamette College, Atkinson Graduate School of Management, School of Law, School of Computing & Information Sciences, and Pacific Northwest College of Art.
2. Financial Contributions and Fundraising: The university solicits charitable contributions and maintains a 'Give' page for alumni and supporters to make financial donations to support the university.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Willamette University is a private, nonprofit liberal arts university that delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs through five academic units: Willamette College, Atkinson Graduate School of Management, School of Law, School of Computing & Information Sciences, and Pacific Northwest College of Art. It offers tuition-based educational services supplemented by charitable contributions and fundraising, supported by campuses in Salem and Portland, Oregon.

Product overview

Willamette University is a private higher education institution offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs across five academic schools: Willamette College (liberal arts), Atkinson Graduate School of Management (MBA programs), School of Law, School of Computing & Information Sciences, and Pacific Northwest College of Art. The university focuses on interdisciplinary education and hands-on learning experiences in the Pacific Northwest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Pacific UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Exploration of joining forces between Willamette University and Pacific University to create Oregon's largest private university. This partnership was announced in December 2025 as a potential merger or affiliation between the two institutions.
• Oregon Kelp AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Oregon Kelp Alliance as part of the CRAZIE (Community Recovery in the Algal Zone Interaction Experiment) long-term coastal ecosystem research study. Assistant Professor Zechariah Meunier leads student-faculty research combining biology and data science to study Oregon's coastal ecosystems, tracking species interactions and ecosystem changes including impacts of heat waves and disease outbreaks on kelp.
• Oregon Shores Conservation CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition to support the CRAZIE coastal ecosystem research program. The research aims to inform local environmental policy decisions through tracking species interactions and ecosystem changes on the Oregon and Northern California coasts.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Reed College: Highly selective private liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon. Direct competitor for academically oriented Pacific Northwest students seeking residential liberal arts education.
• Lewis & Clark College: Private liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon with graduate programs (law, counseling, education). Comparable in mission, location, and undergraduate liberal arts focus, serving overlapping Pacific Northwest student pool.
• Pacific University: Another private Oregon university currently in announced merger exploration with Willamette (December 2025). Similar scale, Oregon-based, multi-school structure including health sciences, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Whitman College: Highly selective private liberal arts college in Walla Walla, Washington. Competes with Willamette for Pacific Northwest residential liberal arts students seeking similar small-college experience.
• Linfield University: Small private university in Oregon offering liberal arts, nursing, and business programs. Comparable mid-scale private Oregon institution competing in overlapping regional applicant market.
• University of Portland: Private Catholic university in Portland offering undergraduate and graduate programs including nursing, business, and education. Comparable scale and Oregon-based private university competing for similar regional student pool.

Broad incumbents

• University of Oregon: Oregon's flagship public research university with law school and broad graduate programs. Represents primary public-sector competition for Willamette's in-state students and graduate program applicants.
• Gonzaga University: Larger private Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington offering comprehensive undergraduate and graduate programs including law. Competes for Pacific Northwest Catholic and secular students at broader scale than Willamette.

Regional players

• Seattle University: Private Jesuit university in Seattle with law school and comprehensive programs. Comparable Pacific Northwest private university competing for regional graduate and undergraduate students.

Emerging players

• Pomona College: Highly selective private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Similar undergraduate residential liberal arts mission with strong reputation, serving as a benchmark for selective private liberal arts positioning though outside Willamette's primary geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/willamette_u
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCB8LWF9wqtGKeTP1u9u3Pkw
• Facebookfacebook.com/Willamette
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/willamette-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/willamette_u
• TikToktiktok.com/@willametteuniversity

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Willamette University