Founded

1867; four-year, private college of liberal arts and sciences.

Location

Campus on 137 acres in a wooded, residential area 6 miles from downtown Portland, Oregon (metropolitan area population 2.5 million). Pacific Ocean 80 miles to the west; Mount Hood and the Cascade Range 50 miles to the east.

Climate

Temperate (winter temperatures rarely reach freezing, summer temperatures rarely go above 85 degrees). Average annual precipitation is 37 inches.

Academics

Undergraduate Degree

Bachelor of arts

Academic Calendar

Two 15-week semesters and summer school

Faculty Within the College of Arts and Sciences

140 full-time instructional faculty

46% full-time female faculty

23% faculty of color

0 graduate assistants teaching courses

98% of full-time faculty hold a PhD or highest degree in field

Faculty-Student Ratio

1:13

Class Size

86% of classes have fewer than 30 students; average class size is 19

Preprofessional Preparation

Business (4-2 BA/MBA Program)
Education (4-1 BA/MAT Program with Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling)
Engineering (3-2 Program)
Entrepreneurship Curriculum
Law (3-3 BA/JD Program with Lewis & Clark Law School)
Law (3-1 BA/MSL Program with Lewis & Clark Law School)
Prelaw Advising
Premed Curriculum

Additional Offerings

Academic English Studies (ESOL)
Geological Sciences
Overseas and Off-Campus Study
Physical Education
ROTC (Air Force and Army)

Major Distribution, Graduating Class of 2024

46% Social sciences
23% Math and natural sciences
16% Humanities
  8% Visual and performing arts
  7% Interdisciplinary programs

(42% of students chose to double-major or to complete one or more minors)

Alumni Association

College of Arts and Sciences students become part of the Alumni Association, which currently features more than 30,000 members, upon graduation. Coordinated by the Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement and governed by the Board of Alumni, the association promotes on-campus, regional, and virtual events with the purpose of fostering connections among alumni, parents of current and former Lewis & Clark undergraduates, current students, and other members of the Lewis & Clark community, as well as providing opportunities for continuing education, career networking, and lifelong learning. An annual calendar of events includes happy hours, Homecoming and Family Weekend, the Alumni Honors Celebration, and Alumni and Reunion Weekend, as well as several events in major cities around the United States and overseas. The Alumni Gatehouse is the home of the Alumni Association, and includes a lounge available to small groups of alumni and students for meetings and social activities. 

Members of the Board of Alumni serve as representatives of the worldwide alumni community. Board members facilitate the relationship between Lewis & Clark and its alumni with the goal of maintaining and deepening lifelong connections between the institution and the alumni, as well as across generations of alumni. Board members are nominated by the Lewis & Clark community, elected by the sitting board, and may serve in various capacities, including event promotion, diversity and inclusion awareness, fundraising, career networking, and other special projects. 

International Programs

A Lewis & Clark education pushes students to participate thoughtfully and passionately in a diverse and interdependent world. All students are required to either participate in an approved overseas program or take a course that focuses on the history and culture of another region of the world. In addition, all students must satisfy a world language requirement (proficiency through the 201 level).

Overseas and Off-Campus Study

Overseas and off-campus study forms an integral part of the total educational experience at Lewis & Clark. Through our consistently top-ranked program—one of the top 10 for undergraduates, according to the U.S. Department of State—our students perform research in dynamic environments, build cultural and linguistic proficiency, and prepare for lives as global leaders. Sixty percent of Lewis & Clark students take advantage of these opportunities, with approximately 275 students participating in one of our more than 35 overseas and off-campus study offerings each year. 

Scheduled Programs, 2024–27*

Language-intensive programs: Cameroon, Chile, China, France, Germany, Japan, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Mexico, Russia, Spain, Taiwan

Regional area study programs: Australia, Cuba, Czech Republic, East Africa, Ecuador, England, Georgia, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Russia, Southeast Asia, South Korea, Spain

Domestic programs: New York City

Summer programs: Australia

*Not all programs are offered every year. For the most up-to-date information on overseas study, visit go.lclark.edu/overseas.

Student Life

Campus Living

Our residence halls are staffed by full-time area directors, an undergraduate residential experience manager, and undergraduate resident advisors. To foster successful student transitions into the community at Lewis & Clark, we have a four-semester on-campus residency requirement. Living-learning community options are available. Our campus, including all buildings, is smoke-free and tobacco-free. Food-service options range from 14 to 19 meals per week, some with flex points; vegetarian and vegan options are offered at all meals.

Clubs, Interest Groups, and Other Student Organizations

Lewis & Clark features more than 130 student-run clubs and groups, plus athletics, music ensembles, and more, including:

• International, cultural, and diversity groups
• Religious and spiritual life organizations
• Academic organizations and student-led symposia
• Social justice and service organizations
• A wide variety of special-interest groups and club sports
• Student-run media groups including a radio station, biweekly newspaper, and annual academic journals
• A comprehensive arts program of films, speakers, music concerts, theatre, dance performances, and art exhibits
• Numerous ensembles sponsored by the music department and several student-run a cappella groups
• 19 varsity sports (NCAA Division III, member of the Northwest Conference) and several intramural sports
• Our College Outdoors program, offering more than 70 outdoor expeditions throughout the year
• No fraternities or sororities

Students

Enrollment, fall 2023

College of Arts and Sciences: 2,194

Visiting/nondegree students: 26
Degree-seeking students: 2,168

States represented: 46, plus Washington, D.C.; Puerto Rico; and overseas military bases
Non-U.S. countries represented: 61
U.S. students of color: 30%
International students: 5%
Third Culture Kids: 7%

Male-identified students: 35%
Female-identified students: 60%
Nonbinary students: 5%*

Pell-eligible students: 20%
First-generation students: 16%

*Lewis & Clark College has just started recording gender identity. Although 5 percent of students surveyed indicated nonbinary as their gender identity, it is estimated that nonbinary students make up between 12 percent and 15 percent of the undergraduate student body as a whole.

For additional details, visit the Office of Institutional Research website.

Also enrolled at Lewis & Clark:

Graduate School of Education and Counseling: 665
School of Law: 643

Costs 2024–25

Tuition and student body fee: $64,754
Room (double: $8,856) and board (14-meal flex plan: $6,792): $15,648*

Students should also allow an estimated $1,826 ($2,236 if not living on campus) for books, supplies, personal expenses, and transportation costs.

All students must provide evidence of health insurance that meets the minimum criteria established by the college, or pay for enrollment in the student health insurance program. Visit go.lclark.edu/insurance/comparability for more information.

*Apartment series: add $2,524 for room. Eligibility rules apply.

Financial Aid

Ninety-nine percent of students receive financial assistance through merit-based scholarships, need-based grants, loans, or campus employment. More than $97 million in financial aid is awarded to enrolled students annually.