Western Oregon University
345 North Monmouth Ave.
Monmouth, OR 97361
877-877-1593

Western Oregon University (WOU), steadily emerging as a leading comprehensive public liberal arts institution, is committed to changing lives, strengthening communities and transforming our world. Located in the Monmouth-Independence area, the heart of Oregon’s lush Willamette Valley, WOU is about 20 minutes from Salem, the state’s capital and about 75 minutes from Portland, the state’s cultural hub.

Our student body of about 4500 undergraduates and 400 graduates enjoys a vibrant and close-knit intellectual community comparable to the environment in a small liberal arts college. As a public-serving institution dedicated to strengthening our region and Oregon, WOU is home to the nationally-renowned Teaching Research Institute, the Regional Resource Center on Deafness and the Rainbow Dance Theatre. In addition to teaching excellence, WOU’s faculty members are engaged in wide-ranging scholarship as well as community-based projects, including many faculty-student collaborations. Our picturesque, award-winning campus blends welcoming traditional features with 21st century convenience, including many multimedia classrooms, extensive wireless web access and a state-of-the-art library.

Founded in 1856, WOU, the oldest institution in the Oregon University system, has continued to adapt and transform itself to respond to the needs of society and our changing world. From its origins as a normal school, WOU grew to become a nationally recognized leader in teacher preparation. In the seventies, WOU expanded its offerings with broad-based liberal education programs. Since then, the university has continued to emerge as a leading comprehensive public liberal arts institution, with approximately two-thirds of its students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the rest in the College of Education.

University Accreditation
Western Oregon University is accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Universities, National Council for Accreditation of Teachers of Education, National Association of Schools of Music, Council on Rehabilitation Education, Council on Education of the Deaf (CED), and Oregon State Teacher Standards and Practices Commission.

Location
WOU is 20 minutes from the state capital, Salem, and a little more than an hour from Portland for city life. We’re a short drive from the Oregon coast, mountains and other scenic areas. Nature lovers and outdoor adventurers can travel in any direction to find their favorite spot, from the ski slopes of Mt. Hood to the Columbia River Gorge for wind-surfing or whale-watching in Depoe Bay.

Equal Opportunity Statement
Western Oregon University, a member of the Oregon University System, prohibits discrimination based on race, marital status, religion, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation or national origin. This policy implements various federal and state laws, executive orders, Title IX and its regulations and applies to employment, admission, education and facilities.