Reed College
Portland, OR
Portland, OR
Be empowered at Reed College
One of the most distinctive colleges in the nation, Reed provides a singular example of the liberal arts experience: a structured curriculum with an emphasis on personal inquiry; extensive written and in-person feedback from professors on assignments; and a deeply collaborative academic environment.
Reed students pursue the bachelor of arts degree in 38 majors, along with 15 minors and two dual-degree programs. The curriculum includes a yearlong humanities course, broad distribution requirements, and a senior thesis. A 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio and conference-style classes allow faculty members to truly mentor students and engage with them in individual discussions.
The Reed community is guided by the Honor Principle. The commitment to the independence of thought and mutual trust and respect helps to create an environment in which students feel connected, challenged, and fulfilled. Reed students are culturally diverse and hail from 49 states and from 25 countries.
The breadth, depth, and rigor of the curriculum provide excellent preparation for nearly any career. An extraordinary number of Reed graduates go on to graduate school. Reed is ranked second in the nation in the percentage of graduates who earn PhDs in the life sciences, third in the nation in the percentage of graduates who earn PhDs in the arts & humanities, and fourth across all disciplines. Many Reed alumni win major graduate fellowships, found or lead companies and organizations, and earn medical, business, or law degrees.
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Rated #1 for "Best Classroom Experience" | Princeton Review 2023 |
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Rated #1 for "Professors Get High Marks" | Princeton Review 2023 |
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Ranked fourth in the nation in the percentage of graduates who go on to earn PhDs |
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Rated #15 in "Best Financial Aid" out of 388 of the best colleges in the nation | Princeton Review 2023 |
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32 Rhodes Scholars (2nd highest producer among Liberal Arts Colleges) |
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117 Fulbright Scholars |
• Located in Portland, Oregon
• Founded in 1908
• Four-year, private, nonsectarian coeducational college of the liberal arts and sciences
Academics
• Student-faculty ratio: 9:1
• Average class size: 16 students
Majors
• American Studies
• Ancient Mediterranean Studies
• Anthropology
• Art
• Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Chinese Literature
• Comparative Literature
• Comparative Race & Ethnicity Studies
• Computer Science
• Dance
• Dance-Theatre
• Economics
• English Literature
• Environmental Studies
• French Literature
• German Literature
• History
• History-Literature
• International & Comparative Policy Studies
• Linguistics
• Literature-Theatre
• Mathematics
• Mathematics-Computer Science
• Music
• Neuroscience
• Philosophy
• Physics
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Religion
• Religion-Ancient Mediterranean Studies
• Religion-Political Science
• Russian Literature
• Sociology
• Spanish Literature
• Theatre
Minors
• Chinese
• Comparative Race and Ethnicity Studies
• Dance
• Economics
• English
• Film & Media Studies
• French
• German
• Greek
• Greek and Latin
• Latin
• Music
• Russian
• Sociology
• Spanish
• Theatre
Student Profile
• Undergraduate enrollment as of September 2022:
- Women: 881 (58%)
- Men: 642 (42%)
- Total: 1,523
• SAT, middle 50% (Class of 2026): 1350–1490
- SAT Math: 630–750
- SAT Evidence-Based Reading & Writing: 690–750
• ACT: 30–33
• High school class rank (Class of 2026):
- Top 5% of class: 41%
- Top 10% of class: 63%
- Top 25%: 87%
• High schools represented:
- Public schools: 54%
- Private schools: 32%
- Charter or home schools: 8%
- Parochial schools: 6%
Outcomes
• Reed has produced the second-highest number of Rhodes Scholars from a small college (32).
• Reed is ranked second in the nation in the percentage of graduates who earn PhDs in the life sciences, third in the nation in the percentage of graduates who earn PhDs in the arts & humanities, and fourth across all disciplines.
• Reed is the only undergraduate college in the country with its own nuclear research reactor. The reactor is used for science courses and senior thesis research. Any student can become certified to operate the reactor, regardless of major.
• Graduate schools most frequently attended by Reed alumni for law, medicine, business, and other graduate studies include the University of Chicago; the University of California, Berkeley; Harvard; Stanford; Cornell; Yale; Columbia; and Lewis & Clark Law School
“One of my favorite aspects of Reeds is the casual relationship between students and faculty. In fact, it is one of the reasons I chose Reed. I wanted to attend an institution not only where my professor would know my name, face, strengths, and weaknesses, but where the classroom would feel like a place of collaboration.”
“When I’m on campus at Reed, there’s a very visceral feeling that everyone around me is working on something they’re passionate about. Everyone always has a side project, an art piece, an internship, a job, that they devote their time to within the community, which makes for an incredible mix of perceptions in an academic context.”
“The first few months at Reed were a transformative experience in which I began to question perspectives I had previously believed to be fact, form new ideas, and establish who I am and what I believe. I have formed friendships that have challenged me to be a better person, encouraged me to stay true to myself, and, through example, have demonstrated how to be a more loving and supportive friend. Furthermore, Reed has provided me with academic experiences and relationships that have prepared me professionally and will undoubtedly give me an edge in my field. Coming to Reed was beyond any college experience I could have ever asked for. It has been bittersweet trying to cram such beautiful experiences, with such amazing people, into two years but I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to do so.“
“Financial Aid was the most important factor in my choice to come to Reed. I was blown away by the package I received, and coming from a low SES background, I needed a generous package to go to any school. I am beyond grateful that the financial aid office was so incredibly helpful throughout the whole process of applying and figuring out the paperwork.”