University of Portland: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

Romanaggi Hall at the University of Portland.

Visitor7 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0

The University of Portland is a private Catholic university with an acceptance rate of 62%. Founded in 1901, Portland is affiliated with the Congregation of the Holy Cross. The University of Portland frequently ranks among the nation's top Catholic universities. The school has an 11-to-1 student/faculty ratio. Nursing, engineering, and business fields are all popular among undergraduates. In athletics, the Portland Pilots compete in the NCAA Division I West Coast Conference.

Considering applying to the University of Portland? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, the University of Portland had an acceptance rate of 62%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 62 students were admitted, making Portland's admissions process competitive.

Admissions Statistics (2018-19)
Number of Applicants 14,505
Percent Admitted 62%
Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 11%

SAT Scores and Requirements

The University of Portland requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 77% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

SAT Range (Admitted Students)
Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
ERW 580 670
Math 570 680
ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing

This admissions data tells us that most of University of Portland's admitted students fall within the top 35% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Portland scored between 580 and 670, while 25% scored below 580 and 25% scored above 670. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 570 and 680, while 25% scored below 570, and 25% scored above 680. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1350 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at the University of Portland.

Requirements

Portland does not require the optional SAT essay section or SAT Subject tests. Note that the University of Portland participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates.

ACT Scores and Requirements

The University of Portland requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 37% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

ACT Range (Admitted Students)
Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
English 23 30
Math 23 27
Composite 23 29

This admissions data tells us that most of the University of Portland's admitted students fall within the top 31% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Portland received a composite ACT score between 23 and 29, while 25% scored above 29, and 25% scored below 23.

Requirements

Note that the University of Portland does not superscore ACT results. Your highest composite ACT score will be considered. Portland does not require the optional ACT writing section.

GPA

In 2019, the average high school GPA of the University of Portland's incoming freshmen class was 3.65, and 45% of incoming students had average GPAs of 3.75 and above. These results suggest that most successful applicants to Portland have primarily A grades.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

University of Portland Applicants' Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph.
University of Portland Applicants' Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex.

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to the University of Portland. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

The University of Portland, which accepts fewer than two-thirds of applicants, has a competitive admissions pool with above average GPAs and SAT/ACT scores. However, Portland also has a holistic admissions process and admissions decisions are based on much more than numbers. A strong application essay and glowing letters of recommendation can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful extracurricular activities and a rigorous course schedule. The university is looking for students who will contribute to the campus community in meaningful ways, not just students who show promise in the classroom. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their grades and scores are outside of Portland's average range.

In the graph above, the green and blue dots represent admitted students. You can see that the majority of students accepted to the University of Portland had GPAs of B+ or higher, SAT scores (ERW+M) above 1100, and ACT composite scores of 22 or higher. A large number of successful applicants had "A" averages.

If You Like the University of Portland, You May Also Like These Schools

All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and University of Portland Undergraduate Admissions Office.

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Grove, Allen. "University of Portland: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/university-portland-gpa-sat-act-data-786731. Grove, Allen. (2020, August 27). University of Portland: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/university-portland-gpa-sat-act-data-786731 Grove, Allen. "University of Portland: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/university-portland-gpa-sat-act-data-786731 (accessed April 23, 2024).