Your Degree = Career Success

Studying the liberal arts at Lewis & Clark means that your education is grounded in critical thinking, written and verbal communication skills, teamwork, and problem solving. 

You will build relationships with professors and peers, gain practical experience through internships in Portland and beyond, and create connections among ideas and across disciplines. The Career Center and the Bates Center for Entrepreneurship and Leadership will support your career success through advising, networking, resources, programming, and more.

  • Value 

    Lewis & Clark is on U.S. News & World Report’s 2023–24 “Best Value Schools” list.

  • 96% 

    Within six months of graduation, 96% of the Lewis & Clark Classes of 2018–2022 were already changing the world through employment (76%), continuing studies (19%), and service work (1%), like the Peace Corps.

  • Top 

    Lewis & Clark earned a spot on Princeton Review’s 2024 “Best Colleges” list.

  • 4-5-6 

    Lewis & Clark’s 4-5-6 Commitment can help you make the most of your future.

  • Top 100 

    Lewis & Clark is in the top 100 on U.S. News & World Report’s 2023–24 “Best National Liberal Arts Colleges” list.

Where Lewis & Clark Will Take You

Lewis & Clark gives you the essential skills you need to succeed in any career. In fact, the top five career competencies identified by the National Association of Colleges and Employers align perfectly with the core values of a liberal arts education: critical thinking/problem solving; work ethic; teamwork/collaboration; oral/written communications; and leadership.

  • As a budding professional in the field of international education, I feel incredibly lucky that I get to work in a field where I can tap into my undergraduate studies on a daily basis.

    Alaina King BA ’19
    International Affairs and French Studies
    More about Alaina
  • All of my professors and classes, all of the support I received from career center staff, all of the little moments here and there of assistance from members of the Lewis & Clark community — they all made a huge difference and in a multitude of ways prepared my for my current job and career plans.

    Ruth Liebendorfer BA ’22
    Psychology | Seattle, Washington
    More about Ruth
  • L&C prepared me for the large amounts of reading and writing I’m doing now in law school.

    Sydney Cross BA ’21
    International Affairs | Mount Shasta, California
    More about Sydney

Alumni Success Stories

academic awards, career success, experiential learning, fulbright award, Fulbright Scholar, international education, international, outcomes, overseas and off campus, overseas

Lewis & Clark Extends Its Run as a Top Fulbright Producer

For the seventh time in 10 years, Lewis & Clark has been named one of the top producers of Fulbright Award winners in the country, according to the U.S. Department of State. With four Fulbright grants in 2023–24, Lewis & Clark is in the Top 50 baccalaureate producers of student Fulbrights in the nation.

alumni, Bates Center, career success, experiential learning, internship, outcomes, renewable energy, summer internship, sustainability summer internship, sustainability

Career Pathways: One Student. Two Alumni. One Renewable Energy Company.

Lena Essak BA ’24 spent her summer as a paid community relations intern in the Portland office of EDP Renewables. Thanks to the Bates Center Summer Sustainability Internship course, she was able to learn, grow, and gain hands-on experience while working alongside two supportive Lewis & Clark alumni.

career center, career success, career, experiential learning, outcomes

Lewis & Clark Students Visit Meta in Seattle

Two Meta employees, who are also Lewis & Clark alumni, welcomed students to Meta’s Seattle office and shared their career stories.

alumni, career success

L&C’s First Native Scholar-Artist in Residence to Focus on Shakespeare

Waylon Lenk BA ’08, a Shakespeare scholar and theatre artist, will join the college as its first Native Scholar-Artist in Residence this fall. Lenk will give a talk at New Student Orientation and direct the theatre department’s fall production of Henry IV, Part 1.

alumni, career success, international affairs, outcomes, politics

West Linn Selects Recent Alum as Youngest-Ever Mayor

In May, West Linn, Oregon, residents resoundingly chose 23-year-old Rory Bialostosky BA ’22 as the city’s youngest-ever mayor. His election as mayor follows a series of “firsts,” including a term as West Linn’s youngest city council member while he was a full-time student at Lewis & Clark.

alumni, career success, Center for Social Change and Community Involvement, outcomes, Portland, psychology

Building ‘Hygiene Hubs’ for Houseless Residents

Three recent alums have served at Hygiene4All, a Portland-based nonprofit that works to ensure those who are unsheltered have equal access to basic resources like hot showers, trash disposal, and first aid.