Your Pacific Northwest Home
Where Is Lewis & Clark?
Lewis & Clark is located in the cool, progressive city of Portland, Oregon, in the bountiful Pacific Northwest. We’re just a bit north of the halfway point between the North Pole and the equator, at roughly the same latitude as Lyon, France; Milan, Italy; and Sapporo, Japan. We’re also at the same latitude as Burlington, Vermont; and Minneapolis, Minnesota (but without the subzero temperatures).
Our student body is made up of American students, international students, and students in between (Third Culture Kids), all living and learning together. This means easy and constant exposure to new cultures and beliefs, challenged assumptions, and expanded worldviews. No matter where your passport was issued, we pride ourselves on creating a community that feels like home.
19Average class size for undergraduate students
47U.S. states represented in our undergraduate student body
15%first-generation students at Lewis & Clark College
10%of our undergraduate students are from outside the U.S.
100+College Outdoors offers over 100 trips per year.
Find Your People
At Lewis & Clark, we rally around our shared experience while celebrating and learning from our differences. Our students pride themselves on being individuals, but that does not diminish the feeling of community that you feel on our campus.
You’ll have a chance to both live and study with your classmates, in a close environment that fosters mutual support and understanding. The members of our community represent a wide array of ages, cultures, backgrounds, gender identities, nationalities, sexual orientations, races, ethnicities, and beliefs. We embrace them all.
First-generation students, students of color, and allies find a solid community of support and empowerment led by the Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement (IME). IME is dedicated to helping historically marginalized and underrepresented students achieve academic success and become critically conscious and inclusive leaders.
Heart of the City
Straddling the line between a big city and a small town, Portland offers attractions and opportunities for almost any interest. Being so close to downtown provides not only boundless entertainment options, but also internship and job opportunities.
Experience the Arts
Our arts departments offer some of the most robust opportunities available at a small liberal arts college anywhere. All programs are open to majors and nonmajors alike, with over 70 percent of our students participating deeply in the arts during their time here. You’ll find a strong sense of camaraderie and belonging in the fine arts, as all of our departments are infused with a collaborative spirit and focus on community.
The Platteau is a student art center with the goal of fostering a creative space, open to artists and creative thinkers alike. Students can work in the ceramics studio, darkroom, dance studio, and music studio, or hang out in the central space. The Platteau also hosts regular student events such as open mic nights, poetry readings, and the Drag Show.
Get Involved
College life is definitely not all work and no play. Lewis & Clark’s 110+ student-led clubs and organizations are one of the many ways you can kick back, relax, and have fun. Sure, student clubs and orgs provide opportunities for leadership development, discussion, personal exploration, and intentional learning. But having fun is almost always part of the plan. We have some clubs you’d expect and some you’d never imagine, like Fire Dancing, Prison Abolition, and Cooking With Chemistry.
Support When You Need It
Whether you need help with a class paper or someone to talk to, there are many ways to be supported as a student at Lewis & Clark. Successful students are the ones who utilize our resources.
Academics
Lewis & Clark is a place where to love learning is the expectation, and where intellectual engagement is a point of connection. Your classmates will help you unpack complex ideas, and in doing so, you’ll get to know and trust each other. Your professors are part of your community, too, and they will support you as a student and as a person.
Athletics
Our varsity student-athletes are a big, 21-sport family, with room for club sports and intramural athletes, too. Supported by coaches, trainers, and tutors, the athletic community at Lewis & Clark is noteworthy in its strength.
Join Our Community
Ready to immerse yourself in the rich cultural and environmental experiences of the Pacific Northwest region? Embrace the unique opportunities that Lewis & Clark College offers in the heart of the PNW!