Pacific University

Pacific University is a private university based in Forest Grove, Oregon, with additional campuses in Hillsboro, Eugene, and Woodburn. Founded in the mid-nineteenth century, it offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs through its College of Arts and Sciences and several health and education schools. Academic areas include liberal arts and sciences, optometry, education, healthcare professions, and social sciences. The university traces its roots to Congregationalist settlers and maintains a focus on community engagement and applied learning. Students are often drawn to Pacific University for its small-campus environment, professional health programs, and location in the Pacific Northwest near the Portland metropolitan area.

Pacific University was founded in 1849 in Forest Grove, Oregon, when the territorial legislature chartered Tualatin Academy. The institution grew out of an orphan school established in 1848 by Tabitha Moffatt Brown and other Congregationalist pioneers. In 1854, a new charter formally established Tualatin Academy and Pacific University, expanding the school’s mission to include collegiate education. Sidney Harper Marsh became Pacific University’s first president in 1853 and led the institution until 1879. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Pacific University developed its liberal arts curriculum and constructed enduring campus landmarks such as Marsh Hall and Carnegie Hall. Over time, Pacific University expanded beyond its original academy model, adding graduate and professional programs in education and health sciences. Today, Pacific University operates multiple campuses in Oregon and offers a range of undergraduate and professional degrees.