Western Oregon University

Western Oregon University (WOU), steadily emerging as a leading comprehensive public liberal arts institution, is committed to changing lives, strengthening communities and transforming our world.

Western Oregon University (WOU), steadily emerging as a leading comprehensive public liberal arts institution, is committed to changing lives, strengthening communities and transforming our world. Located in the Monmouth-Independence area, the heart of Oregons lush Willamette Valley, WOU is about 20 minutes from Salem, the states capital and about 75 minutes from Portland, the states cultural hub.

Our student body of about 6,200 undergraduates and 400 graduates enjoys a vibrant and close-knit intellectual community comparable to the environment in a small liberal arts college. As a public-serving institution dedicated to strengthening our region and Oregon, WOU is home to the nationally-renowned Teaching Research Institute, the Regional Resource Center on Deafness and the Rainbow Dance Theatre. In addition to teaching excellence, WOUs faculty members are engaged in wide-ranging scholarship as well as community-based projects, including many faculty-student collaborations. Our picturesque, award-winning campus blends welcoming traditional features with 21st century convenience, including many multimedia classrooms, extensive wireless web access and a state-of-the-art library.