Lewis & Clark/Academic English Studies

My son is a graduate of Lewis & Clark. Beautiful campus.

My daughter attended Lewis & Clark College for one semester. The school presents itself as a multicultural liberal arts institution, and based on its marketing and our initial interactions with staff, we believed that to be true. Unfortunately, that was not our experience. In my opinion, the administration demonstrated patterns of racism and ideological bias that were deeply troubling. Despite the presence of an African American president, my daughter and others experienced repeated incidents that felt exclusionary and discriminatory. Additionally, the school appears to be struggling financially; an internal email mistakenly sent to students referenced a $6.5 million deficit. Many students are leaving. Campus life is limited, and there is tension that students should not feel at a liberal arts college—especially with ICE facilities nearby, which added to an atmosphere of fear and unease for the students. Lewis & Clark is the most expensive college in Oregon, yet the food was subpar and the accommodations disappointing. After multiple incidents of what we experienced as overt racism, we could no longer justify supporting the institution. My daughter and her best friend both traveled from Illinois to attend Lewis & Clark. Her friend, who is biracial (Jewish and African American), was treated particularly poorly by the administration. My daughter is white and noticed. Ultimately, both students chose to leave. We are extremely disappointed and would not be surprised if enrollment continues to decline or the school faces closure if these issues are not addressed.

Just went to visit the campus which is beautiful! Can’t comment on the education because I could never afford to go there!!

This is such a beautiful campus. Nestled in the woods yet not too far away from downtown Portland. There is a peace and tranquility here that you get only from a small private college like this. We went for a tour of the college and the students were wonderful. They described so many things about campus life that really helped my child understand what to expect. The staff were very friendly and informative. We met up with a friend who teaches at the college and the got to enjoy lunch together. Unfortunately, the bus schedule back to campus was limited in the summer, but Uber worked out pretty well to pick us up. It is an amazing campus and quite beautiful. I highly suggest you visit.