Portland State University

What is the cost of studying for a year at Portland State University?

Portland State University's published price differs sharply by residency, and tuition is only part of an annual budget. For 2024-25, reported average full-time undergraduate tuition and required fees were:

• Oregon resident: $9,114 in tuition plus $2,004 in required fees, or $11,118 combined.
• Nonresident: $27,132 in tuition plus $2,004 in required fees, or $29,136 combined.
• Reported room and board: $14,040; reported books and supplies: $750.

Those figures should not be mistaken for a complete cost-of-attendance estimate. Housing choices vary, and students also need to budget for transportation, personal expenses and any program-specific costs. Part-time enrollment is priced differently from full-time enrollment; reported 2024-25 undergraduate tuition was $217 per credit for residents and $646 per credit for nonresidents, before applicable fees. Graduate charges follow separate schedules.

Published charges are not the same as net price, which accounts for grant and scholarship aid. In the reported aid data, average net price was $7,752 for students from families earning no more than $48,000 and $12,993 for the $75,001-$110,000 income group. Those are group averages, not offers to individual applicants. In the same reporting, 91% of students received financial aid and 32% had student loans; aid can include different combinations of grants, scholarships, work and borrowing.

Eligible students may seek federal grants and loans through the FAFSA, as well as Oregon aid and PSU scholarships where their circumstances meet the relevant rules. Veterans and military-connected students should also check benefit eligibility and how benefits interact with other aid. For an enrollment decision, a current, individualized aid offer and cost-of-attendance budget are more useful than subtracting a campuswide average grant from a published tuition figure.

What are the work-study opportunities at Portland State University?

Portland State University students can seek part-time employment, including positions designated for Federal Work-Study. Work-Study is need-based federal financial aid earned through an eligible job; an award is not an automatic paycheck or a guarantee that a student will be hired.

Students generally establish Work-Study eligibility through their financial aid application, then apply for available jobs and work scheduled hours. Other campus jobs may be open without a Work-Study award, and some eligible positions may be with approved off-campus employers. Applicants should distinguish a job's hourly pay and expected hours from the aid amount shown in an offer.

PSU also provides career support beyond student employment, including individual career advising, résumé and interview assistance, job-search resources, employer events and internship guidance. An internship, a part-time campus job and a Work-Study position can each offer experience, but they have different hiring, pay and academic-credit arrangements; PSU does not require an internship of every student.