About Reed College

Founded in 1908, Reed College. is a Private college. Located in Oregon, which is a city setting in Oregon, the campus itself is Urban. The campus is home to 1,410 full time undergraduate students, and 17 full time graduate students.

The Reed College Academic calendar runs on a Semester basis. In the school year the student to faculty ratio was 9:1. There are 161 full time instructional teachers. Degrees awarded at Reed College include: Bachelor's Degree, Masters Degree, Post-master's certificate, Doctor's degree.

Quick Facts

Acceptance Rate31%
Application Deadline15-Nov
Application Fee0
SAT Range1280-1480
ACT Range29-33

Admissions at are considered More Selective, with ,11% of all applicants being admitted.

In the school year, of the students who applied to the school, only 6 of those who were admitted eventually ended up enrolling.

98% of incoming freshmen are in the top half of their high school class. 85% were in the top quarter, and 63% were in the top tenth. You can apply online.

STUDENT LIFE

We asked, and students answered these important questions about student life at Reed College.

11%
“We”re apathetic”
21%
“We know about current events and vote”
48%
“We participate and encourage others to get involved”
20%
“There”s nothing we won”t protest”
0%
“We save it for the classroom”
1%
“Sometimes, but not often”
26%
“There”s usually intelligent conversation to be found”
73%
“All the time, including weekends”
2%
“I”m always terrified”
1%
“I only go out in groups”
15%
“I usually let someone know where I”m going”
81%
“I feel extremely safe”
87%
“We don”t play sports”
0%
“We play recreationally”
13%
“We bought the gear”
0%
“We live for the big game”
2%
“It”s not really our thing”
9%
“Occasinally we gallery crawl”
48%
“There are a variety of opportunities”
40%
“We”re a very artistic group”
1%
“Haven”t met them”
5%
“Available in class”
34%
“They keep regular office hours”
60%
“They”re always available”
99%
“No greek life, but other groups to join”
1%
“There is some involvement, but not a lot”
0%
“Plenty of people join a sorority or fraternity”
0%
“It”s everything. If you”re not greek, you”re a geek”
0%
“We”re not into drinking at all”
13%
“Maybe a little, but it”s not a big thing”
69%
“We only party on weekends”
18%
“There”s some drinking happening every night”
0%
“Never, we”re here to learn”
13%
“There might be people who do”
60%
“People are known to partake on weekends”
27%
“There”s a huge drug scene”
11%
“We”re apathetic”
21%
“We know about current events and vote”
48%
“We participate and encourage others to get involved”
20%
“There”s nothing we won”t protest”
0%
“We save it for the classroom”
1%
“Sometimes, but not often”
26%
“There”s usually intelligent conversation to be found”
73%
“All the time, including weekends”
2%
“I”m always terrified”
1%
“I only go out in groups”
15%
“I usually let someone know where I”m going”
81%
“I feel extremely safe”
87%
“We don”t play sports”
0%
“We play recreationally”
13%
“We bought the gear”
0%
“We live for the big game”
2%
“It”s not really our thing”
9%
“Occasinally we gallery crawl”
48%
“There are a variety of opportunities”
40%
“We”re a very artistic group”
1%
“Haven”t met them”
5%
“Available in class”
34%
“They keep regular office hours”
60%
“They”re always available”
99%
“No greek life, but other groups to join”
1%
“There is some involvement, but not a lot”
0%
“Plenty of people join a sorority or fraternity”
0%
“It”s everything. If you”re not greek, you”re a geek”
0%
“We”re not into drinking at all”
13%
“Maybe a little, but it”s not a big thing”
69%
“We only party on weekends”
18%
“There”s some drinking happening every night”
0%
“Never, we”re here to learn”
13%
“There might be people who do”
60%
“People are known to partake on weekends”
27%
“There”s a huge drug scene”

Reed College REVIEWS

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  • How would you rate on-campus housing?

    32 Students rated on-campus housing 4.1 stars. 31 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate off-campus housing?

    21 Students rated off-campus housing 3.6 stars. 0 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate campus food?

    33 Students rated campus food 3.6 stars. 18 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate campus facilities?

    34 Students rated campus facilities 4.3 stars. 44 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate class size?

    34 Students rated class size 4.4 stars. 56 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate school activities?

    34 Students rated school activities 3.9 stars. 32 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate local services?

    34 Students rated local services 4.3 stars. 56 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate academics?

    34 Students rated academics 4.4 stars. 71 % gave the school a 5.0.

What's your overall opinion of Reed College?

11 Students rated Reed College

Baden

Reed College is an excellent school for mainstream intellectuals, students who have high grades and high scores on standardize tests. It poses challenging questions and pushes the student body beyond their comfort zone. It is beautiful and inviting, however prepare to be challenged academically. Excellent choice.

Jon

Overall, Reed College is a school with unbelievable potential - some of which it lives up to, some of which it doesn't. Academically speaking this is the best education you will ever get, bar none. Most are extremely kind and thoughtful here. Fierce individuals dedicated to learning and/or making a difference. Downside - Campus culture can be insular, and is not always as welcoming as it proclaims.

Jon

Best liberal arts college in the world, hands down.

Caitlyn

Reed is a beautiful campus with unbeatable academics and brilliant students. It's located in a safe and lovely neighborhood, with all of the living necessities at a reasonable distance. Overall, I'm incredibly grateful to attend and have found many opportunities here that I otherwise wouldn't have. I will say, however, that I wish that the college was more diverse. The student body is largely made up of white, upper class students, leaving a bit less room for them to learn from each other outside of the classroom.

Reed College FAQS

  1. What is the Acceptance Rate at Reed College?

    The fall 2020 acceptance rate for Reed College is 31%. That means, out of _____ applications received in 2020 , _____ students were offered admission. The number of males who applied was _____ vs the number of females which was _____.

  2. Is the stereotype of students at your school accurate?

    Certainly, some (many, even) Reedies exhibit these traits in some combination, though there remain many people with perfectly respectable social skills, along with a fairly conventional social structure that does include groups (not just "free-spirited" lone rangers), and many of us do manage to walk without falling down (very often) despite our burgeoning intellects.

    Read all  75 answers
  3. What are the academics like at your school?

    Oh how education at Reed is geared toward learning for its own sake! Some would say too much, though I think those are the people who might want to consider going to school somewhere else. We are not a pre-professional institution, though we might be considered a pre-professorial institution. Reed's curriculum is generally theory-driven, which isn't for everyone; some people begin to feel like they're not learning anything useful. I, on the other hand, find that mastering the theory in your field is incredibly rewarding and prepares you to confront a wider range of issues than you might otherwise have been able to understand. And of course it prepares you for those intellectual conversations that Reedies most certainly do have outside of class. Because, I think, most of us genuinely care about our fields and genuinely believe that what we're studying is important, the ideas we're working with naturally come up in our personal conversations. We don't leave our work at the door, it's part of who we are. My professors do know my name and I do spend time with some of them outside of class. I have met here some of the wisest people I know, and some of those conversations with professors outside of class have been life-changing, honestly, because some of the smartest people in the world, essentially, have paid attention to my work and my life and offered their wisdom. They've helped me become better, not just at my academic work, but at understanding and owning my potential in all realms of my life.

    Read all  72 answers
  4. What is the stereotype of students at your school?

    They are socially retarded and incredibly smart. They smoke too many cigarettes and don't get enough sleep. They smell bad and look like shit.

    Read all  71 answers
  5. What is your overall opinion of this school?

    Certainly one of my favorite things about Reed is how much Reedies love it. I have not often had the privilege of being a part of a community that is so proud of what is it capable of, that so deeply wants to be a community, and that cares so much about what being a part of that community means. Reedies have by no means universally agreed upon what our community means, and that's part of what's so wonderful about it: we take the time and spend the energy to get together and talk about what being a community means to us, and about what our responsibility is to that community, to ourselves and each other.

    Read all  69 answers
  6. Describe the students at your school.

    Liberal, open-minded, and quirky.

    Read all  65 answers
  7. What are the most popular student activities/groups?

    Reed has an incredible and amusing array of traditions. We kick off each year with a Noise Parade, which basically means that we get together, often dressed in masks, or only paint, and parade around campus, making noise however we can, banging on pots and pans, playing trumpets and bagpipes, and, well, riding bikes that have been lit on fire. Then we convene in the quad and have a massive, tribal dance party, with a Reed-historical-allegorically-charged play. There's also HumPlay, which occurs near the end of the spring semester each year. This "play" is purportedly a review session for the Humanities 110 (the class that all freshmen must take, on ancient Greece and Rome), and it is filled with raunchy humour, much nudity, and inspires much drunk, ever-so-nerdy bonding. Because we're in a room filled with pretty much the only other people on the planet who are going to get these jokes. And think they're funny. And for that, we're very lucky. Finally, there's the big one: Renn Fayre. Three days of school-sponsored bacchanalia, replete with thesis-burning, costume-wearing, crazy dancing, fireworks, a bug-eating contest, and a Glow Opera (wherein players outfitted in glowstick costumes perform in the dark to the amusement of students both under and "over" the influence). This weekend brings us all together to celebrate a successful year, to lay in the sun together without work hanging over our heads, to congratulate our graduating seniors, and to dance our asses off. It's basically our very own mini-Burning Man. It is, I think, one of the last places where people still party like that, without Dead shows or a decent Woodstock, we manage to recapture that spirit of celebration and camaraderie.

    Read all  56 answers
  8. Here's your chance: Say anything about your college!

    Reed is really awesome. I would not like to go anywhere else. I just wish I didn't have to fulfill the science requirement.

    Read all  37 answers
  9. What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

    Be more comfortable with yourself- this place is perfect for you and you should remember that the people here are the best of the best, and you are too.

    Read all  27 answers
  10. Describe how your school looks to someone who's never seen it.

    Reed is a hippie-liberal, small, private school in Portland for nerds who want to become professors or experts in a non-practical academic field.

    Read all  9 answers
  11. What's unique about your campus?

    The people and the professors, the campus and the excellent education.

    Read all  9 answers
  12. What do you brag about most when you tell your friends about your school?

    When I tell my friends about Reed, I mostly mention how much fun I am having in my classes. Not only am I learning a lot of interesting stuff, but the information is presented in a variety of formats, each designed to catch different foci.

    Read all  7 answers
  13. Why did you decide to go to this school?

    A student explains why he chose to come to Reed College.

    Read all  6 answers
  14. What kind of person should attend this school?

    Weird, Nerdy, and Friendly people should come to Reed. In general, the standard Reedie is someone who would not fit in anywhere else, and usually did not fit in wherever they just were. If you've always felt weird and geeky, this really is the school for you. These will be your people.

    Read all  4 answers
  15. What do you consider the worst thing about your school? Why?

    The lack of diversity racially, politically, and at times even academically, in terms of how many classes they offer within each department.

    Read all  4 answers
  16. What's the dating scene like?

    Here are some of the couches where couples can often be found on making out.

    Read all  4 answers
  17. Describe your favorite campus traditions.

    Its academics. When I first visited Reed, I spoke to a student who had gone to Harvard for a year, but then ended up at Reed. She told me how much more she loved the entire atmosphere at Reed, even though the academic standard was so much higher here. And it is. Reed is an incredible school for students who are truly interested in learning, discussing, and exploring. Only people who are serious about education should come here.

    Read all  4 answers
  18. What kind of person should not attend this school?

    For those looking to graduate and enter the workforce after your Bachelor's, those with strong conervative viewpoints, or anyone who is currently sturggling with existing courswork or not looking for academic challenges, this is not the school for you,

    Read all  3 answers
  19. Describe the dorms.

    In this video I filmed the best and worst dorms on Reed College campus.

    Read all  3 answers
  20. What is the stereotype of students at your school? Is this stereotype accurate?

    Stereotypes are never completely accurate, but might sometimes have a grain of truth. The stereotype that Reed is academically demanding is accurate (although some courses are more demanding than others). The stereotype that Reed has lots of drug use is also accurate (although this probably applies to a minority of students). The stereotype that Reed students are quirky also has some truth (but, again, most are pretty normal).

    Read all  2 answers
  21. What's the most frustrating thing about your school?

    As with any political environment, there are people who get offended fairly easily. In this environment those are people touchy about any sort of racial, sexually-oriented, etc. comment. I'm a part of a campus improv comedy troupe, and any time we make anything even mentioning a race, even if we're not making a joke about it, we see backlash.

    Read all  1 answers

Student Body

Students

55%

female

45%

male

1,410

Total Undergrad Enrollment

17

Total Grad Students

83%

Out-Of-State

6%

In-State

11%

International

Organizations

107

Student Organizations

N/A

Fraternities

N/A

Sororities

Housing

Yes

On-Campus Housing

64%

of students living on campus

Student Diversity

% American Indian/Alaskan Native
N/A
% Asian/Pacific Islander
6%
% Black or African-American
2%
% Hispanic/Latino
11%
% White or Caucasian
59%

TUITION & AID

All students must apply yearly for financial aid. This process starts with the FAFSA. Though financial aid deadlines vary by school, it is a good idea to apply as soon as possible. For the upcoming school year, you can apply as early as October 1 for the FAFSA. Additional school aid will be dependent on the FAFSA results.

59% of students attending Reed College receive some sort of financial aid. 14% were awarded federal grants. While 43% received federal loans. Many students do also need to apply for additional private student loans.

Cost Out of State

$52,150

Tuition and fees(Out of state)

$1,050

Books and Supplies

$13,150

Room and Board

66,350

Total On Campus

Actual Cost By Income Level(W/Financial Aid)

Family Income
Cost
$0 - $30K
$11,963
$30 - $48K
$16,630
$48 - $75K
$17,437
$75 - $110K
$24,046
$110K & UP
$39,301

We use student reviews and the most current publicly available data on our school pages. As such, we don't typically remove or edit college information. Sources for school statistics and data include the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Portions of college data include copyrighted material, which is reproduced on this website by permission of Wintergreen Orchard House, a division of Carnegie Communications. © 2009-2016 by Wintergreen Orchard House. All rights reserved.

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