College Search
Reed College

Reed College

Portland, OR · City · 1,320 students
Nov 1 · Early Decision I (binding) · in 30 days
Checked Sep 2026 · reed.edu
$33,013
Average net priceYour net price
2023-24
<30
30–48
48–75
75–110
110+
By household income — tap a bar
74%
Graduation rate
Entered fall 2017 & 2018
69% typical
$62,927
Earnings 10 years on
Measured 2020 & 2021
$58,391 typical
25%
Acceptance rate
Applied for fall 2024
64% typical · not scored
Accredited by Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
About

Reed College is a fiercely intellectual liberal arts institution in Portland, Oregon, renowned for its rigorous academics and distinction as one of the nation's top producers of future PhD recipients. With particular strengths across the humanities, biological and physical sciences, and mathematics, every student's education is anchored by the foundational Hum 110 seminar and culminates in a mandatory year-long senior thesis. Campus culture is deeply collaborative, non-conformist, and governed by a student-upheld Honor Principle, deliberately eschewing Greek life, varsity athletics, and traditional academic rankings. To foster learning for its own sake, Reed maintains a distinctive evaluation system where faculty assign letter grades for official transcripts, but keep them hidden from students during the semester unless specifically requested.


Wikipedia:Reed College is a private liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus in the Eastmoreland neighborhood, Tudor-Gothic style architecture, and a forested canyon nature preserve at its center. Reed maintains a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio and has approximately 1,300 undergraduate students.

Location
Portland, OR, 97202-8199 · City campus
✈
Nearest airport from college
PDX · Portland
8 mi away
Cost & aid
Cost of attendance
YoursEveryone
Tuition & fees$69,350
Housing & food (on campus)$17,660
Books & supplies$1,050
Cost of attendance$91,948
Average net price$33,013
Same price for all students
Tuition & fees$69,350
Housing & food (on campus)$17,660
Books & supplies$1,050
Cost of attendance$91,948
Average net price$33,013
Source: U.S. College Scorecard · published total: www.reed.edu
How it’s made up · 2025-26
Reed College’s own figures for 2025-2026, newer than the 2024-25 federal figures above, so the amounts differ.
Tuition$71,460
Fees$310
Housing$9,360
Food$8,868
Books & supplies$1,050
Personal expenses$900
Total of the above$91,948
Net price by family income · 2023-24
$0–30k
$12,674
$30–48k
$12,514
$48–75k
$14,513
$75–110k
$23,421
$110k+
$46,711
Outcomes
Completion
Within 6 yrs
74%
Entered 2017–18
Within 4 yrs
57%
Back for yr 2
88%
Transferred
18%
8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students
77% graduated · 17% transferred · 6% left or unknown · none still enrolled
Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021
6 yrs after entry$38,607
10 yrs after entry$62,927
Debt
Median at graduation$21,500
Monthly payment$228
Middle 50% owe$6k–$17.6k
90th percentile$23,473
Green marks a figure above the typical Baccalaureate — arts & sciences: 69% graduate within 6 yrs, $58,391 earned 10 yrs after entry.
Admissions
Getting in · applied for fall 2024
Admit rate
25%
Test policy
Test free
Checked Sep 2026
SAT average
1437
R 680–750 · M 610–770
SAT middle 50%: 1290–1520
40080012001600
Application deadlines · first-year, fall 2027 entry
Early Decision I
Nov 1 2026
binding in 30 days
If admitted, you must enroll and withdraw other applications.
Early Action
Nov 1 2026
in 30 days
Not binding: apply early, hear early, and you can still apply elsewhere.
Early Decision II
Jan 15 2027
binding in 105 days
A later Early Decision round: if admitted, you must enroll and withdraw other applications.
Regular Decision
Jan 15 2027
in 105 days
Not binding: the standard deadline.
Checked Sep 2026 · reed.edu · Confirm on the school's site before you apply.

Wondering if Reed College is the right fit for you?

SchoolScout builds a personalized college list — reach, match, and safety schools — tailored to your profile, grades, and goals. Get financial aid estimates, scholarship guidance, and deep dives on every school.

Personalized reach / match / safety list
Financial aid & net cost estimates
Deep dives on any school
Scholarship search
Essay prompts
From Reed College (reed.edu) · The page doesn't state a year · checked Sep 28, 2026
  • For one week at the end of January, Reed students upend the traditional classroom hierarchy and teach classes about any topic they love, academic or otherwise. This week is known as Paideia, after the Greek term signifying "education"—the complete education of mind, body, and spirit. What would you teach that would contribute to the Reed community?
    500 words max

Quoted from Reed College's own page; answered in the Common Application or Coalition for College. The application itself is the final word.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body
Gender
Men 41%Women 59%
Who enrolls
Faculty ratio
9 : 1
Pell grant
15%
Family income
$93,231
Age at entry
19.0
Part-time
1%
Race & ethnicity
White
58%
Hispanic
12%
Black
2%
Asian
8%
Two or more
10%
Non-resident
8%
Unknown
1%
Varsity sports

No data. This school isn't in the U.S. Department of Education's athletics (EADA) file, so we can't list its teams. That doesn't mean it has none.

Programs & Earnings
Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings
Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021
After 6 yrs
$38,607
After 10 yrs
$62,927
Research and Experimental Psychology24
Computer and Information Sciences, General20
Biology, General20
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services19
English Language and Literature, General18
Mathematics16
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other16
Economics16
Anthropology15
Natural Resources Conservation and Research14
Sociology13
Fine and Studio Arts13
History13
Physics12
Political Science and Government11
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology10
Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.
Institutional
Resources
Endowment
$791M
Full-time faculty
95%
Faculty salary
$12,578/mo
Teaching spend
$30,286
per student
Federal loans
40%
Classification
Carnegie type
Baccalaureate — arts & sciences
Research activity
Research college or university
$5M research spending
Undergraduate profile
Four-year, more selective admissions

Wondering if Reed College is the right fit for you?

SchoolScout builds a personalized college list — reach, match, and safety schools — tailored to your profile, grades, and goals. Get financial aid estimates, scholarship guidance, and deep dives on every school.

Personalized reach / match / safety list
Financial aid & net cost estimates
Deep dives on any school
Scholarship search