Situated in a suburban oasis within the city limits of Portland, Oregon is Lewis & Clark, a small liberal arts college with about 2,000 undergraduates, as well as several graduate programs. Surrounded by a state park, the campus is beautiful. The school has a free shuttle that drops students off in the center of downtown Portland that runs throughout the day and weekends. The classroom buildings are state-of-the-art; the student/teacher ratio about 11 to one; and their international focus and study-abroad programs are impressive.
Unlike Whitman College, whose student population hails mostly from the Pacific Northwest, Lewis & Clark students are much more geographically diverse. In fact, on our tour, students had come from the East Coast and even Alaska. The programs offered are consistent with the liberal arts fare, with a heavy focus on international studies.
Lewis & Clark also takes advantage of its spectacular setting and offers an abundance of outdoor activities on weekends. There is virtually every type of outdoor activity available within only a few hours drive. Moreover, the school subsidizes the outdoor activity costs.
On the downside, most of the dorms are a bit dated and are ripe for renovation. There is one brand new, beautiful dorm and a few themed dorms that appear a bit more modern. For example, the outdoor-themed dorm takes its students on several outdoor trips a year.
The overall feeling on campus is laid-back and friendly. For an outdoor enthusiast who wants a liberal arts education in a friendly, non-competitive and beautiful setting, there is little not to love about Lewis & Clark. In fact, my son who until then had been looking in the Midwest and East Coast, is now smitten with Lewis and Clark. I can see why!
