Willamette University and Pacific University seek to merge

Dive Brief:

Willamette University and Pacific University are looking to merge after their leaders signed a letter of intent to negotiate a definitive agreement, the Oregon institutions announced Thursday.
Under the plan, the two private nonprofits would operate as a single institution under a shared administrative structure but maintain “their character, identities, and historic campuses.” They would also run separate academic and athletics programs and set their own admissions requirements.
Willamette and Pacific officials expect to announce details about the operational and structural changes under the merger in the coming months. During that time, their leadership teams plan to enter into a definitive agreement and begin seeking regulatory approval.

Dive Insight:

The two institutions “provisionally” expect to call the combined college the University of the Northwest, according to Thursday’s announcement. It would be the largest private university in Oregon, with a combined student body of about 6,000. 

“Together we’re looking to create pathways and opportunities for students that would be difficult for either institution to do alone,” Willamette President Steve Thorsett said in a statement. As a merged institution, the universities could “offer broader academic programs, enhanced resources, and have the flexibility to build and innovate in the future,” Thorsett said.

Pacific is the larger of the two institutions. In fall 2023, the university enrolled 3,479 students, a 2.9% decline from a decade prior, according to federal data. 

Willamette enrolled 2,112 students in fall 2023, down 26% from a decade prior. The university’s enrollment reached a four-decade low during the pandemic, though it has steadily recovered since.

The loss of students has hit Willamette’s budget hard. Roughly half of the university’s revenue comes from net tuition and fees, and it has reported multimillion-dollar deficits from fiscal years 2016 to 2024.

Meanwhile, Pacific, another tuition-reliant institution, has posted positive net income each year over the same period.

Both institutions are accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, which would need to sign off on their merger.

Federal and state regulators would also need to approve the proposed merger. 

One top state official gave Willamette and Pacific an early show of support Thursday.

“At a time when increased investment and innovation in all sectors of higher education is crucial for our state’s economic future, I appreciate the bold approach Willamette and Pacific are taking to meet the moment,” Ben Cannon, executive director of Oregon’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission, said in a statement. “We look forward to supporting their work to expand access to higher education for all Oregonians.”

Each institution’s undergraduate colleges will remain separate. That includes Willamette’s art school, which it established following its acquisition of the Pacific Northwest College of Art in 2021. PNCA became Willamette’s fourth college and retained its name, faculty and Portland campus.

“Pacific and Willamette are both deeply rooted in Oregon’s history and have educated thousands of leaders who have helped make the Pacific Northwest synonymous with innovation and excellence,” Thorsett said in a statement.

Willamette was founded in 1842 as a school for the children of settlers. It became “Wallamet University” in 1853 before adopting the current spelling of its name in 1870. The university established Oregon’s first law school and medical school.

Pacific, similarly founded as a school for children in 1849, awarded its first bachelor’s degree in 1863.