Since its founding in 1908 as an independent undergraduate institution, Reed College has remained steadfast to one central commitment: to provide a balanced, comprehensive education in liberal arts and sciences, fulfilling the highest standards of intellectual excellence. Reed offers a liberal arts education of high quality under unusually favorable conditions, including a challenging curriculum involving wide reading, conference and laboratory-based teaching in small groups, and a student body motivated by enthusiasm for serious intellectual work.

The goal of Reed College is to provide an education in the liberal arts and sciences with emphasis on the highest intellectual and scholarly standards. The Reed education pays particular attention to a balance between a broad study in the various areas of human knowledge and a close, in-depth study in a recognized academic discipline. The general program consists of a background in humanistic and scientific study, which delineates the relationships of cultural phenomena and the modes of thought important in understanding ourselves and our world. The advanced program provides opportunity for intensive examination of the subject matter and techniques of a more narrowly defined academic discipline, culminating in the senior research project and thesis. At Reed we believe the balance of a general and more specialized education is best achieved where students and faculty members work closely together in an atmosphere of shared intellectual and scholarly concern, and where individual interests and disciplines are pursued not in isolation, but with a sense of the larger intellectual life of which they are a part.

Situated on the suburban edge of a major city, only five miles southeast of downtown, a Reed education affords undergraduates both peaceful, verdant surroundings and easy access to urban culture and entertainment. Portland is among the nation's most pleasant urban environments, a paradise for nonconformists who just happen to enjoy world-class coffee. Students can reach nearly any part of the city with a short bicycle or bus ride. Mt. Hood and the Oregon Coast, and their attendant recreational options, are both easily accessible. The Willamette River bisects the city into east and west. Portland is a city rich in culture, entertainment, and west coast charm. Like many west coast cities, it is wide open, lush with greenery, and generally laid-back in demeanor. Forest Park, located in the northwest section of the city, is widely regarded as the largest municipal park in the United States with 4,600 acres. The city is home to a multitude of theatre troupes; African dance, ballet, and opera companies; several symphonies; museums; and a growing gallery district that locals call "the Pearl." It's the type of city where revival and art movie houses still thrive; indeed, they outnumber the multiplexes that have overtaken much of rest of the country. Used book hunters will love scavenging the city's dozens of independent bookstores.

Reed is on a two-semester calendar. Students normally register for a course load of 3 to 4 1/2 units per semester. A full course for one semester carries one Reed unit of credit, which is the equivalent of four semester-hours or six quarter-hours. Enrollment in an overload (5 units or more) or an underload (fewer than 3 units) is by special permission only.

The average class size at Reed is 15.

Professors teach all of the classes at Reed. Eighty-four percent of faculty members have received the terminal degree in their areas of expertise. Reedies appreciate the close working and personal relationships they maintain with their professors; to many, it is the most beneficial aspect of a Reed education. Likewise, the faculty values the unique opportunity to work with a truly engaged and extremely accomplished student body dedicated to learning for its own sake. The faculty constantly undertakes important research but considers its primary responsibility the teaching of undergraduates. Professors frequently involve students in the creation of papers and scientific research; in many cases, students receive credit as co-authors and co-investigators on the work produced. A 10:1 student/faculty ratio allows for small classes and frequent one-on-one meetings.

Over 60 percent of the student body, including almost all first-year students, live in the college residence halls, houses, and apartments. Reed's residence halls, in five areas of the campus, are characterized by distinctive architecture intended to foster community living. Housing choices are typically coed, with the exception of one all-female hall. The majority of upper-class students live in singles, with most first-year students living in divided double and a few triple rooms. Within the residence halls specific communities are organized around themes or lifestyles choices, such asa quiet floor and substance-free floors. All residence halls are non-smoking.In addition, Reed's five language houses accommodate upper-class students studying French, German, Spanish, Russian, or Chinese. The Reed College Apartments offer students a combination of on- and off-campus living. A short walk from the main campus, these furnished one- and two-bedroom units house one to two residents respectively. The apartments are reserved for non-first-year students. Returning students select housing for the following year through a housing lottery held in the spring. New and transfer students select their preferred housing options, which staff members then use to make room assignments. First-year students who meet the housing application deadline are guaranteed housing on campus; transfer students are provided rooms on campus on a space-available basis. All students who live on campus (with the exception of Reed College Apartment residents) contract for their meals on an annual basis. Students who live in the Reed College Apartments or off campus also have the option of participating in the board program. All those on board eat in the centrally located commons (dining hall). The food service program operates on a declining balance system. Each student on board pays a fee at the beginning of the term and is credited with food points (dollars) to be spent in the dining hall. Dining services are available approximately 12 hours a day, Monday through Friday, and 5 hours per day on the weekends. An up-to-date brochure describing the meal plans is available from the residence life office. The office maintains a website of off-campus housing listings, which is a link from the residence life home page.

The Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) is an interdisciplinary graduate program in the liberal arts and sciences. An alternative to the highly specialized course of study characteristic of most graduate programs, the MALS degree does not provide a specific vocational or professional orientation. It is intended for those students who wish to pursue interdisciplinary graduate work in a flexible, individually designed program. The MALS program therefore attracts a diverse group of bright and intellectually curious students of varied interests, ages, and backgrounds who are motivated to learn and who wish to pursue their learning with similarly motivated students and faculty members. In short, the most fundamental and abiding characteristic of students in the program is the desire to learn for its own sake.

Tuition for the 2010-11 school year is $40,940. Room and board is $10,650. The total cost, with a student fee of $260, is $51,850.

Reed welcomes applications from freshman and transfer candidates who are genuinely committed to the pursuit of a liberal arts education and a rigorous academic program. Those applicants are accepted who, in the view of the Committee on Admission, are most likely to become successful members of and contribute significantly to the Reed community. The college is committed to maintaining a student body distinguished by its intellectual passion, yet diverse in its range of backgrounds, interests, and talents. Admission decisions are based on many factors, but academic accomplishments are given the greatest weight in the selection process. A strong secondary school preparation, including honors and advanced courses where available, will improve a student's chance for admission. Such preparation usually includes four years of English, three years of a foreign or classical language, three to four years of mathematics, three years of science, and at least three to four years of history or social studies. We hope that applicants also will enrich their high school curricula with arts courses. Given the wide variation in high school programs, however, there are no fixed requirements for secondary school courses. Applicants are generally expected to have obtained a secondary school diploma prior to enrollment. There are no "cutoff points" for high school or college grades, or for examination scores. Prospective students with questions about the college or the admission process, or with requests for special consideration, may call the admission office: 503/777-7511 (local), or 800/547-4750 (toll-free); fax 503/777-7553. Electronic mail, including requests for information, may be sent to admission@reed.edu. Reed's website is http://web.reed.edu.