Why Chemeketa?

Whether you’re about to graduate high school, returning to college after some time off or want to make a career change, Chemeketa has a place for you.

Small Class Sizes

If you're ready to prepare for your future, Chemeketa’s faculty and staff are committed to your success in the classroom and beyond.

The college’s open enrollment policy means students from all walks of life are welcome here. Our diverse student body means you’ll not only learn class content but how to work with people from different backgrounds—a huge asset in today’s job market.

Flexible Schedule, Low-Cost Classes & Textbooks

Don’t think you can afford college? More than 60% of Chemeketa students receive scholarships and financial aid.

Low-cost tuition and fees means your money will go further at Chemeketa. While a college education costs real money, we're doing everything we can to keep our tuition among the lowest in Oregon and provide you with affordable textbooks.

Finish the first two years of your bachelor’s degree or launch your career through day, evening and weekend classes in Salem, McMinnville, Dallas, Woodburn and online.

A Rich & Diverse Student Life

What you learn outside the classroom can be just as important as what you learn in class. You can join a club, play or cheer for our athletic teams, attend a concert or special event and even travel abroad. Getting involved and meeting students like you is easy at Chemeketa.

Student Services to Help You Succeed

Chemeketa offers a variety of services and opportunities to help you succeed in college and beyond.

Advising, Counseling and Career Services can put you on the right path to graduate and start your career while internships and work-study jobs can give you job experience while you’re still a student.

Writing and tutoring and study skills services are available to all Chemeketa students. Veterans, disability, CAMP and TRiO programs offer additional college support to those who need it.

We also have additional resources and programs to help you meet other personal needs.

A Reputation for Quality and Value

Chemeketa is regularly honored as a top school in Oregon where you can get a high-quality education at an affordable cost.

We are proud to announce that we were just ranked the #1 college in Oregon by EDsmart.org! EDsmart assesses colleges and universities in Oregon based on data that covers four main areas:

Cost (average net price)
Academic quality (graduation rate)
Student satisfaction (retention rate)
Salary after attending (the median earnings of former students who received federal financial aid, at 10 years after entering the school)

All data was gathered from the U.S. Dept of Education websites College Scorecard and College Navigator. This ranking aims to help students assess the affordability and value of top colleges in Oregon so they can make informed decisions about which college to attend.

Here is a listing of additional rankings and recognitions the college and its programs have received:

Chemeketa received the Silver award for Best College/University in the 2021 Best of the Willamette Valley
Chemeketa is ranked one of the top 10 trade schools in Oregon by Best Value Schools
CollegeFactual.com ranks Chemeketa as having a top 100 education and top 35 special education program in the nation at the two-year or four-year level
CollegeFactual.com also ranks Chemeketa as one of the three best schools in Oregon for an Associate degree and the best school in Oregon to receive an Associate degree in social science, criminal justice, corrections, law enforcement, firefighting, and drafting
UniversityHQ ranks Chemeketa as one of the three best schools in Oregon for an online Associate degree.
Chemeketa's Hospitality & Tourism Management program is ranked one of the 10 best Associate degree programs in America by Best Hospitality Degrees, One of the 20 best online Associate hospitality degrees by UniversityHQ and one of the 11 best values in America for an online Associate degree by Great Value Colleges
Washington Monthly ranked Chemeketa's Nursing program as the best college in the nation for vocational nursing certificates while NursingProcess ranked Chemeketa as the best LVN/LPN program in the state of Oregon
Nurse.org ranks Chemeketa's Nursing program as one of the 10 best in the state of Oregon
Chemeketa's Medical Assisting program is considered one of the best in Oregon by Find Medical Assistant Program
Chemeketa's Accounting program was named one of the 21 best online associate's accounting programs by Intelligent.com.