Career
Career opportunities in Portland
Of all the cities in Oregon, Portland has known the greatest economic progress and development, especially in recent years and the local economy is expected to grow even more in the next years. For this reason, many companies moved their headquarters from other states in Portland.
The largest economic sectors in Portland are commerce and trade, manufacturing (steel, beer, electronics, machinery, food products, transportation equipment), technology, forestry (lumber and wood).
Names of companies with local offices in Portland include Intel, Adidas, Daimler Trucks, Portland General Electric, Digital Trends, Iberdrola Renewables, Galena Biopharma, Tripwire.
International students will find plenty of internship opportunities in many fields within the local companies and organisations.
Life
Portland city life
Travelers and visitors that come to Portland can embrace tons of activities to engage in during their spare time. Portland is known as one of the greatest towns for beer in the U.S. (counting several breweries), a place with cheap food and ideal for people that love mountain hiking; the city is located at the foothills of the Tualatin Mountains.
Interesting sites to visit in Portland:
- The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
- The Portland Art Museum
- The OMNIMAX Dome Theater
- Oaks Amusement Park
- Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
In Portland, you can wander around numerous parks, Washington Park is the largest and includes the Oregon Zoo, a Japanese Garden and sport courts.
Portland has many restaurants and was rated as “A rising city with a fast-growing food scene". You can also find plenty of cheap food at every corner; Portland has more food carts that you’ve ever seen. At night, bars and pubs are always crowded with young people.
Have fun at some of the local events, like The Portland Rose Festival, or Oregon Brewers Festival.
If you’re a sports fan, attend matches of the local basketball and soccer teams.
International atmosphere in Portland
Besides the significant number of international students, around 20 % of the population living in Portland is foreign born. The largest ethnic minorities are Asian and Hispanic and several expats from the UK and Australia have chosen to live in Portland as well.
Weather Portland
In Portland, you would experience many rainy days so often times, you would have to carry an umbrella with you. However, summers are hot, sunny and usually dry, with average daily temperatures of 28 °C (81 °F). Winters are pretty cold and rainy, but there is rarely any snow. Average temperatures in December are 7-8 °C (45 °F).
Costs
Accommodation costs in Portland
You can choose from these housing options:
1. On-campus housing: rates are between 1,700 and 3,000 USD/semester, depending on facilities. Additionally, you can also choose a meal plan that is around 400 USD/month.
2. Share and apartment: prices for rent start at about 500 USD/month per person, not including utilities. Living alone in an apartment would cost you between 800 and 1,000 USD/month.
3. Homestays: rates start from 650 USD/month, usually including two meals/day.
Living costs in Portland
Average living costs in Portland would lead to around 1,300-1,500 USD/month, including housing, food bills, transportation and social activities.
Groceries from the local supermarkets would cost about 180-200 USD/month and you would spend another 60 USD/month on social activities.
In terms of transportation, you can easily get around by foot or with a bicycle. A transportation pass for students that enables travelling by bus, light rail and street cars is around 60 USD/month.
Universities in Portland
University of Western States (UWS) offers a world-class, integrated health care education and provides an evidence-informed approach to health and wellness. The graduates deliver high-quality health care based on science, the professional’s skill and knowledge, and the preferences and experiences of the patient or client.
Portland State University supports equal opportunity in admissions, education, employment, housing, and use of facilities by prohibiting discrimination in those areas based on age, color, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion or creed, sex or gender, gender identity or gender expression, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other basis in law.