Students at Pacific University's Hillsboro health professions campus stand to gain expanded career services and new pathways between undergraduate and graduate programs when the school completes its merger with Willamette University.

The combination will create Oregon's largest private university, serving more than 6,000 students across campuses in Forest Grove, Hillsboro, Salem, and Portland, according to the Beaverton Valley Times on July 14.

Officials have provisionally named the merged institution the University of the Northwest, pending regulatory and accreditor approvals.

Both presidents appeared together on OPB's Think Out Loud on Thursday, July 23, to discuss the merger's impact on students and institutions.

Pacific President Jenny Coyle and Willamette President Steve Thorsett have been making the case publicly since both governing boards unanimously approved the deal in June 2026 and signed it in early July.

The Hillsboro connection

For Beaverton-area families, Pacific's Hillsboro campus is the most direct link to this merger. Located in downtown Hillsboro's Health and Education District next to the MAX light rail station, it houses the College of Health Professions with programs in pharmacy, physical therapy, dental health, physician assistant studies, professional psychology, optometry, and a business degree.

Pacific has Oregon's only optometry school and offers doctorates in 14 programs. Its total enrollment exceeds 3,000 students across both campuses.

What students will see first

Thorsett told KGW on July 14 that the first visible change will be broader academic pathways. "I think the first thing that our students will see is the availability of pathways between undergraduate and graduate programs in a much broader array of fields," he said.

He also pointed to career services as an immediate benefit, saying the combined expertise of both campuses will be pooled into a single operation from day one of the merger.

The merged university plans to expand offerings across liberal arts, business, law, education, computing and data science, art and design, and healthcare professions, according to the Beaverton Valley Times' July 14 report.

Officials said the combination is meant to address regional workforce shortages in healthcare, law, and education.

Cost savings without layoffs

Thorsett framed the financial case around eliminating duplication that doesn't directly serve students: one financial audit per year instead of two, and compliance infrastructure that no longer needs to exist on every campus.

"So many universities in Oregon have been retrenching, cutting programs and support for students," Thorsett said on July 14. "We felt that this is a moment not for retreat, but for innovation and leadership."

Thorsett said no faculty reductions are planned and no short-term staff cuts are expected, though he acknowledged roles may shift over time as the institutions integrate.

Timeline

The corporate merger into a single entity is expected in early 2027. Full institutional integration, including U.S. Department of Education approval, could take up to two years from the signing.

Coyle told KGW on July 14 that the federal approval process alone could take 12 to 18 months.

During the transition, both schools will continue operating under their own accreditations, degree-granting authority, and financial aid programs. Each school retains its name, traditions, athletics, and admissions processes under what officials call a collegiate model.

Once complete, Coyle will serve as president overseeing academics and student affairs, while Thorsett will serve as chancellor overseeing business operations. The combined university will have an alumni network of more than 73,000 graduates.