Pioneer Pacific, once a private for-profit college with locations in Springfield, Beaverton, and the Oregon Culinary Institute in Portland, closed permanently on July 31, 2020, due to COVID-19.
With nearly 40 years of experience, Pioneer Pacific College strives to teach each student a new vocation to further their careers. Programs include healthcare, paralegal, business, and culinary arts. This accredited school has locations across Oregon and continues to grow. The face-to-face and online instruction focuses on small class sizes and one-on-one instructor interaction.
Programs & Courses
Healthcare
- Medical Assistant
- Medical Billing and Coding
- Radiology
- Nursing
- Phlebotomy
- Pharmacy Technician
Culinary
- Baking and Pastry Arts
- Culinary Arts
Criminal Justice & Law
- Paralegal
Business
- Business Administration
Campus Locations
Beaverton, OR 4145 SW Watson Ave., #300, Beaverton, OR 97005
Portland, OR 1701 SW Jefferson St., Portland, OR 97201
Springfield, OR 3800 Sports Way, Springfield, OR 97477
Financial Aid Services
Financial Officers are available to people who need help paying for college. Options for assistance consist of Pell grants, federal loans, and high school tuition credit. Graduating seniors may qualify for scholarships. Hopefuls must fill out the application on the web. Pioneer Pacific also offers a payment plan for those ineligible for aid.
Student Services
Pioneer Pacific College guides prospective students through enrollment from start to finish. Admissions Officers discuss interests and goals, as well as answer questions about the programs. Applicants then complete a placement test to measure reading, writing, and math skills. Once accepted, orientation and classes can begin.
Career Services
Several career advancement benefits are available. The staff helps with the job search process, including finding leads and preparing to interview. Before completing a Pioneer Pacific degree, attendees participate in a course that covers resumes, best practices, how to dress for interviews, and more.
Alumni Services
Graduates are able to take advantage of a broad network of community employers. Local companies and agency recruiters work alongside Pioneer Pacific College to find the right employees. Alumni can also request transcripts using a convenient and secure online form.
Reviews
Based on reviews in Google, Pioneer Pacific College (PPC) was a private, for-profit institution with a highly mixed and polarized reputation leading up to its closure. While older reviews praised the supportive environment, later feedback—especially from graduates—contained serious, repeated warnings about the degrees’ value, job prospects, and institutional credibility.
Crucial Context: Pioneer Pacific College permanently closed all its campuses, including the Beaverton location, on July 31, 2020. The reviews below reflect the student experience prior to that closure.
Overall Score: 3.2/5 Stars
Common Praises
Exceptional Initial Support: The admissions team and staff members (specifically Sami and Shellie) were frequently praised for being friendly, helpful, and caring. They were noted for assisting with enrollment, financial aid, and making the process “quick to help.”
Fast-Track Graduation: Students appreciated the accelerated format, which allowed them to earn degrees (such as an Associate’s in Paralegal or Accounting) in a relatively short period of time (e.g., years).
Dedicated Instructors: Reviews for specific programs mentioned great, knowledgeable instructors who provided hands-on learning and were “there whenever you need them,” particularly in the Paralegal and Criminal Justice fields.
Flexible Scheduling: The availability of flexible class schedules was a positive factor for older students or those balancing school with work.
Common Crticisms
Lack of Transferability & Degree Value: This is the most severe and consistent criticism. Graduates reported their degrees were “not worth the value of toilet tissue” and that the education was insufficient to secure a job in the field. Multiple reviews specifically warned that the degree from a nationally accredited school did not transfer to most other colleges, calling it a “rip off” and a waste of tens of thousands of dollars.
Ineffective Job Placement: Despite the school’s “main selling point” being career assistance, many graduates claimed the promise to “help you find a job” was a lie. Graduates reported being left with no assistance for externships or job hunting after paying high tuition.
Subpar Education and Unprofessional Staff: Several students complained about the quality of the education being “elementary,” and criticized instructors for being late, unmotivated, or teaching classes they were unqualified for. There were reports of staff being unprofessional and not caring about students’ well-being.
Predatory Practices: Negative reviews from former students and the public commonly labeled the school a “diploma mill money scam racket” that was “too quick to get their hands on my money (especially, financial aid).”
Momentum
The momentum leading up to the school’s closure was negative. While positive reviews focused on initial admissions support, the more detailed and serious criticisms focused on the ultimate outcome: degrees that were difficult to use for both transfer and employment. The permanent closure of Pioneer Pacific College in July 2020 essentially confirms the underlying instability and financial risk associated with the institution.