| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public community college district; classes on campus, online and hybrid |
| Locations | Four main campuses (Cascade, Rock Creek, Southeast, Sylvania) plus centers; this page lists the six centers that teach trade and health programs. All in Oregon |
| Credentials | Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees, one- and two-year certificates, career pathway certificates, non-credit training and transfer degrees |
| Calendar | Quarters (terms); all credits are quarter credits |
| Typical length | One term (nursing assistant) to two years (most AAS degrees); RN takes about three years with prerequisites |
| Enrollment | 30,548 students in fall 2025 (Oregon HECC headcount); PCC says it serves over 50,000 a year, including non-credit |
| Accreditation | Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, since 1970 |
| Federal aid | Yes; federal school code 003213 |
| 2026-27 tuition | $143 per quarter credit (resident rate), $298 (non-resident) |
| Founded | 1961, within Portland Public Schools; independent since 1968 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
A five-county public college on quarter terms
Portland Community College is the public community college for five counties around Portland, and PCC describes itself as the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon. It started in 1961 as an adult-education program of Portland Public Schools and became an independent district in 1968. Its career training is spread across four campuses and a set of specialised centers: the Swan Island Trades Center for apprenticeship and facilities trades, dental programs next to Portland State University, a manufacturing center in Scappoose and a health training center near OMSI. What sets it apart is an FAA-approved aviation maintenance school, an RN program with first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates of 90% or more each year from 2021 to 2025, and resident tuition that is also open to students from four other western states. In 2026 the college went through Oregon’s first community-college strike, its president left, and an acting president now leads PCC.
Career programs at PCC’s campuses and centers
PCC awards associate of applied science degrees, one- and two-year certificates, short career pathway certificates and non-credit training. Every credit below is a quarter credit, so totals are not comparable with those of semester-based schools. The table shows the main career programs from the 2026-27 catalog and PCC’s program pages (October 2026); a dash means the source gave no figure.
| Program | Credential (quarter credits) | Length and entry | Where | Accreditation | Prepares for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing (RN) | AAS, 108 + 45 prerequisite | Six terms after a prerequisite year; apply in winter for fall | Sylvania | OSBN approval; OCNE curriculum | NCLEX-RN |
| Nursing Assistant | 6 credits or non-credit; 120 hours | One term | Sylvania, CLIMB, Willow Creek | OSBN approval | Oregon CNA exam |
| Medical Assisting | Certificate, 47 | Nine months; starts every term | Cascade, Sylvania, Willow Creek | CAAHEP | CMA (AAMA) |
| Radiography | AAS, 102.5 | 24 months; June start | Sylvania | JRCERT (eight-year award) | ARRT |
| Medical Laboratory Technology | AAS, 91 | Two years; fall start | Cascade | NAACLS | ASCP |
| Dental Hygiene | AAS, 106 | Two years; 20 seats a year | Vanport Building | CODA | NBDHE, CDCA-WREB-CTIA |
| Dental Assisting | Certificate, 45 | One year; limited entry | Vanport Building | CODA | Oregon Expanded Functions; DANB |
| Veterinary Technology | AAS, 94 | Seven terms; closed cohort | Rock Creek | AVMA CVTEA | VTNE |
| Health Information Management | AAS, 94 | Two years; fall start | Online | CAHIIM | RHIT |
| Phlebotomy Technician | Non-credit, 190 hours | Two terms; limited entry | CLIMB | – | ASCP |
| Sterile Processing Technician | Non-credit | One term; $1,498 plus textbook | CLIMB | – | CBSPD or IAHCSMM after a year’s work |
| EMT | Certificate, 12 | Under a year | Cascade | – | NREMT, Oregon EMT licence |
| Paramedic | AAS, 101 or 105 (Fire/Paramedic); certificate, 57 | One to two years; limited entry | Cascade | CAAHEP | NREMT paramedic |
| Fire Protection Technology | AAS; certificate | Two years | Cascade | – | Oregon DPSST certification |
| Aviation Maintenance Technology | AAS, 102; certificates of 56–90 | One to two years; about $18,000 in total | Rock Creek | FAA-approved school | FAA A&P exams |
| Aviation Science (pilot) | AAS, 97 or 107 | Two years; limited entry; flight fees extra | Rock Creek and partner airports | Flying via an FAA Part 141 school | Private to commercial and CFI |
| Automotive Service Technology | AAS, 92; certificate, 76 | Two years | Sylvania | ASE Education Foundation | – |
| Auto Collision Repair | AAS, 90; certificates of 36–72 | Under a year to two years | Rock Creek | None (I-CAR curriculum) | I-CAR Non-Structural Pro-Level 1 |
| Diesel Service Technology | AAS, 91–92; certificates of 35–92 | Under a year to two years; limited entry | Rock Creek | None stated | – |
| Welding | AAS, 96; certificates of 12–87 | Under a year to two years; day and evening | Rock Creek, Swan Island, Maritime Center, Scappoose | None stated | Welder certification tests |
| Machine Manufacturing | AAS, 98.5; certificates of 15.5–45.5 | One to two years | Sylvania, Scappoose | – | – |
| Facilities Maintenance; HVAC/R Installer | AAS, 90; certificates, 44 and 14 | Under a year to two years | Swan Island | HVAC/R Installer is a BOLI pre-apprenticeship | – |
| Electrician Apprenticeship Technologies | AAS, 90–108; certificates | Alongside a registered apprenticeship | Swan Island | – | Apprentices only |
| Building Construction; Construction Management; Design/Build Remodeling | AAS, 97, 91 and 103; certificate, 37 | Two years | Rock Creek | – | – |
| Landscape Technology | Three AAS degrees, 91–96; certificates | Under a year to two years | Rock Creek | – | – |
| Computer Aided Design and Drafting | Certificate and shorter certificates | Up to a year; afternoon, evening, online | Southeast | ADDA-certified curriculum | ADDA Apprentice Drafter |
| Computer Information Systems | AAS (CIS, Cybersecurity, Network Administration, Web Development and Design); certificates | Two years | Sylvania, some online | – | – |
| Paralegal | AAS; certificate | Mostly online, with live classes | Cascade | ABA approval | – |
| Early Childhood Education | AAS; certificates | Mostly online, evening or Saturday | Sylvania | NAEYC (through Dec 2027) | – |
Several programs are not open to the general public: the electrical, industrial mechanics and construction trades apprenticeship degrees at Swan Island are only for registered apprentices. Phlebotomy, sterile processing and some nursing assistant classes are non-credit, and PCC says federal aid does not cover Sterile Processing. Subjects such as art, music, theatre, communication studies and computer science are taught as transfer courses, without a career award.
What the main programs cover
Registered nursing
PCC’s nursing AAS is a two-stage program. Students first complete about a year of prerequisite courses (45 quarter credits), then apply once a year in winter; seats for the fall cohort go by points. The nursing courses themselves run six terms and 108 credits at the Sylvania Campus, using the Oregon Consortium for Nursing Education curriculum shared with OHSU. Graduates sit the NCLEX-RN and can continue into OHSU’s RN-to-BS. PCC has no practical nursing (LPN) program, so this is the only nursing-licence route at the college.
Dental hygiene and dental assisting
Both dental programs are taught on one floor of the Vanport Building next to Portland State University, which houses PCC’s teaching dental clinic. Dental Hygiene is a 106-credit, two-year AAS that admits 20 students and 12 alternates each year from applications taken 1 January to 15 April; graduates sit the national board written exam and the CDCA-WREB-CTIA clinical exam. Dental Assisting is a 45-credit, one-year certificate, also limited entry, that prepares students for Oregon’s Expanded Functions certification and DANB exams.
Radiography
Radiography runs 24 months as eight consecutive terms, so there is no summer break, and every class starts in June. Students split their time between the Medical Imaging labs in the HT building at Sylvania and clinical placements at affiliated Portland-area hospitals. The 102.5-credit AAS is accredited by JRCERT and leads to the ARRT exam, which PCC says 98% of graduates since 2020 have passed.
Aviation maintenance and pilot training
Aviation Maintenance Technology trains mechanics in hangars at Rock Creek, including the East Aviation Hangar. Students choose the 102-credit AAS, a 90-credit two-year certificate, or separate airframe and powerplant certificates, and finish ready for the FAA A&P exams. Aviation Science is a separate, limited-entry AAS for pilots: ground school is at PCC, while flight training is given by Hillsboro Aero Academy, a private Part 141 school, at Hillsboro Airport (airplanes) or Troutdale Airport (helicopters), with its own fees.
Welding
Welding is PCC’s most widely spread trade program, taught at Rock Creek in morning, afternoon and evening shifts, at Swan Island in the morning and evening, at the OMIC Training Center in Scappoose in the afternoon and evening, and at the Maritime Welding Training Center beside the Swan Island shipyards. Students can start with one of 17 short career pathway certificates of 12 to 44 credits, covering flux-cored, TIG and stick welding, pipe certification prep, maritime pipe fitting and shipfitting. The full Welding Technology AAS is 96 credits.
Veterinary technology
Veterinary Technology admits a closed cohort that moves through seven full-time terms together in Building 7 at Rock Creek, for a 94-credit AAS. Applicants go through an interview and must log observation hours before they are admitted. The program has been accredited by the AVMA’s Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities since 1988, and its graduates sit the national VTNE exam, where PCC reports a 96% pass rate for 2023 to 2025.
Tuition for 2026-27 and how students pay
PCC’s Board set tuition for 2026-27, effective from the summer 2026 term:
- Resident rate: $143 per quarter credit (up from $138 in 2025-26). It applies to US citizens and permanent residents of Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho or Nevada, and to students using VA education benefits.
- Non-resident rate: $298 per quarter credit, including international students (up from $288).
- Fees: a $4.25 per credit student activity fee, a $7.35 per credit instructional technology fee, a $15 per term college service fee, and lab fees of up to $45 per course.
A full-time load of 12 credits at the resident rate works out to $1,716 in tuition, or about $1,870 a term with the three mandatory fees, before lab fees, books and supplies (our arithmetic from PCC’s published rates). Some programs publish their own totals: Aviation Maintenance Technology puts the whole program at approximately $18,000, Sterile Processing Technician costs $1,498 plus the textbook, and the Nursing Assistant course adds about $650 in background checks, CPR, exam and uniform costs.
PCC takes federal financial aid (school code 003213). It also names the Oregon Opportunity Grant, Oregon Promise, PCC Promise and Future Connect, a scholarship and advising program for first-generation or low-income students with a 1 March priority deadline. The PCC Foundation says it awards hundreds of scholarships each year through a single application. Sterile Processing, a non-credit course, is not eligible for federal aid.
Veterans Resource Centers operate on all four campuses, alongside a Veterans Education Benefits Office and an emergency relief fund for student veterans. Students using VA education benefits pay the resident rate.
On 27 August 2026 the US government filed United States v. State of Oregon et al. in federal court in Oregon; PCC’s Board is one of many college boards named as defendants, in a case that reporting links to in-state tuition for noncitizen students.
Admissions, starts and schedules
PCC is open admission, and the general application is free. Many career programs then need a second, limited-entry application with their own deadlines and prerequisites:
- Nursing: once a year, in winter, for fall entry, with a point system.
- Dental Hygiene: 1 January to 15 April, for 20 seats and 12 alternates.
- Radiography starts each June; Medical Laboratory Technology and Health Information Management start in fall only.
- Also limited entry: Dental Assisting, Veterinary Technology (with an interview and observation hours), Paramedic, Aviation Science, the Automotive and Diesel degrees, Cybersecurity, Graphic Design (portfolio), Exercise Science, ASL/English Interpreting and Phlebotomy.
Credit classes run in quarters. Medical Assisting starts a new cohort every term. Welding runs morning, afternoon and evening shifts across four sites, CAD drafting has afternoon, evening and online sections, and about 85% of Early Childhood Education courses are online, in the evening or on Saturdays. Health Information Management is online, and Paralegal is mostly online with some scheduled live classes.
A strike by PCC’s faculty and classified staff unions ran from 11 March 2026 until late March; spring classes resumed on 6 April on a shortened 10-week term.
Accreditation and results
PCC has been accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities since 1970. Its most recent evaluation was a Spring 2025 Mid-Cycle Review, which found it substantially compliant, and the next is due in Spring 2028; NWCCU shows no sanction.
Program accreditors include CODA (dental hygiene and dental assisting), JRCERT (radiography), CAAHEP (medical assisting and paramedic), NAACLS (medical laboratory technology), the AVMA (veterinary technology, since 1988), CAHIIM (health information management), NAEYC (early childhood education, through December 2027) and the ABA (paralegal, since 2010). The aviation maintenance school is FAA-approved. PCC states no outside accreditation for auto collision, diesel, welding, machining or interior design.
Published results by program:
| Program | Result | Cohort and source |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing (RN) | NCLEX-RN first-time pass: 94% (2021, 34 candidates), 93% (2022, 27), 100% (2023, 29), 90% (2024, 31), 91% (2025, 33) | Calendar years; Oregon State Board of Nursing, updated January 2026 |
| Radiography | 98% ARRT pass; 100% employed within 12 months | Graduates since 2020; PCC program page |
| Veterinary Technology | 96% VTNE pass (71 tested) vs 68% nationally | 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2025; PCC program page |
| Medical Laboratory Technology | 100% ASCP pass and 100% graduation (classes of 2023 and 2025); 100% placement (2023) | No 2024 class; PCC program page |
| Medical Assisting | 92.67% exam pass; 84.94% placement; 93.17% retention | 2020–24 averages; PCC program page |
We found no published pass rates for Dental Hygiene, Dental Assisting or Paramedic. College-wide, 18% of first-time, full-time students who started in fall 2021 graduated within three years and another 20% transferred out, according to College Navigator, which counts students who transfer before finishing separately.
Before you enroll
- Many career programs are limited entry even though PCC itself is open admission. Nursing takes applications once a year after a prerequisite year, Dental Hygiene admits 20 students a year and ASL/English Interpreting 25, so plan for a separate application and possibly a wait.
- The electrical degree and certificates are for registered apprentices only. PCC does not train electricians from scratch; you need to be in, or have completed, a registered apprenticeship. The HVAC/R Installer certificate is a pre-apprenticeship, not a full HVAC technician program.
- Aviation Science pilots fly with a private partner school whose flight fees are charged on top of PCC tuition (we could not find the amount), and the program does not accept VA-funded students. Aviation Maintenance is VA-approved.
- PCC is cutting programs to close a $14.78 million budget gap: Music and Sonic Arts and Creative Coding are not accepting students for 2026-27, Gerontology has been cut. Separately, the Addiction Counseling degree is being phased out from fall 2026 and replaced by a Counselor in Training certificate. Ask whether your program has any planned changes.
- We could not confirm that PCC can enroll online students who live outside Oregon, so out-of-state students interested in the online Health Information Management or Paralegal programs should check before applying. PCC does not provide student housing.
Housing and career help
PCC does not provide housing. It refers students to non-profit partners: College Housing Northwest, which asks a $500 deposit and does no income or rental-history check and added 72 units at Connery Place near the Southeast Campus in 2023, as well as The Village and The Outpost near Cascade, Koz Development and Legin Commons near Southeast. For careers, the Opportunity Centers at 42nd Avenue and Willow Creek offer career exploration, coaching and other support services, Medical Assisting includes a practicum that can be a paid externship, and Scappoose welding and machining students can take OMIC internships such as Columbia Works.
What students say
On Niche, Portland Community College averages 3.88 out of 5 from 2,079 reviews, with an overall grade of B- (checked 7 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise approachable, knowledgeable instructors, the choice of online, hybrid and in-person classes, low cost, and support such as tutoring, food pantries and the resource centers. The most common complaints are classes that fill quickly and course offerings being cut, gaps in advising and a disconnect with administration, and limited financial help, campus safety and student life. The reviews arrive at a steady pace with no sign of a burst, but they describe the college as a whole, not particular career programs or campuses.
Sources
Checked 7 October 2026: PCC locations · PCC tuition and fees · 2026-27 PCC catalog · PCC programs A–Z · NWCCU directory · Oregon State Board of Nursing NCLEX pass rates · College Navigator · Niche reviews
Programs & Courses
Nursing and Health
- Nursing (AAS, RN; Sylvania)
- Nursing Assistant (credit or non-credit; Sylvania, CLIMB Center, Willow Creek)
- Medical Assisting (certificate; Cascade, Sylvania, Willow Creek)
- Radiography (AAS; Sylvania)
- Medical Laboratory Technology (AAS; Cascade)
- Health Information Management (AAS; online)
- Phlebotomy Technician (non-credit; CLIMB Center)
- Sterile Processing Technician (non-credit; CLIMB Center)
- Eye Technician (certificate; Cascade, CLIMB Center)
- Exercise Science (AAS and certificates; Sylvania)
- Addiction Counseling: Counselor in Training certificate (Cascade)
Dental (Vanport Building)
- Dental Hygiene (AAS)
- Dental Assisting (certificate)
Veterinary
- Veterinary Technology (AAS; Rock Creek)
Emergency Services and Fire
- Emergency Medical Technician (certificate; Cascade)
- Paramedic: EMT-Paramedic AAS, Fire/Paramedic AAS, EMS-Paramedic certificate (Cascade)
- Fire Protection Technology (AAS and certificate; Cascade)
Aviation and Automotive
- Aviation Maintenance Technology (AAS, certificates; Rock Creek)
- Aviation Science, airplane or helicopter pilot (AAS; Rock Creek with Hillsboro Aero Academy)
- Automotive Service Technology, including Honda PACT (AAS, certificate; Sylvania)
- Auto Collision Repair Technology (AAS, certificates; Rock Creek)
- Diesel Service Technology, including Electric Power Generation (AAS, certificates; Rock Creek)
Welding, Manufacturing and Facilities
- Welding Technology and Maritime Welding (AAS, certificates; Rock Creek, Swan Island, Maritime Welding Training Center, Scappoose)
- Machine Manufacturing Technology (AAS; Sylvania, Scappoose)
- CNC Milling, CNC Turning and Manual Machining (certificates)
- Manufacturing Technician (certificate)
- Pre-Trades for Advanced Manufacturing (Scappoose)
- Microelectronics Technology (Rock Creek)
- Facilities Maintenance Technology (AAS, certificate; Swan Island)
- HVAC/R Installer pre-apprenticeship (certificate; Swan Island)
Apprenticeship (registered apprentices only; Swan Island)
- Electrician Apprenticeship Technologies (AAS, certificates)
- Limited Electrician (certificate)
- Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology Apprenticeship
- Construction Trades, General Apprenticeship
Construction and Landscape (Rock Creek)
- Building Construction Technology (AAS, certificate)
- Construction Management (AAS)
- Design/Build Remodeling (AAS)
- Landscape Technology, Landscape Design, Environmental Landscape Management (AAS, certificates)
Computing, Drafting and Design
- Computer Information Systems (AAS; Sylvania)
- Cybersecurity (AAS; Sylvania)
- Network Administration (AAS) and Cisco Networking (certificate)
- Web Development and Design (AAS)
- Database Design and SQL (certificate)
- Advanced Windows Network Security (certificate)
- Computer Aided Design and Drafting (certificate; Southeast)
- Graphic Design (AAS; Sylvania)
- Interior Design (AAS, certificates; Sylvania)
- Multimedia, including Animation and Motion Graphics (AAS; Cascade)
Business, Law and Education
- Accounting (AAS, certificates)
- Business (AAS)
- Management and Leadership (certificate)
- Marketing (AAS, certificate)
- Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (certificate)
- Paralegal (AAS, certificate; Cascade, mostly online)
- Criminal Justice (AAS; Cascade)
- Early Childhood Education and Childcare Aide (AAS, certificates; Sylvania)
- ASL/English Interpreting (AAS; Sylvania)
Campus Locations
Portland, OR 12000 SW 49th Ave, Portland, OR 97219
Portland, OR 17705 NW Springville Rd, Portland, OR 97229
Portland, OR 705 N Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97217
Portland, OR 2305 SE 82nd and Division, Portland, OR 97216
Portland, OR 6400 N Cutter Circle, Portland, OR 97217
Portland, OR 5555 N Channel Ave, Portland, OR 97217
Portland, OR 1810 SW 5th Ave, Floor 3, Portland, OR 97201
Portland, OR 1626 SE Water Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Scappoose, OR 34001 NE Wagner Ct, Scappoose, OR 97056
Hillsboro, OR 241 SW Edgeway Drive, Hillsboro, OR 97006