Willamette University President Steve Thorsett and Pacific University President Jenny Coyle went public on July 26, with the most detailed case yet for why their two schools should become one,
According to OregonLive, the merger will let Salem students move straight from undergraduate degrees into doctoral programs without reapplying.
The specific example they highlighted: a Willamette exercise science major who wants to become a physical therapist.
Under the current system, that student must submit new applications, pay new fees, and hope for admission elsewhere. Under the combined institution, which the presidents are calling the University of the Northwest, the same student would earn a bachelor's degree on the Salem campus and proceed directly into a doctorate of physical therapy at Pacific's School of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training in Hillsboro.
"Fewer applications, less time, less debt — and one more physical therapist or data scientist building a career in Oregon," the presidents wrote.
Pathways would also flow the other direction. A Pacific undergraduate in Forest Grove drawn to data science could complete a bachelor's and master's through Willamette's School of Computing and Information Science in Salem in four years instead of five.
The presidents said additional pathways into law, teaching, and social work are still being finalized.
Why now
The presidents framed the merger as a growth strategy, not a financial rescue. Both universities were running balanced budgets when they first announced the merger plan in December 2025, according to an OPB report from that month.
But the broader landscape is bleak: Oregon private colleges Marylhurst and Concordia have already closed, and public universities including Portland State and Southern Oregon are making significant budget cuts in 2026.
The presidents cited a projection of roughly 40,000 new healthcare jobs in Oregon between 2024 and 2034, calling it the state's fastest-growing field.
Pacific is already Oregon's largest private educator of healthcare professionals, graduating optometrists, pharmacists, physical therapists, and counselors. Willamette brings data science and the Pacific Northwest College of Art.
What stays the same
Each school and college will keep its name, traditions, and athletic teams under a collegiate model, the presidents wrote.
They pointed to the Pacific Northwest College of Art's 2021 merger with Willamette as a precedent: PNCA retained its name, culture, and downtown Portland campus.
Thorsett said in a July 14 KGW interview that the university does not expect reductions in faculty or staff in the near term.
Timeline and approvals
The two boards unanimously approved the merger agreement on Saturday, June 6, and signed the binding plan in early July, according to an official Willamette press release.
The press release targets early 2027 for the merger into a single legal entity, but full institutional combination could take until 2028, pending approvals from the U.S. Department of Education and the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
No public community forum or next milestone date has been announced beyond that early 2027 target.
The combined university will serve more than 6,000 students across campuses in Salem, Forest Grove, Hillsboro, and Portland, and will unite an alumni network of more than 73,000.
Under the leadership structure, Thorsett will serve as chancellor overseeing business operations, while Coyle will serve as president overseeing academics and student affairs.
