Colleges of the Pacific Northwest Quiz

Answer: Eugene

The University of Oregon was founded in 1876 in Eugene, Lane County. The school has over 24,000 students and has satellite campuses in Bend, Portland and Charleston. UO sports teams are nicknamed Ducks and have been members of the Big Ten Conference since 2024, having been members of the Pac-12 Conference for many decades. Famous alumni include author Ken Kesey, NFL quarterback Dan Fouts and athlete Steve Prefontaine.

Answer: Cheney

Eastern Washington University was established in 1882 in Cheney, Spokane County. The school has well over 10,000 students, with satellite campuses in Spokane, Bellevue and Everett. Their sports teams are nicknamed Eagles, and they compete in the Big Sky Conference. Alumni include Super Bowl winning tackle Ed Simmons and racing driver Tom Sneva.

Answer: Ashland

Southern Oregon University was founded in 1872 in Ashland, Jackson County. The school has just over 5,000 students, and has sports teams nicknamed Raiders who compete in the NAIA Cascade Collegiate Conference for most sports - their gridiron squad are members of the Frontier Conference. Alumni include soap actress Kim Rhodes and film director Todd Field.

Answer: Spokane

Gonzaga University was founded in 1887 in Spokane, Washington. The school is named after Jesuit saint Aloysius Gonzaga and has around 7.500 students. Gonzaga has sports teams named Bulldogs and were due to join the Pac-12 Conference in 2026, although they haven't fielded a gridiron team since World War 2. Alumni include Bing Crosby and NBA star John Stockton.

Answer: Corvallis

Oregon State University was founded in 1868 in Corvallis, Benton County. With over 38,000 students, it is the biggest college in Oregon. The school has satellite campuses in Bend, Portland and Newport. OSU has sports teams nicknamed Beavers, and are members of the Pac-12 Conference. Famous alumni include Nobel laureate Linus Pauling, NBA star Gary Payton and Olympic high-jumper Dick Fosbury.

Answer: Pullman

Washington State University was established in Pullman, Whitman County, in 1890. The school has over 25,000 students, with satellite campuses in Spokane, Tri-Cities and Vancouver. WSU has sports teams nicknamed Cougars who compete in the Pac-12 Conference. Famous alumni include Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe.

Answer: Portland

Lewis & Clark College was founded in 1867 in Oregon's largest city, Portland. The school, which has around 3,500 students, is named after early 19th century explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Lewis & Clark athletes are nicknamed Pioneers and compete in the NCAA Division III Northwest Conference. Alumni include Olympic swimmer Matt Biondi and White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

Answer: Bellingham

Western Washington University was founded in Bellingham, Whatcom County, in 1893. The school has nearly 15,000 students and has a number of satellite campuses, including ones in Everett and Port Angeles. WWU has sports teams nicknamed Vikings who compete in the NCAA Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Alumni include former Soundgarden bassist Hiro Yamamoto and Olympic skier Breezy Johnson.

Answer: Salem

Willamette University was founded in 1842 in Oregon's state capital, Salem. The school, which has just over 2,000 students, takes its name from the river of that name which runs through Salem. Willamette has sports teams nicknamed Bearcats which compete in the NCAA Division II Northwest Conference. Alumni include Nobel laureate Dale T. Mortensen and author Richard Laymon.

Answer: Seattle

The University of Washington was established in 1861 in the state's biggest city, Seattle. It is the largest college in the state of Washington with almost 70,000 students, and has numerous satellite campuses, including ones in Tacoma and Spokane. UW has sports team nicknamed Huskies, and joined the Big Ten Conference in 2024 after many decades as a member of the Pac-12 Conference. Famous alumni include martial arts star Bruce Lee, baseball Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum and novelist Frank Herbert.