# Reed College [Small college guides](/colleges/) Reed is famous for taking ideas extremely seriously: conference-style classes, professors who know your name, grades you have to ask to see, and a year-long senior thesis every student defends. It also famously refuses to cooperate with the US News rankings. LocationPortland, Oregon EnrollmentAbout 1,350 students Tuition modelSticker price near $87,000 all-in; meets 100 percent of demonstrated need (average aid near $50,000) SelectivityAbout 25 percent The distinctive thingFiercely intellectual, de-emphasized grades, and a required senior thesis. ## Campus culture College Confidential threads paint a consistent picture: intellectual and nerdy culture, a great education with a great reputation at grad schools, but also real complaints about dogmatism in the student body, constant complaining about workload, and a genuine, visible drug culture (students confirm it is real but optional and unpressured). Unigo stereotypes: quirky, extremely intelligent, politically very liberal. The supportive side is real too, captured in the 'Reedies Take Care of Reedies' ethos. Net: warmly accepting, intensely intellectual, self-consciously weird, with real workload stress and a strain of ideological conformity some students find grating. Pre-meds should note the grade culture: the average GPA is around 3.0 to 3.2, which complicates medical school applications. ## Traditions - Renn Fayre: the annual three-day end-of-year festival, featuring the Thesis Parade, where seniors march from the library to the registrar after turning in their theses. - The Doyle Owl: a 280-pound concrete owl stolen and re-stolen since about 1919; the current one is 'Doyle Owl number 13, plus or minus 11.' - Paideia: a week of student- and community-taught short courses before spring semester. - The unofficial motto 'Communism, Atheism, Free Love,' reclaimed from 1920s critics and sold on bookstore merch. ## Dorms and food Mixed forum reviews of the Commons dining hall (Bon Appetit): decent quality with execution problems, though students praise specific dishes. Students supplement with dorm kitchens, a produce stand, and nearby Trader Joe's. Dorms get little complaint; the canyon and quad are beloved. ## Social scene Intense, small, and inward-facing; students say they are often too busy to explore Portland. Renn Fayre is the big release valve. No Greek life, no varsity athletics (club sports only). The Reed bubble is real. ## Who thrives here Genuinely intellectual, self-motivated students who want to learn for learning's sake, do not need grade feedback to work, and are aiming at PhDs or research. People comfortable being the odd one out and arguing about ideas at 2 a.m. ## Who should look elsewhere Students motivated by grades and external validation; pre-meds worried about GPA; anyone wanting big-school spirit, athletics, or a politically balanced campus; students who need hand-holding structure. ## Costs and financial aid Very high sticker: about $69,000 in tuition and fees, over $87,000 total cost of attendance. The good news: no application fee, 100 percent of demonstrated need met, and average aid packages near $50,000. One gotcha: the no-grades-shown policy can complicate law and medical school applications, though Reed's explanatory transcript cards help. Model the real four-year numbers with our [true cost of college calculator](/college-true-cost-calculator/). ## Admissions Common App or Coalition, no fee. The Reed supplement essay matters, including the famous 'Why Reed' prompt. Test-blind for the 2026 cycle (scores not considered even if submitted). Interview optional but recommended. What they look for: intellectual independence and genuine fit with the thesis-and-seminar model. ## Notable facts - Steve Jobs attended (and dropped out); he credited a Reed calligraphy class for the Macintosh's typography. - Among the highest rates of graduates earning PhDs of any US college, historically near the top in the life sciences. - Famously refuses to cooperate with the US News rankings, a drop it wears as a badge of honor. ## More small college guides - [**Deep Springs College**26 students, a working cattle ranch, and seminar academics in the California desert.](/colleges/deep-springs-college/) - [**Berea College**Free tuition for every student, funded by a work program and a huge endowment.](/colleges/berea-college/) - [**St. John's College**One shared Great Books curriculum, no majors, seminars instead of lectures.](/colleges/st-johns-college/) - [**Olin College of Engineering**Project-based engineering from day one, 400 students, big automatic scholarship.](/colleges/olin-college/) - [**Webb Institute**One major, naval architecture, free tuition, about 100 students.](/colleges/webb-institute/) - [**Curtis Institute of Music**Elite conservatory, full scholarship for all, learn by performing.](/colleges/curtis-institute/) - [**The Cooper Union**Art, architecture, engineering in NYC with half-tuition scholarships.](/colleges/cooper-union/) - [**Warren Wilson College**Work college with a farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains.](/colleges/warren-wilson-college/) - [**College of the Ozarks**'Hard Work U': no tuition, every student works 15 hours a week.](/colleges/college-of-the-ozarks/) - [**Antioch College**Co-op education and activist history, rebuilding in Yellow Springs.](/colleges/antioch-college/) - [**Hampshire College**No grades, no majors, design your own degree. Closing December 2026.](/colleges/hampshire-college/) Compare costs with the [true cost of college calculator](/college-true-cost-calculator/), find your fit with the [college culture fit quiz](/college-fit-quiz/), or browse the [full college hub](/colleges/). ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Reed grade-deflated? The average GPA is around 3.0 to 3.2, and students are not shown grades unless they request them. Professors give detailed written evaluations instead. ### Do Reed graduates get into grad school? Exceptionally well. Reed is one of the top PhD-producing colleges in the country. ### Is the drug culture at Reed real? Yes, it is real and visible, but participation is optional and not pressured. The college has tightened policies over the years. ### Is Reed test-optional or test-blind? Test-blind for the 2026 cycle: scores are not considered even if submitted. ### Does Reed accept the Common App? Yes, Common App or Coalition, with no application fee. ### What is the Reed senior thesis? A year-long original research or creative project required of every senior, defended before faculty. ### Is Reed expensive? The sticker is high, but Reed meets 100 percent of demonstrated need and the average aid award is around $50,000.