Sumner College is a
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...
for-profit nursing school
Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ca ...
in
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populou ...
. It was founded in 1974.
History
Sumner College began in 1974 with one campus located in
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
, the college began as The Court Reporting Institute. Founded by Bill Ellis, the school was located near
Portland State University
Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the following two decades ...
with the focus to train students to become proficient court reporters to support the legal community. In 1986, the college changed its name to the College of Legal Arts, and expanded its curriculum by adding a
Legal Secretarial Program and in 1988 a
Paralegal
A paralegal, also known as a legal assistant, or paralegal specialist is a professional who performs tasks that require knowledge of legal concepts but not the full expertise of a lawyer with a license to practice law. The market for paralegals ...
Program. In 1995 the school moved locations and added a Medical Transcription program, its first program in the medical field. In 2007 the college was purchased by
Cascade Education, LLC. Under the new ownership the college began to develop new programs for the
healthcare industry
The healthcare industry (also called the medical industry or health economy) is an aggregation and integration of sectors within the economic system that provides goods and services to treat patients with curative, preventive, rehabilitative, ...
. In 2009, the college changed its name to Sumner College and launched its first
nursing program
Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...
. In 2012 the college was approved to offer an associate level
Registered Nursing
A registered nurse (RN) is a nurse who has graduated or successfully passed a nursing program from a recognized nursing school and met the requirements outlined by a country, state, province or similar government-authorized licensing body to ob ...
Program (AAS) by the state of Oregon and the Oregon State Board of Nursing, becoming the second proprietary school in the state. In 2019 Sumner College added a
Medical Assisting
A medical assistant, also known as a "clinical assistant" or healthcare assistant in the USA is an allied health professional who supports the work of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other health professionals, usual ...
program to meet local demand for healthcare. In 2020 Sumner College starting offering its first 100% online course in
RN to BSN. Then in 2021 Sumner College expanded with the acquisition of East Valley Medical College in Phoenix, Arizona, adding
healthcare programs for
Certified Nursing Assisting
Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...
and
Phlebotomy Technician
Phlebotomy is the process of making a puncture in a vein, usually in the arm, with a cannula for the purpose of drawing blood. The procedure itself is known as a venipuncture, which is also used for intravenous therapy. A person who performs a p ...
classes. In 2023 Sumner College began offering the
Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree
A bachelor is a man who is not and has never been married.Bachelors are, in Pitt & al.'s phrasing, "men who live independently, outside of their parents' home and other institutional settings, who are neither married nor cohabitating". ().
Etymo ...
program.
Campuses
Sumner College has 1 location in Portland, Oregon.

The Portland Sumner College Cascade Campus is located at 8338 NE Alderwood Rd. Suite #100 Portland, Oregon 97220. Cascade offers
Registered Nursing
A registered nurse (RN) is a nurse who has graduated or successfully passed a nursing program from a recognized nursing school and met the requirements outlined by a country, state, province or similar government-authorized licensing body to ob ...
,
Practical Nursing and
RN to BSN program.
Accreditation
The nursing school is accredited by the
Accrediting Council for Health Education Schools (ABHES)
[https://www.sumnercollege.edu/accreditation/]
The RN to BSN (Bachelor of Science) degree is accredited by the
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) is a nursing education accrediting agency in the United States. The CCNE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
CCNE accreditation is a voluntary, self-regulatory process, and t ...
(CCNW). December 2021
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree is accredited by CCNE
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) is a nursing education accrediting agency in the United States. The CCNE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
CCNE accreditation is a voluntary, self-regulatory process, and t ...
,
ABHES Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools and Approved by the Oregon State Board of Nursing.
References
External links
Official website{{authority control
Universities and colleges in Portland, Oregon
Educational institutions established in 1974
1974 establishments in Oregon