Primerly field report

Northwest Academy

a private school in Portland

6–12 · Private · Preparatory · Progressive

1130 SW Main St, Portland · Laila "LA" Sales, Head of School

Northwest Academy is an independent, arts-integrated college preparatory school in downtown Portland. Academics and the arts carry equal weight in the graduation requirements; every high school student completes 7 arts elective credits, including a full year each of visual and performing arts and a full year of literary or media arts, alongside the school's entire 4-year Humanities sequence ending in a senior Thesis Seminar, 3 years of science, Integrated Math 1 through 3, and world language study. Physical education is satisfied through dance, Tai Chi, or yoga, or a 100-hour independent project that must be proposed and approved.

The school's philosophy centers on academic and artistic risk taking, describing personal support, academic rigor, and artistic adventure as what drives intellectual curiosity and intrinsic motivation. Faculty include working professional artists, directors, dancers, musicians, and writers alongside former college instructors. Students perform in the school's own Blue Box Theatre, show work in the Main Street gallery, and take part in ArtsWeek each May. No AP courses are offered; students wanting additional coursework can take online electives through the Global Online Academy consortium. The school reports a 100% college acceptance rate, 14 or more student performances a year, and a top Oregon arts high school ranking for 2021 through 2024.

Tuition: $32,796 - $34,969 (2026-2027 range)

Address: 1130 SW Main St, Portland OR 97205. Phone: 503-223-3367. Website: nwacademy.org.

All Portland-area schools on Primerly

Test rows
The Primerly field report · ✓ school-verified · {{ sc.city }}

{{ sc.name }}

{{ sc.slugPre }}{{ sc.slugEm }}
{{ sc.metaType }}
{{ sc.metaLine }} · {{ sc.siteLabel }}
“{{ sc.quote }}”
{{ saveLabel }} {{ cmpLabel }} print
{{ v.num }}
{{ v.lbl }}
{{ vNote }}
Your margin Sign in to save this school and keep notes here, shared with a co-parent.
Your margin
✓ saved
save this school
{{ n.text }} · {{ n.by }}, {{ n.when }}
{{ shortNm }}
see them side by side
Saved here for now. Sign in and it follows you, with room for notes from a co-parent or collaborator.
PPS rightsizing · a proposal, not a decision

{{ rz.lede }} {{ rz.boardLine }}

{{ c.head }}{{ c.label }}{{ c.more }}

{{ g.when }}. {{ g.text }}

Next PPS date: {{ rz.next }}Every school and date{{ rz.srcLabel }}Checked {{ rz.checked }}

The basics

{{ sc.dropCap }}{{ sc.overviewFirst }}

{{ p }}
{{ sc.timely }}

A day here

The schedule
{{ sc.day.schedule }}
Before & after school
{{ sc.day.care }}
{{ s.body }}

The campus

{{ p }}
{{ c.label }}
{{ sc.campus.aside }}
0 · lower risk10 · highest risk
campus average {{ sc.seismic.avg }}most at-risk building {{ sc.seismic.max }}
{{ t.big }}
{{ t.small }}

{{ p }}
worth asking about on the tour
{{ sc.seismic.source }}

Who goes here
{{ g.pct }} {{ g.label }}
{{ f.big }} {{ f.small }}
{{ sc.who.noBandNote }}
{{ sc.who.demoNote }}
Academic performance{{ scores.line }}
{{ t.big }}{{ t.small }}
{{ scores.note }}
Academic performance
{{ sc.who.assessment }}
{{ t.big }}
{{ t.small }}
{{ sc.who.rankLine }}
{{ sc.who.rankNote }}
{{ sc.who.feedback }}

Where they go next

{{ sc.after.prose }}
{{ sc.after.bigLine }}
▸
{{ st.t }}
{{ st.s }}
{{ o.label }}
{{ o.pct }} Oregon {{ o.orPct }}
Oregon average, same source.
Worth asking on the tour
▸{{ q }}
{{ sc.after.aside }}

The support

{{ t.big }}
{{ t.small }}
{{ sc.support.note }}
{{ s.body }}

Getting in

▸
{{ st.n }}
{{ st.text }}
Your odds in the lottery

Seats here aren’t first-come; they’re drawn by lottery. Each circle below is a tenth of the families who applied over the last two springs and stayed in the running (didn’t take a higher-ranked school). Filled circles got a yes.

{{ l.text }}
but it depends who you are
{{ p.label }} {{ p.pct }}
{{ oddsSrcCaret }} where these numbers come from

Official PPS lottery results, 2025-26 & 2026-27 combined: offers made ÷ families still in the running (offered + waitlisted); applications cancelled for a higher-ranked school excluded. pps.net › prior transfer data. Slots reset every year.
{{ r.k }}{{ r.v }}
Tuition
{{ sc.adm.tuitionLine }}
Visit the school site {{ sc.adm.cta2Label }}