Best Colleges in the West

More than eight out 10 freshmen attend a college within 500 miles of their home. If you live in the western half of the country, check out these 50 best colleges for your money.

Published on May 16, 2022. Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Peterson’s, Money/Witlytic calculations.

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College Name	Overall Score	Acceptance rate	Est. full price 2022-23	Est. price with average grant	% of students who get any grants	Graduation rate	Early career earnings
Rank College Name Overall Score
1 Stanford University Stanford, CA 95.71	95.71	4%	$80,400	$21,100	61%	94%	$97,800
2 University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA 85.90	85.90	12%	$37,800	$17,400	72%	91%	$73,740
3 Pomona College Claremont, CA 84.71	84.71	7%	$77,200	$32,100	69%	94%	$69,150
4 University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA 84.67	84.67	16%	$42,700	$20,400	59%	92%	$80,360
5 University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA 83.49	83.49	27%	$37,100	$13,800	69%	83%	$71,960
6 University of California, Davis Davis, CA 83.13	83.13	39%	$38,700	$18,000	69%	86%	$69,770
7 University of California, San Diego La Jolla, CA 82.21	82.21	31%	$36,300	$16,100	59%	86%	$74,770
8 California State University Maritime Academy Vallejo, CA 81.79	81.79	76%	$29,200	$22,200	56%	61%	$91,460
9 California State University, Long Beach Long Beach, CA 81.39	81.39	39%	$24,900	$11,200	72%	69%	$57,120
10 California State University, Stanislaus Turlock, CA 81.37	81.37	89%	$24,300	$7,800	82%	58%	$53,960
11 Harvey Mudd College Claremont, CA 80.58	80.58	14%	$81,800	$39,300	67%	92%	$108,990
12 California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA 80.31	80.31	28%	$29,700	$21,600	53%	82%	$80,640
13 University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA 79.77	79.77	52%	$30,100	$10,200	48%	83%	$68,930
14 Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA 79.64	79.64	10%	$78,600	$23,200	47%	93%	$86,570
15 California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Pomona, CA 79.35	79.35	55%	$29,000	$15,300	69%	71%	$63,730
16 California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA 79.21	79.21	6%	$79,900	$28,100	59%	92%	$112,170
17 California State University, Fresno Fresno, CA 78.95	78.95	58%	$22,900	$7,300	78%	54%	$52,200
18 California State University, Fullerton Fullerton, CA 78.47	78.47	53%	$29,500	$8,800	68%	68%	$54,590
19 San Jose State University San Jose, CA 78.41	78.41	64%	$29,800	$16,900	60%	65%	$67,370
20 University of California, Riverside Riverside, CA 77.38	77.38	57%	$36,500	$12,600	91%	74%	$58,880
21 California State University, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA 76.88	76.88	48%	$29,900	$4,100	86%	48%	$52,000
22 University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA 76.42	76.42	11%	$82,400	$42,000	65%	92%	$83,430
23 University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 76.35	76.35	30%	$38,000	$18,200	63%	82%	$66,490
24 California State University, Chico Chico, CA 76.33	76.33	72%	$25,400	$17,000	64%	66%	$56,270
25 California State University, Sacramento Sacramento, CA 76.30	76.30	82%	$28,600	$12,100	72%	51%	$56,810
26 California State University, Dominguez Hills Carson, CA 76.20	76.20	77%	$26,900	$4,900	82%	45%	$47,340
27 California State University, Northridge Northridge, CA 76.07	76.07	59%	$24,000	$9,400	75%	54%	$53,360
28 California State University, San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA 76.06	76.06	69%	$23,200	$9,000	80%	57%	$50,960
29 San Diego State University San Diego, CA 76.00	76.00	34%	$31,100	$13,900	53%	74%	$59,030
30 Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO 75.68	75.68	53%	$38,200	$29,200	76%	83%	$90,060
31 California State University, East Bay Hayward, CA 75.44	75.44	76%	$28,200	$14,000	68%	48%	$60,920
32 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA 74.21	74.21	67%	$27,900	$15,600	61%	55%	$60,130
33 California State University, San Marcos San Marcos, CA 74.06	74.06	62%	$25,800	$13,700	67%	55%	$54,810
34 California State University, Monterey Bay Seaside, CA 73.84	73.84	75%	$24,900	$14,800	69%	60%	$53,190
35 University of California, Merced Merced, CA 73.80	73.80	72%	$37,700	$14,300	93%	66%	$61,150
36 Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA 73.20	73.20	91%	$27,500	$18,200	60%	63%	$58,790
37 Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA 72.88	72.88	49%	$75,000	$51,000	72%	91%	$93,290
38 California State University, Channel Islands Camarillo, CA 72.81	72.81	86%	$28,700	$15,900	70%	55%	$51,900
39 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT 71.11	71.11	62%	$25,000	$13,600	61%	57%	$60,590
40 University of the Pacific Stockton, CA 70.66	70.66	66%	$70,800	$34,600	91%	69%	$74,210
41 Fresno Pacific University Fresno, CA 70.65	70.65	66%	$46,900	$19,800	84%	66%	$49,070
42 University of Redlands Redlands, CA 70.10	70.10	76%	$73,600	$31,900	85%	75%	$65,550
43 Arizona State University Tempe, AZ 69.81	69.81	86%	$30,400	$15,500	85%	66%	$55,750
44 Gonzaga University Spokane, WA 69.26	69.26	62%	$66,600	$38,900	98%	86%	$69,470
45 Washington State University Pullman, WA 69.19	69.19	76%	$29,300	$18,900	69%	59%	$61,080
46 Saint Martin's University Lacey, WA 68.64	68.64	96%	$57,900	$25,200	83%	62%	$55,280
47 Colorado College Colorado Springs, CO 68.03	68.03	14%	$80,300	$28,800	48%	88%	$57,010
48 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 67.87	67.87	85%	$31,300	$16,500	77%	64%	$55,210
49 Western Washington University Bellingham, WA 67.73	67.73	90%	$26,500	$19,400	57%	68%	$54,980
50 Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO 67.62	67.62	81%	$26,200	$18,600	60%	72%	$54,980

Best Colleges in the West

Stanford University

Stanford, CA

University of California, Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA

Pomona College

Claremont, CA

University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA

University of California, Irvine

Irvine, CA

University of California, Davis

Davis, CA

University of California, San Diego

La Jolla, CA

California State University Maritime Academy

Vallejo, CA

California State University, Long Beach

Long Beach, CA

California State University, Stanislaus

Turlock, CA

Harvey Mudd College

Claremont, CA

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, CA

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA

California State University, Fresno

Fresno, CA

California State University, Fullerton

Fullerton, CA

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA

University of California, Riverside

Riverside, CA

California State University, Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA

University of California, Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA

California State University, Chico

Chico, CA

California State University, Sacramento

Sacramento, CA

California State University, Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA

California State University, Northridge

Northridge, CA

California State University, San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA

Colorado School of Mines

Golden, CO

California State University, East Bay

Hayward, CA

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA

California State University, San Marcos

San Marcos, CA

California State University, Monterey Bay

Seaside, CA

University of California, Merced

Merced, CA

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA

California State University, Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, UT

University of the Pacific