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.
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