Best Western Colleges

Ranked list of Colleges and Universities in the West for 2023

There are 564 colleges and universities in the West enrolling 3,823,275 students. Explore the list of top colleges in the West below to begin your college search. The CollegeSimply rankings are objective and data-driven in order to help you find good matches for you. Learn how the Best Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page. Whether you're searching for a good public, private or community college, this guide to universities in West offers a comprehensive view to the state's higher education options.

The  West is home to nationally ranked institutions like Stanford University, California Institute of Technology, Claremont McKenna College and Pomona College. The highest ranked college in the West is Stanford University and the top rated public state college is University of California Los Angeles.


564 results

List of the Best West Colleges

Stanford University
S
Stanford, CA

Stanford University

Private 4 Year

6 reviews

#1 Best Colleges in the West

  • 17,680enrollment
  • $20,023net price
  • 4%acceptance rate
  • 1470-1570SAT range
  • 34-35ACT range
  • 3.96Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 2

California Institute of Technology
C
Pasadena, CA

California Institute of Technology

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

#2 Best Colleges in the West

  • 2,397enrollment
  • $26,591net price
  • 4%acceptance rate
  • 1530-1580SAT range
  • 35-36ACT range
  • 3.97Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 3

Claremont McKenna College
C
Claremont, CA

Claremont McKenna College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

#3 Best Colleges in the West

  • 1,422enrollment
  • $22,004net price
  • 11%acceptance rate
  • 1420-1530SAT range
  • 32-35ACT range
  • 3.89Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 5

Pomona College
P
Claremont, CA

Pomona College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

#4 Best Colleges in the West

  • 1,764enrollment
  • $30,392net price
  • 7%acceptance rate
  • 1470-1570SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 3.89Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 8

University of Southern California
S
Los Angeles, CA

University of Southern California

Private 4 Year

5 reviews

#5 Best Colleges in the West

  • 49,318enrollment
  • $39,759net price
  • 13%acceptance rate
  • 1410-1540SAT range
  • 32-35ACT range
  • 3.83Avg GPA

Scripps College
S
Claremont, CA

Scripps College

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

#6 Best Colleges in the West

  • 1,116enrollment
  • $40,259net price
  • 30%acceptance rate
  • 1380-1520SAT range
  • 31-34ACT range
  • 4.0Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

Santa Clara University
S
Santa Clara, CA

Santa Clara University

Private 4 Year

14 reviews

#7 Best Colleges in the West

  • 8,918enrollment
  • $48,284net price
  • 54%acceptance rate
  • 1330-1490SAT range
  • 30-33ACT range
  • 3.67Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 7

University of California Los Angeles
C
Los Angeles, CA

University of California Los Angeles

Public 4 Year

3 reviews

#8 Best Colleges in the West

  • 46,116enrollment
  • $16,474net price
  • 11%acceptance rate
  • 1300-1530SAT range
  • 29-35ACT range
  • 3.92Avg GPA

Applications Due Nov 30

University of California Berkeley
C
Berkeley, CA

University of California Berkeley

Public 4 Year

1 reviews

#9 Best Colleges in the West

  • 45,036enrollment
  • $19,329net price
  • 14%acceptance rate
  • 1310-1530SAT range
  • 30-35ACT range
  • 3.87Avg GPA

Applications Due Nov 30

Loyola Marymount University
L
Los Angeles, CA

Loyola Marymount University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

#10 Best Colleges in the West

  • 10,184enrollment
  • $48,758net price
  • 46%acceptance rate
  • 1250-1420SAT range
  • 28-32ACT range
  • 3.92Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

Occidental College
O
Los Angeles, CA

Occidental College

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

#11 Best Colleges in the West

  • 1,964enrollment
  • $41,102net price
  • 38%acceptance rate
  • 1340-1490SAT range
  • 30-33ACT range
  • 3.63Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 10

Whitman College
W
Walla Walla, WA

Whitman College

Private 4 Year

3 reviews

#12 Best Colleges in the West

  • 1,559enrollment
  • $38,989net price
  • 59%acceptance rate
  • 1295-1455SAT range
  • 29-33ACT range
  • 3.68Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

University of Denver
D
Denver, CO

University of Denver

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

#13 Best Colleges in the West

  • 14,130enrollment
  • $38,322net price
  • 64%acceptance rate
  • 1200-1390SAT range
  • 27-31ACT range
  • 3.72Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

University of Washington Seattle Campus
W
Seattle, WA

University of Washington Seattle Campus

Public 4 Year

6 reviews

#14 Best Colleges in the West

  • 52,434enrollment
  • $9,661net price
  • 53%acceptance rate
  • 1200-1453SAT range
  • 27-33ACT range
  • 3.82Avg GPA

Applications Due Nov 16

University of California San Diego
C
La Jolla, CA

University of California San Diego

Public 4 Year

0 reviews

#15 Best Colleges in the West

  • 41,885enrollment
  • $15,222net price
  • 34%acceptance rate
  • 1270-1480SAT range
  • 28-34ACT range
  • 3.82Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Nov 30

University of California Irvine
C
Irvine, CA

University of California Irvine

Public 4 Year

2 reviews

#16 Best Colleges in the West

  • 36,505enrollment
  • $13,106net price
  • 29%acceptance rate
  • 1230-1430SAT range
  • 26-33ACT range
  • 3.75Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Nov 30

University of California Davis
C
Davis, CA

University of California Davis

Public 4 Year

1 reviews

#17 Best Colleges in the West

  • 40,050enrollment
  • $17,026net price
  • 49%acceptance rate
  • 1160-1400SAT range
  • 25-33ACT range
  • 4.0Avg GPA

Applications Due Nov 30

Chapman University
C
Orange, CA

Chapman University

Private 4 Year

5 reviews

#18 Best Colleges in the West

  • 9,991enrollment
  • $44,327net price
  • 60%acceptance rate
  • 1210-1410SAT range
  • 26-31ACT range
  • 3.7Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15