Best Western Colleges
There are 127 ranked four-year colleges in the West, evaluated with the same methodology used for our national rankings. Only nonprofit, selective four-year schools are included.
Leading our 2027 rankings is Stanford University in Stanford, California, topping our list in the West. The top rated public university is University of California Berkeley. Also highly ranked: California Institute of Technology, Claremont McKenna College and Pomona College.
Compare tuition, acceptance rates, and enrollment across the colleges below. See how rankings are calculated on our methodology page. Explore the regional list below or browse individual states.
University of Hawaii at Manoa
- Public 4 Year
- Honolulu, HI
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4.5 | 2 reviews
UH Manoa is a large public university known for undergraduate marine science, oceanography, and Hawaiian studies. The campus occupies Manoa Valley in Honolulu.
- SAT Range 1081-1293
- Avg GPA 3.67
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $17,202
University of Oregon
- Public 4 Year
- Eugene, OR
-
5.0 | 4 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
Oregon is a large public university known for undergraduate journalism, architecture, and business. Eugene is a classic college town built around the campus.
- SAT Range 1130-1360
- Avg GPA 3.73
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $24,605
San Diego State University
- Public 4 Year
- San Diego, CA
-
4.7 | 3 reviews
- Nov 30 application deadline
SDSU is a large public university known for undergraduate international business, hospitality management, and communications. The urban campus sits in San Diego's College Area with Spanish Colonial Revival buildings.
- SAT Range 1090-1300
- Avg GPA 3.82
- Acceptance Rate 36%
- Net Price $14,704
Colorado State University Fort Collins
- Public 4 Year
- Fort Collins, CO
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
Colorado State is a large public university known for undergraduate natural resources, agriculture, and engineering. The campus sits in the college town of Fort Collins near the Rocky Mountain foothills.
- SAT Range 1080-1290
- Avg GPA 3.68
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $21,011
Otis College of Art and Design
- Private 4 Year
- Los Angeles, CA
-
1.0 | 1 reviews
Otis is a private art and design college known for undergraduate fashion design, graphic design, and digital media. The urban campus is in Los Angeles's Westchester neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1265-1395
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $54,295
Western Washington University
- Public 4 Year
- Bellingham, WA
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- Jan 31 application deadline
Western Washington is a public university known for undergraduate environmental science and education. The hillside campus overlooks Bellingham Bay near the Cascade Mountains.
- SAT Range 1150-1390
- Avg GPA 3.46
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $24,338
The College of Idaho
- Private 4 Year
- Caldwell, ID
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
The College of Idaho is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate sciences and a PEAK curriculum that pairs a major with three minors. The residential campus sits in the small city of Caldwell west of Boise.
- SAT Range 1070-1280
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 49%
- Net Price $21,686
University of Nevada Reno
- Public 4 Year
- Reno, NV
-
5.0 | 4 reviews
- Apr 7 application deadline
Nevada is a large public university known for undergraduate mining engineering, earth sciences, and journalism. The Reno campus sits near the base of the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe.
- SAT Range 1060-1290
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $17,226
Pacific Lutheran University
- Private 4 Year
- Tacoma, WA
-
3.3 | 3 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
Pacific Lutheran is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, music, and education. Most students live on the residential campus in suburban Tacoma with a Lutheran church affiliation.
- SAT Range 1040-1260
- Avg GPA 3.71
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $22,299
Washington State University
- Public 4 Year
- Pullman, WA
-
4.3 | 3 reviews
- Jan 31 application deadline
WSU is a large public university known for undergraduate agriculture, engineering, and communications. Pullman is a classic college town set in the Palouse region of eastern Washington.
- SAT Range 1020-1210
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $18,171
George Fox University
- Private 4 Year
- Newberg, OR
-
| 0 reviews
George Fox is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and engineering. The residential campus sits in the Willamette Valley town of Newberg near Portland.
- SAT Range 1070-1340
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $32,171
University of La Verne
- Private 4 Year
- La Verne, CA
-
| 0 reviews
University of La Verne is a private university known for undergraduate education, business, and public administration. The suburban campus sits in the San Gabriel foothills east of Los Angeles.
- SAT Range 986-1236
- Avg GPA 3.24
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $21,530
Pacific University
- Private 4 Year
- Forest Grove, OR
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 25 application deadline
Pacific is a private university known for undergraduate health sciences, education, and psychology. The residential campus is in the small college town of Forest Grove west of Portland.
- SAT Range 900-1240
- Avg GPA 3.73
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $35,235
Mount Saint Mary's University
- Private 4 Year
- Los Angeles, CA
-
| 0 reviews
Mount Saint Mary's is a private Catholic women's university known for undergraduate nursing and the health sciences. The hillside Chalon campus overlooks Los Angeles from the Brentwood area.
- SAT Range 900-1110
- Avg GPA 3.59
- Acceptance Rate 73%
- Net Price $27,368
Concordia University Irvine
- Private 4 Year
- Irvine, CA
-
| 0 reviews
Concordia Irvine is a private Lutheran university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and theology. The suburban campus sits in Irvine in Orange County.
- SAT Range 1030-1260
- Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 66%
- Net Price $29,845
Carroll College
- Private 4 Year
- Helena, MT
-
2.0 | 1 reviews
- Feb 28 application deadline
Carroll is a private Catholic liberal arts college known for undergraduate nursing and pre-medicine. The campus sits in Montana's capital city of Helena near the Rocky Mountain foothills.
- SAT Range 1050-1300
- Avg GPA 3.64
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $25,575
William Jessup University
- Private 4 Year
- Rocklin, CA
-
| 0 reviews
Jessup is a private Christian university known for undergraduate business, psychology, and ministry programs. The suburban campus sits in Rocklin in the greater Sacramento area.
- SAT Range 1041-1228
- Avg GPA 3.33
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $29,679
Utah State University
- Public 4 Year
- Logan, UT
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
Utah State is a large public university known for undergraduate agriculture, natural resources, and engineering. Logan is a college town in northern Utah's Cache Valley.
- SAT Range 1070-1290
- Avg GPA 3.63
- Acceptance Rate 92%
- Net Price $15,788