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.
California State University Chico
- Public 4 Year
- Chico, CA
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- Dec 15 application deadline
Chico State is a public university known for undergraduate agriculture, nursing, and business. The campus sits in the college town of Chico in Northern California.
- SAT Range 970-1170
- Avg GPA 3.37
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $14,630
University of Northern Colorado
- Public 4 Year
- Greeley, CO
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Northern Colorado is a public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and performing arts. The campus is located in Greeley in northern Colorado.
- SAT Range 950-1190
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $19,376
La Sierra University
- Private 4 Year
- Riverside, CA
-
| 0 reviews
La Sierra is a private Seventh-day Adventist university known for undergraduate business, education, and biology. The suburban campus sits in Riverside east of Los Angeles.
- SAT Range 880-1140
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $23,848
Northwest Nazarene University
- Private 4 Year
- Nampa, ID
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
Northwest Nazarene is a private Christian university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and theology. The suburban campus is in Nampa, in Idaho's Treasure Valley near Boise.
- SAT Range 1005-1240
- Avg GPA 3.59
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $30,178
Portland State University
- Public 4 Year
- Portland, OR
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| 0 reviews
Portland State is a large public university known for undergraduate urban planning, sustainability, and business. The compact urban campus sits in downtown Portland.
- SAT Range 1000-1250
- Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $10,195
Rocky Mountain College
- Private 4 Year
- Billings, MT
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| 0 reviews
Rocky Mountain College is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate aviation and equestrian studies. The campus sits in Billings, Montana's largest city, near the Yellowstone River.
- SAT Range 893-1133
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 70%
- Net Price $20,791
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
- Public 4 Year
- Colorado Springs, CO
-
| 0 reviews
UCCS is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and business. The campus faces the Front Range foothills with views of Pikes Peak.
- SAT Range 1010-1220
- Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $16,942
Hawaii Pacific University
- Private 4 Year
- Honolulu, HI
-
| 0 reviews
- Sep 6 application deadline
Hawaii Pacific is a private university known for undergraduate marine science, nursing, and international business. The urban campus sits in downtown Honolulu near the waterfront.
- SAT Range 998-1200
- Avg GPA 3.56
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $30,950
The University of Montana
- Public 4 Year
- Missoula, MT
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 18 application deadline
Montana is a public university known for undergraduate wildlife biology, forestry, and creative writing. The campus sits in Missoula, a college town in the northern Rockies.
- SAT Range 1070-1280
- Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $17,370
Fort Lewis College
- Public 4 Year
- Durango, CO
-
3.5 | 2 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Fort Lewis is a public liberal arts college known for undergraduate adventure education, environmental studies, and Native American studies. The mountain campus is in Durango near the San Juan Mountains.
- SAT Range 1010-1210
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $17,114
San Francisco State University
- Public 4 Year
- San Francisco, CA
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- Nov 30 application deadline
SF State is a large public university known for undergraduate ethnic studies, cinema, and creative writing. The urban campus borders Lake Merced in southwestern San Francisco.
- SAT Range 930-1130
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $13,168
California State Polytechnic University Humboldt
- Public 4 Year
- Arcata, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- Apr 30 application deadline
Cal Poly Humboldt is a public polytechnic university known for undergraduate environmental science, forestry, and marine biology. The campus is set among coastal redwoods in far northern California.
- SAT Range 970-1190
- Avg GPA 3.33
- Acceptance Rate 98%
- Net Price $14,090
California Baptist University
- Private 4 Year
- Riverside, CA
-
| 0 reviews
California Baptist is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and engineering. The suburban Riverside campus lies in Southern California's Inland Empire.
- SAT Range 960-1150
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 85%
- Net Price $27,862
California State University Fullerton
- Public 4 Year
- Fullerton, CA
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- Nov 30 application deadline
Cal State Fullerton is a large public university known for undergraduate business, communications, and education. The suburban campus sits in northern Orange County.
- SAT Range 1000-1180
- Avg GPA 3.77
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $7,064
Eastern Washington University
- Public 4 Year
- Cheney, WA
-
| 0 reviews
- Sep 10 application deadline
Eastern Washington is a public university known for undergraduate education, business, and health sciences. The residential campus is in Cheney, a small college town near Spokane.
- SAT Range 880-1090
- Avg GPA 3.29
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $14,767
Brigham Young University Idaho
- Private 4 Year
- Rexburg, ID
-
4.8 | 4 reviews
- Feb 15 application deadline
BYU-Idaho is a private university affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known for undergraduate business, education, and nursing. The campus is in Rexburg, a small college town in eastern Idaho.
- SAT Range 970-1200
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.34
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $8,528
California State University San Marcos
- Public 4 Year
- San Marcos, CA
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4.0 | 1 reviews
- Nov 30 application deadline
Cal State San Marcos is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The suburban hillside campus is in North San Diego County.
- SAT Range 950-1130
- Avg GPA 3.32
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $10,241
California State University Sacramento
- Public 4 Year
- Sacramento, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- Nov 30 application deadline
Sacramento State is a large public university known for undergraduate government, criminal justice, and business. The urban campus sits along the American River in California's capital city.
- SAT Range 930-1130
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $10,110