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.
Southern Utah University
- Public 4 Year
- Cedar City, UT
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4.0 | 1 reviews
- Sep 8 application deadline
Southern Utah is a public university known for undergraduate theater, performing arts, and education. Cedar City is a small college town near southern Utah national parks.
- SAT Range 1030-1240
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $11,840
Western Oregon University
- Public 4 Year
- Monmouth, OR
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3.0 | 2 reviews
Western Oregon is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education and American Sign Language programs. The residential campus is in the small college town of Monmouth in the Willamette Valley.
- SAT Range 868-1108
- Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 98%
- Net Price $14,006
California State University Monterey Bay
- Public 4 Year
- Seaside, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jan 15 application deadline
CSUMB is a public university known for undergraduate marine science and environmental studies. The campus sits on the former Fort Ord site overlooking Monterey Bay.
- SAT Range 960-1160
- Avg GPA 3.45
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $14,493
California State University Fresno
- Public 4 Year
- Fresno, CA
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4.0 | 2 reviews
- Dec 15 application deadline
Fresno State is a large public university known for undergraduate agriculture, viticulture, and business. Students attend classes on a large campus in California's Central Valley.
- SAT Range 890-1100
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.12
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $7,834
Colorado State University Pueblo
- Public 4 Year
- Pueblo, CO
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
CSU Pueblo is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and exercise science. Most students study on a campus in the southern Colorado city of Pueblo.
- SAT Range 870-1100
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $13,079
California State University San Bernardino
- Public 4 Year
- San Bernardino, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- Nov 30 application deadline
CSUSB is a public university known for undergraduate business, education, and criminal justice. The campus sits at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California's Inland Empire.
- SAT Range 910-1080
- Avg GPA 3.41
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $5,231
California State University Northridge
- Public 4 Year
- Northridge, CA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Nov 30 application deadline
CSUN is a large public university known for undergraduate film and television, business, and education. The suburban campus lies in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley.
- SAT Range 900-1110
- Avg GPA 3.38
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $7,536
Boise State University
- Public 4 Year
- Boise, ID
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Boise State is a large public university known for undergraduate business, engineering, and nursing. The urban campus borders the Boise River in Idaho's capital city.
- SAT Range 1030-1210
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.37
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $21,583
Colorado Mesa University
- Public 4 Year
- Grand Junction, CO
-
| 0 reviews
Colorado Mesa is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and outdoor recreation. The Grand Junction campus sits on Colorado's Western Slope near the Colorado National Monument.
- SAT Range 930-1160
- Avg GPA 3.28
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $15,590
Hope International University
- Private 4 Year
- Fullerton, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 20 application deadline
Hope International is a private Christian university known for undergraduate ministry, biblical studies, and education. The suburban campus sits in Fullerton in Orange County.
- SAT Range 840-1220
- Avg GPA 3.26
- Acceptance Rate 33%
- Net Price $29,896
Southern Oregon University
- Public 4 Year
- Ashland, OR
-
| 0 reviews
SOU is a public university known for undergraduate theater, performing arts, and environmental studies. Ashland is a college town closely tied to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the campus.
- SAT Range 980-1230
- Avg GPA 3.34
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $17,959
Metropolitan State University of Denver
- Public 4 Year
- Denver, CO
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
MSU Denver is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education, aviation, and business. Most students commute to the shared Auraria Campus in downtown Denver.
- SAT Range 880-1130
- Avg GPA 3.03
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $14,584
Corban University
- Private 4 Year
- Salem, OR
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Corban is a private Christian university known for undergraduate biblical studies, ministry, and education. The residential campus sits in Salem, Oregon's capital city.
- SAT Range 1003-1165
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $27,119
California State University Los Angeles
- Public 4 Year
- Los Angeles, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- Jan 19 application deadline
Cal State LA is a large public university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and criminal justice. The urban campus sits in the hills east of downtown Los Angeles.
- SAT Range 870-1060
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $4,460
Lewis Clark State College
- Public 4 Year
- Lewiston, ID
-
1.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 8 application deadline
Lewis-Clark State is a small public college known for undergraduate nursing, teacher education, and business. The campus is in Lewiston at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers.
- SAT Range 850-1110
- Avg GPA 3.23
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $15,917
University of Alaska Fairbanks
- Public 4 Year
- Fairbanks, AK
-
| 0 reviews
- Jun 15 application deadline
UAF is a public university known for undergraduate arctic science, geosciences, and engineering. The Fairbanks campus lies in subarctic Interior Alaska.
- SAT Range 1110-1360
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $11,278
Adams State University
- Public 4 Year
- Alamosa, CO
-
| 0 reviews
Adams State is a small public university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. The campus sits in rural Alamosa in Colorado's San Luis Valley.
- SAT Range 910-1130
- Avg GPA 3.2
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $13,340
Western Colorado University
- Public 4 Year
- Gunnison, CO
-
| 0 reviews
Western Colorado is a small public university known for undergraduate outdoor recreation, environmental studies, and exercise science. Gunnison is a high-elevation mountain town in the Colorado Rockies.
- SAT Range 1163-1353
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $17,711