Top Rated West Public Colleges
These are the top ranked public four-year colleges in the West as ranked by CollegeSimply. Leading the rankings for 2027 as the best public college in the West is University of California Berkeley. Learn how the Best Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page.
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
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
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
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
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
California State University Long Beach
- Public 4 Year
- Long Beach, CA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Nov 30 application deadline
Cal State Long Beach is a large public university known for undergraduate art and design, nursing, and business. The campus sits near the Pacific coast in the Los Angeles metro area.
- SAT Range 1020-1240
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 46%
- Net Price $10,607
Montana Technological University
- Public 4 Year
- Butte, MT
-
| 0 reviews
Montana Tech is a public university known for undergraduate mining, petroleum, and geological engineering. The campus sits in the historic mining city of Butte.
- SAT Range 1040-1260
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $16,665
University of Hawaii at Hilo
- Public 4 Year
- Hilo, HI
-
| 0 reviews
- Jul 1 application deadline
UH Hilo is a public university known for undergraduate astronomy, marine science, and Hawaiian studies. The campus sits on Hawaii's Big Island near Mauna Kea and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
- SAT Range 945-1175
- Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 61%
- Net Price $12,673
California State Polytechnic University Pomona
- Public 4 Year
- Pomona, CA
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Nov 30 application deadline
Cal Poly Pomona is a public polytechnic university known for undergraduate engineering, architecture, and agriculture. The hillside campus includes working farm facilities and an Arabian horse center.
- SAT Range 1010-1250
- Avg GPA 3.69
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $11,940
Oregon Institute of Technology
- Public 4 Year
- Klamath Falls, OR
-
| 0 reviews
- Sep 4 application deadline
Oregon Tech is a public polytechnic university known for undergraduate engineering, health technologies, and applied sciences. The Klamath Falls campus sits near Upper Klamath Lake in southern Oregon.
- SAT Range 1000-1270
- Avg GPA 3.51
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $16,831
San Jose State University
- Public 4 Year
- San Jose, CA
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
- Dec 15 application deadline
San Jose State is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, computer science, and business. The urban campus sits in downtown San Jose in the heart of Silicon Valley.
- SAT Range 1010-1240
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.35
- Acceptance Rate 85%
- Net Price $13,892
University of Nevada Las Vegas
- Public 4 Year
- Las Vegas, NV
-
4.0 | 3 reviews
- Jun 1 application deadline
UNLV is a large public university known for undergraduate hospitality and hotel management. The urban campus sits near the Las Vegas Strip.
- SAT Range 1010-1240
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $11,553
University of Idaho
- Public 4 Year
- Moscow, ID
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Idaho is a public university known for undergraduate agriculture, natural resources, and engineering. The residential campus sits in the small college town of Moscow in northern Idaho.
- SAT Range 990-1230
- Avg GPA 3.47
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $15,111
The Evergreen State College
- Public 4 Year
- Olympia, WA
-
3.7 | 3 reviews
Evergreen is a public liberal arts college known for interdisciplinary programs and environmental studies. The forested campus includes Puget Sound waterfront near Olympia.
- SAT Range 1035-1253
- Avg GPA 3.12
- Acceptance Rate 96%
- Net Price $18,350
Montana State University
- Public 4 Year
- Bozeman, MT
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
Montana State is a large public university known for undergraduate engineering, agriculture, and architecture. Bozeman is a mountain college town near the Bridger Mountains and Yellowstone National Park.
- SAT Range 1065-1285
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $20,142
Central Washington University
- Public 4 Year
- Ellensburg, WA
-
| 0 reviews
- Mar 1 application deadline
Central Washington is a public university known for undergraduate teacher education and aviation. Ellensburg is a residential college town in the Kittitas Valley of central Washington.
- SAT Range 930-1150
- Avg GPA 3.08
- Acceptance Rate 91%
- Net Price $19,898
Sonoma State University
- Public 4 Year
- Rohnert Park, CA
-
| 0 reviews
Sonoma State is a public university known for undergraduate wine business and environmental studies. The campus sits in Rohnert Park in Sonoma County wine country.
- SAT Range 950-1150
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $14,614