Best Colleges in the West

Best Colleges in the West, ranked by median 10-year earnings. Region: Census West region. Included states / district: AZ CO ID MT NV NM UT WY AK CA HI OR WA. Median earnings of federally aided former students who are working and not enrolled, 10 years after entry; includes students who did not graduate. “Best” on this page means highest reported earnings, not an overall quality score. Four-year colleges with at least 1,000 undergraduates. Online-only schools are excluded. This page lists all 166 colleges in the ranking. Search and filter the list.

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1Stanford UniversityStanford, California4%1553$14k$124k92%7,5544 mi 2Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, California48%1426$50k$109k88%6,5529 mi 3Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont, California10%1527$29k$105k91%1,38834 mi 4West Coast University-Anaheim-Orange CountyAnaheim, California——$33k$103k60%3,19211 mi 5West Coast University-OntarioOntario, California——$50k$103k39%2,67137 mi 6Colorado School of MinesGolden, Colorado61%1412$29k$97k82%6,155737 mi 7University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, California10%1495$33k$92k92%20,44310 mi 8University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley, California11%—$13k$92k93%33,0682 mi 9California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, California31%—$17k$91k86%21,9969 mi 10University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, California62%1295$41k$90k70%5,2872 mi 11University of San DiegoSan Diego, California52%—$30k$87k84%5,6713 mi 12University of California-San DiegoLa Jolla, California27%—$12k$85k86%34,9481 mi 13Dominican University of CaliforniaSan Rafael, California84%1290$35k$85k78%1,1141 mi 14Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-PrescottPrescott, Arizona77%1250$40k$84k68%3,218222 mi 15Pepperdine UniversityMalibu, California63%1384$58k$83k83%3,5531 mi 16University of PortlandPortland, Oregon89%1277$28k$83k80%2,95746 mi 17University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles, California9%—$13k$83k93%33,4755 mi 18University of California-DavisDavis, California42%—$15k$81k86%32,25327 mi 19University of California-IrvineIrvine, California29%—$14k$81k87%30,1974 mi 20San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, California85%—$14k$79k69%27,60112 mi 21Gonzaga UniversitySpokane, Washington82%1335$35k$79k86%5,198224 mi 22Saint Mary's College of CaliforniaMoraga, California87%—$30k$79k70%1,9478 mi 23Linfield UniversityMcMinnville, Oregon85%—$27k$79k70%1,62137 mi 24University of Washington-Seattle CampusSeattle, Washington39%—$14k$78k85%31,9423 mi 25University of Washington-Bothell CampusBothell, Washington91%—$12k$78k65%5,4579 mi 26University of Washington-Tacoma CampusTacoma, Washington83%—$10k$78k63%4,1851 mi 27University of the PacificStockton, California71%1346$25k$78k69%3,2047 mi 28Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, California45%1359$48k$78k79%7,0942 mi 29Pomona CollegeClaremont, California7%1534$19k$78k93%1,66633 mi 30Scripps CollegeClaremont, California38%1492$36k$78k83%1,11334 mi 31Occidental CollegeLos Angeles, California44%1452$38k$76k81%1,87718 mi 32Brigham Young UniversityProvo, Utah68%1376$16k$76k81%32,952547 mi 33Seattle UniversitySeattle, Washington77%1307$35k$75k76%4,0621 mi 34University of California-Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, California33%—$16k$75k83%23,113< 1 mi 35University of RedlandsRedlands, California83%1241$30k$73k67%2,04951 mi 36Mount Saint Mary's UniversityLos Angeles, California73%—$21k$72k53%1,7195 mi 37Oregon Institute of TechnologyKlamath Falls, Oregon95%1150$16k$72k54%2,892126 mi 38Regis UniversityDenver, Colorado86%1220$18k$72k61%2,627746 mi 39Art Center College of DesignPasadena, California75%—$49k$72k79%2,01721 mi 40California State Polytechnic University-PomonaPomona, California75%—$12k$72k68%25,04227 mi 41California State University-East BayHayward, California97%—$9k$71k48%9,8096 mi 42University of DenverDenver, Colorado78%1355$36k$71k76%6,025742 mi 43Chapman UniversityOrange, California65%1357$47k$70k82%7,47813 mi 44University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, Colorado78%1357$25k$70k74%31,939750 mi 45University of Puget SoundTacoma, Washington72%1296$38k$70k68%1,5941 mi 46Pitzer CollegeClaremont, California25%—$34k$70k83%1,22734 mi 47City University of SeattleSeattle, Washington———$69k—1,137< 1 mi 48Washington State UniversityPullman, Washington87%—$15k$69k61%21,099247 mi 49California Lutheran UniversityThousand Oaks, California76%1266$30k$69k70%2,29613 mi 50University of California-Santa CruzSanta Cruz, California66%—$18k$68k75%17,9403 mi 51San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, California96%—$12k$68k50%18,6392 mi 52University of California-RiversideRiverside, California76%—$14k$68k76%22,59340 mi 53Whitman CollegeWalla Walla, Washington38%1410$33k$68k81%1,531209 mi 54National UniversitySan Diego, California——$23k$68k43%10,7948 mi 55University of UtahSalt Lake City, Utah86%1257$16k$67k65%27,264547 mi 56Pacific Lutheran UniversityTacoma, Washington78%1168$20k$67k69%2,4018 mi 57Azusa Pacific UniversityAzusa, California88%1195$22k$67k62%2,75930 mi 58Sonoma State UniversityRohnert Park, California93%—$13k$66k58%5,16616 mi 59University of Massachusetts GlobalAliso Viejo, California——$33k$66k43%4,4915 mi 60University of La VerneLa Verne, California71%1083$20k$65k63%3,05031 mi 61Colorado CollegeColorado Springs, Colorado18%1365$33k$65k88%2,014705 mi 62Concordia University-IrvineIrvine, California66%—$28k$65k58%1,5366 mi 63San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, California36%—$15k$65k76%35,3777 mi 64California State University-SacramentoSacramento, California94%—$9k$65k56%28,35032 mi 65Westmont CollegeSanta Barbara, California77%1328$29k$65k70%1,3022 mi 66Seattle Pacific UniversitySeattle, Washington83%—$24k$65k62%1,7622 mi 67California State University-Long BeachLong Beach, California46%—$10k$64k69%35,9243 mi 68University of California-MercedMerced, California91%—$12k$64k69%8,37271 mi 69University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusDenver, Colorado75%1116$12k$64k46%10,519750 mi 70California State University-ChicoChico, California93%—$14k$64k63%13,631103 mi 71Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, Oregon77%1290$20k$64k70%30,74336 mi 72Oregon State University-Cascades CampusBend, Oregon63%1255$18k$64k56%1,044135 mi 73Point Loma Nazarene UniversitySan Diego, California84%1287$39k$64k77%3,188< 1 mi 74California State University-StanislausTurlock, California98%—$6k$63k53%8,38546 mi 75California State University-FullertonFullerton, California91%—$7k$63k70%38,54616 mi 76Reed CollegePortland, Oregon25%1437$33k$63k71%1,32054 mi 77California State University-San MarcosSan Marcos, California95%—$10k$63k55%14,87710 mi 78Arizona State University Campus ImmersionTempe, Arizona90%—$15k$63k68%64,674166 mi 79Western Washington UniversityBellingham, Washington93%1289$21k$63k65%13,5441 mi 80Lewis & Clark CollegePortland, Oregon78%—$36k$62k75%2,12055 mi 81California State University-Channel IslandsCamarillo, California95%—$10k$62k51%5,0135 mi 82Stanbridge UniversityIrvine, California10%—$45k$62k62%2,6436 mi 83Saint Martin's UniversityLacey, Washington90%1093$28k$62k52%1,1584 mi 84Walla Walla UniversityCollege Place, Washington——$23k$62k60%1,252207 mi 85La Sierra UniversityRiverside, California92%—$46k$62k60%1,11630 mi 86Carroll CollegeHelena, Montana71%1200$24k$62k69%1,092485 mi 87Central Washington UniversityEllensburg, Washington91%—$18k$62k54%7,83388 mi 88California Baptist UniversityRiverside, California85%—$26k$62k62%8,17934 mi 89University of OregonEugene, Oregon88%1272$22k$61k72%20,49752 mi 90California State University-FresnoFresno, California95%—$7k$61k57%21,605112 mi 91University of Nevada-RenoReno, Nevada74%1132$16k$61k61%15,599137 mi 92Pacific UniversityForest Grove, Oregon90%1090$35k$61k67%1,51638 mi 93Colorado State University-Fort CollinsFort Collins, Colorado89%—$21k$61k67%25,538775 mi 94University of ArizonaTucson, Arizona86%1246$17k$60k68%42,537144 mi 95California State University-San BernardinoSan Bernardino, California94%—$5k$60k55%15,02352 mi 96George Fox UniversityNewberg, Oregon94%1197$32k$60k72%2,69946 mi

US Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS. Missing or suppressed values are excluded. A ranking is a comparison of the named measure, not an overall quality score.