Best Public Universities in the West

Best Public Universities 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 89 colleges in the ranking. Search and filter the list.

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1Colorado School of MinesGolden, Colorado61%1412$29k$97k82%6,155737 mi 2University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley, California11%—$13k$92k93%33,0682 mi 3California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, California31%—$17k$91k86%21,9969 mi 4University of California-San DiegoLa Jolla, California27%—$12k$85k86%34,9481 mi 5University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles, California9%—$13k$83k93%33,4755 mi 6University of California-DavisDavis, California42%—$15k$81k86%32,25327 mi 7University of California-IrvineIrvine, California29%—$14k$81k87%30,1974 mi 8San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, California85%—$14k$79k69%27,60112 mi 9University of Washington-Seattle CampusSeattle, Washington39%—$14k$78k85%31,9423 mi 10University of Washington-Bothell CampusBothell, Washington91%—$12k$78k65%5,4579 mi 11University of Washington-Tacoma CampusTacoma, Washington83%—$10k$78k63%4,1851 mi 12University of California-Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, California33%—$16k$75k83%23,113< 1 mi 13Oregon Institute of TechnologyKlamath Falls, Oregon95%1150$16k$72k54%2,892126 mi 14California State Polytechnic University-PomonaPomona, California75%—$12k$72k68%25,04227 mi 15California State University-East BayHayward, California97%—$9k$71k48%9,8096 mi 16University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, Colorado78%1357$25k$70k74%31,939750 mi 17Washington State UniversityPullman, Washington87%—$15k$69k61%21,099247 mi 18University of California-Santa CruzSanta Cruz, California66%—$18k$68k75%17,9403 mi 19San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, California96%—$12k$68k50%18,6392 mi 20University of California-RiversideRiverside, California76%—$14k$68k76%22,59340 mi 21University of UtahSalt Lake City, Utah86%1257$16k$67k65%27,264547 mi 22Sonoma State UniversityRohnert Park, California93%—$13k$66k58%5,16616 mi 23University of Massachusetts GlobalAliso Viejo, California——$33k$66k43%4,4915 mi 24San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, California36%—$15k$65k76%35,3777 mi 25California State University-SacramentoSacramento, California94%—$9k$65k56%28,35032 mi 26California State University-Long BeachLong Beach, California46%—$10k$64k69%35,9243 mi 27University of California-MercedMerced, California91%—$12k$64k69%8,37271 mi 28University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusDenver, Colorado75%1116$12k$64k46%10,519750 mi 29California State University-ChicoChico, California93%—$14k$64k63%13,631103 mi 30Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, Oregon77%1290$20k$64k70%30,74336 mi 31Oregon State University-Cascades CampusBend, Oregon63%1255$18k$64k56%1,044135 mi 32California State University-StanislausTurlock, California98%—$6k$63k53%8,38546 mi 33California State University-FullertonFullerton, California91%—$7k$63k70%38,54616 mi 34California State University-San MarcosSan Marcos, California95%—$10k$63k55%14,87710 mi 35Arizona State University Campus ImmersionTempe, Arizona90%—$15k$63k68%64,674166 mi 36Western Washington UniversityBellingham, Washington93%1289$21k$63k65%13,5441 mi 37California State University-Channel IslandsCamarillo, California95%—$10k$62k51%5,0135 mi 38Central Washington UniversityEllensburg, Washington91%—$18k$62k54%7,83388 mi 39University of OregonEugene, Oregon88%1272$22k$61k72%20,49752 mi 40California State University-FresnoFresno, California95%—$7k$61k57%21,605112 mi 41University of Nevada-RenoReno, Nevada74%1132$16k$61k61%15,599137 mi 42Colorado State University-Fort CollinsFort Collins, Colorado89%—$21k$61k67%25,538775 mi 43University of ArizonaTucson, Arizona86%1246$17k$60k68%42,537144 mi 44California State University-San BernardinoSan Bernardino, California94%—$5k$60k55%15,02352 mi 45California State University-Monterey BaySeaside, California97%—$14k$59k59%6,8192 mi 46California State University-Los AngelesLos Angeles, California91%—$4k$59k53%19,56218 mi 47California State University-NorthridgeNorthridge, California93%—$7k$59k57%32,69114 mi 48California State University-BakersfieldBakersfield, California94%—$6k$59k50%8,57770 mi 49Portland State UniversityPortland, Oregon91%—$10k$58k53%13,18251 mi 50Eastern Washington UniversityCheney, Washington91%—$14k$58k43%6,222217 mi 51University of Hawaii at ManoaHonolulu, Hawaii87%1102$16k$58k64%15,0292 mi 52California State University-Dominguez HillsCarson, California93%—$9k$57k43%12,5387 mi 53University of WyomingLaramie, Wyoming97%—$14k$57k59%7,944766 mi 54Colorado State University PuebloPueblo, Colorado95%1120$10k$56k40%3,042688 mi 55University of Nevada-Las VegasLas Vegas, Nevada96%1094$10k$55k51%24,622233 mi 56University of IdahoMoscow, Idaho76%1116$15k$55k57%7,747254 mi 57University of Colorado Colorado SpringsColorado Springs, Colorado97%1133$16k$55k47%8,697708 mi 58Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, Arizona90%—$14k$54k61%22,903278 mi 59Montana Technological UniversityButte, Montana91%1126$16k$54k58%1,480472 mi 60Utah State UniversityLogan, Utah92%1187$15k$54k59%20,272572 mi 61Montana State UniversityBozeman, Montana82%1183$22k$53k57%14,451548 mi 62Nevada State UniversityHenderson, Nevada87%—$14k$53k34%3,762234 mi 63University of Northern ColoradoGreeley, Colorado86%1082$18k$52k51%5,598766 mi 64Metropolitan State University of DenverDenver, Colorado99%1019$15k$52k32%15,002745 mi 65University of Hawaii-West OahuKapolei, Hawaii95%985$10k$52k50%2,5193 mi 66University of Alaska AnchorageAnchorage, Alaska——$15k$52k30%7,2124 mi 67Western Oregon UniversityMonmouth, Oregon98%—$17k$52k47%3,10338 mi 68Boise State UniversityBoise, Idaho87%—$22k$52k60%17,674385 mi 69Southern Utah UniversityCedar City, Utah82%—$10k$50k61%9,289390 mi 70Eastern Oregon UniversityLa Grande, Oregon98%—$17k$50k43%2,172246 mi 71Southern Oregon UniversityAshland, Oregon89%—$17k$49k43%2,75179 mi 72University of Alaska FairbanksFairbanks, Alaska——$11k$49k38%4,207236 mi 73University of Hawaii at HiloHilo, Hawaii61%1028$12k$48k48%2,1602 mi 74California State Polytechnic University-HumboldtArcata, California98%—$13k$48k49%5,6122 mi 75Western Colorado UniversityGunnison, Colorado100%1230$16k$47k51%1,586616 mi 76Fort Lewis CollegeDurango, Colorado77%1111$17k$46k36%3,079515 mi 77Lewis-Clark State CollegeLewiston, Idaho88%—$16k$46k40%2,385259 mi 78New Mexico Highlands UniversityLas Vegas, New Mexico——$15k$46k26%1,451546 mi 79Idaho State UniversityPocatello, Idaho——$12k$46k39%7,583573 mi 80The Evergreen State CollegeOlympia, Washington96%1216$24k$45k41%2,1601 mi 81University of New Mexico-Main CampusAlbuquerque, New Mexico95%1038$15k$45k55%17,244460 mi 82The University of MontanaMissoula, Montana96%1190$17k$45k48%7,488392 mi 83Adams State UniversityAlamosa, Colorado——$13k$44k39%1,250597 mi 84Montana State University BillingsBillings, Montana——$17k$44k30%2,626662 mi 85The University of Montana-WesternDillon, Montana100%—$17k$43k51%1,198486 mi 86Western New Mexico UniversitySilver City, New Mexico——$9k$39k32%2,026301 mi 87New Mexico State University-Main CampusLas Cruces, New Mexico89%1011$9k$39k55%11,946378 mi 88Eastern New Mexico University-Main CampusPortales, New Mexico92%964$5k$39k45%3,357545 mi 89The University of Arizona Global CampusChandler, Arizona——$31k$35k11%20,1527 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.