2024 Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region
407
Colleges
$81,967
Avg Salary*
76%
Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*
There are lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its Top Far Western US Region Colleges ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
We analyzed 407 colleges and universities across the Far Western US Region to determine which were the best in terms of overall quality. Instead of depending on subjective information, we focus on over 20 objective factors to determine this ranking. These factors include such things as student-to-faculty ratio, average graduate earnings, and graduation rate.
See what other factors we include in our ranking methodology.
Customizing Your List
We know that one set of rankings doesn't always help you determine the best school for you, so we've created the ability to narrow your list by location and field of study as well as alternative rankings that prioritize different factors such as those of importance to veterans and returning adults or those who value diversity and value for your money.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head!
Top Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Stanford University tops this year’s ranking as the best school in the Far Western US Region for overall quality. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4,821 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Stanford make an average of $97,798 per year during the early years of their career.
Full Stanford University Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #2 on our 2024 Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region list.Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 17,749 students in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from USC is $83,426 during the early years of their career.
Full University of Southern California Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Claremont McKenna College. The school came in at #3 in the Far Western US Region on this year’s overall quality ranking. Claremont McKenna is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 441 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $86,571 during the early years of their career..
Full Claremont McKenna College Report
Out of the 407 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences landed the #4 spot on the list.San Marcos, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,531 students in 2020-2021.
The low student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%
Full University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences Report
Out of the 407 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #5 spot on the list.Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 14,685 students in 2020-2021.
The school boasts an average 4-year graduation rate of 76%, which is excellent when compared to the national rate of 33%. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley go into careers with an average salary of $80,364 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on University of California - Berkeley
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #6.Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 691 students in 2020-2021.
With a student-to-faculty rate of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. During the early years of their career, graduates from The Chicago School Los Angeles Campus make an average of $52,835 a year.
Full The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Los Angeles Report
With a ranking of #7, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 14,587 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The 4-year grad rate at the school is 80%. That’s impressive when you compare it to the national rate of 33%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from UCLA is $73,744 during the early years of their career.
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Samuel Merritt University did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Oakland, California, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 918 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The student-to-faculty rate of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Samuel Merritt University is $123,966 during the early years of their career.
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California Institute of Technology ranked #9 on this year’s Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 527 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student-to-faculty rate of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $112,166 during the early years of their career..
Read full report on California Institute of Technology
Fuller Theological Seminary ranked #10 on this year’s Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 580 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Fuller Theological Seminary Report
With a ranking of #11, Loma Linda University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Loma Linda, California, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 1,578 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The low student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% During the early years of their career, graduates from Loma Linda University make an average of $83,878 a year.
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With a ranking of #12, Harvey Mudd College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region list. Harvey Mudd College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Claremont, California that handed out 197 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $108,988 during the early years of their career..
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Western University of Health Sciences landed the #13 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region ranking.Pomona, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,070 students in 2020-2021.
The low student loan default rate of 0.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%
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West Coast University-Center for Graduate Studies came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, the small private for-profit school awarded 150 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from West Coast University-Center for Graduate Studies make an average of $97,371 per year during the early years of their career.
Full West Coast University-Center for Graduate Studies Report
University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region ranking. This large public school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 15,234 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $68,925 during the early years of their career..
Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Report
With a ranking of #16, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region list. Located in La Jolla, California, the large public school handed out 11,974 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from UCSD go into careers with an average salary of $74,771 during the early years of their career.
Full University of California - San Diego Report
Keck Graduate Institute came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region ranking. KGI is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 337 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #18 on this year’s Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region list. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 7,875 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. During the early years of their career, graduates from UCSB make an average of $66,491 a year.
Read full report on University of California - Santa Barbara
Pacific College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region list. Pacific College is a small private for-profit school located in Costa Mesa, California that handed out 92 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Pacific College go into careers with an average salary of $53,860 during the early years of their career.
Full Pacific College Report
Fielding Graduate University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 356 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%
Read full report on Fielding Graduate University
With a ranking of #21, Santa Clara University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region list. SCU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Clara, California. It awarded 2,849 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Bachelor’s degree students at the school tend to finish their degree on-time. The 4-year graduation rate is 87%, which is impressive compared to the national rate of 33%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from SCU is $93,291 during the early years of their career.
Full Santa Clara University Report
Palo Alto University landed the #22 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Palo Alto, California, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 340 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Pacific Graduate School of Psychology is $70,027 during the early years of their career.
Full Palo Alto University Report
University of California - Davis landed the #23 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Davis, California, the large public school awarded 11,996 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% During the early years of their career, graduates from UC Davis make an average of $69,766 a year.
Full University of California - Davis Report
Pomona College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region ranking. Pomona is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 395 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The 4-year grad rate at the school is 89%. That’s impressive when you compare it to the national rate of 33%. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Pomona make an average of $69,149 per year during the early years of their career.
Full Pomona College Report
University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #25. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12,345 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from UC Irvine is $71,961 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on University of California - Irvine
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