Best Western Colleges

Ranked list of Colleges and Universities in the West for 2025

There are 604 colleges and universities in the West enrolling 4,237,965 students. Explore the list of top colleges in the West below to begin your college search. The CollegeSimply rankings are objective and data-driven in order to help you find good matches for you. Learn how the Best Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page. Whether you're searching for a good public, private or community college, this guide to universities in West offers a comprehensive view to the state's higher education options.

The  West is home to nationally ranked institutions like Stanford University, California Institute of Technology, Claremont McKenna College and Pomona College. The highest ranked college in the West is Stanford University and the top rated public state college is University of California Los Angeles.


604 results

List of the Best West Colleges

Stanford University
S
Stanford, CA

Stanford University

Private 4 Year

6 reviews

#1 Best Colleges in the West

  • 18,446enrollment
  • $17,998net price
  • 4%acceptance rate
  • 1510-1580SAT range
  • 34-35ACT range
  • 3.96Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 2

California Institute of Technology
C
Pasadena, CA

California Institute of Technology

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

#2 Best Colleges in the West

  • 2,463enrollment
  • $23,397net price
  • 3%acceptance rate
  • 1530-1580SAT range
  • 35-36ACT range
  • 3.97Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 3

Claremont McKenna College
C
Claremont, CA

Claremont McKenna College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

#3 Best Colleges in the West

  • 1,384enrollment
  • $29,978net price
  • 11%acceptance rate
  • 1450-1560SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 3.89Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 5

Pomona College
P
Claremont, CA

Pomona College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

#4 Best Colleges in the West

  • 1,664enrollment
  • $17,423net price
  • 7%acceptance rate
  • 1480-1560SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 3.89Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 8

University of Southern California
S
Los Angeles, CA

University of Southern California

Private 4 Year

5 reviews

#5 Best Colleges in the West

  • 47,147enrollment
  • $41,496net price
  • 10%acceptance rate
  • 1440-1550SAT range
  • 32-35ACT range
  • 3.83Avg GPA

Scripps College
S
Claremont, CA

Scripps College

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

#6 Best Colleges in the West

  • 1,103enrollment
  • $45,505net price
  • 34%acceptance rate
  • 1420-1530SAT range
  • 32-34ACT range
  • 4.0Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

Santa Clara University
S
Santa Clara, CA

Santa Clara University

Private 4 Year

14 reviews

#7 Best Colleges in the West

  • 9,340enrollment
  • $49,651net price
  • 44%acceptance rate
  • 1340-1500SAT range
  • 30-33ACT range
  • 3.67Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 7

University of California Los Angeles
C
Los Angeles, CA

University of California Los Angeles

Public 4 Year

3 reviews

#8 Best Colleges in the West

  • 46,678enrollment
  • $15,166net price
  • 9%acceptance rate
  • 1300-1530SAT range
  • 29-35ACT range
  • 3.92Avg GPA

Applications Due Nov 30

University of California Berkeley
C
Berkeley, CA

University of California Berkeley

Public 4 Year

2 reviews

#9 Best Colleges in the West

  • 45,699enrollment
  • $16,997net price
  • 12%acceptance rate
  • 1310-1530SAT range
  • 30-35ACT range
  • 3.87Avg GPA

Applications Due Nov 30

Loyola Marymount University
L
Los Angeles, CA

Loyola Marymount University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

#10 Best Colleges in the West

  • 10,256enrollment
  • $54,471net price
  • 40%acceptance rate
  • 1300-1460SAT range
  • 29-32ACT range
  • 3.92Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

Colorado College
C
Colorado Springs, CO

Colorado College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

#11 Best Colleges in the West

  • 2,173enrollment
  • $35,281net price
  • 20%acceptance rate
  • 1365-1520SAT range
  • 31-34ACT range
  • 3.98Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

Occidental College
O
Los Angeles, CA

Occidental College

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

#12 Best Colleges in the West

  • 1,854enrollment
  • $47,113net price
  • 40%acceptance rate
  • 1360-1500SAT range
  • 31-34ACT range
  • 3.63Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 10

Reed College
R
Portland, OR

Reed College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

#13 Best Colleges in the West

  • 1,458enrollment
  • $36,993net price
  • 27%acceptance rate
  • 1300-1510SAT range
  • 29-34ACT range
  • 4.0Avg GPA

University of Washington Seattle Campus
W
Seattle, WA

University of Washington Seattle Campus

Public 4 Year

6 reviews

#14 Best Colleges in the West

  • 55,620enrollment
  • $11,023net price
  • 43%acceptance rate
  • 1200-1453SAT range
  • 27-33ACT range
  • 3.82Avg GPA

Applications Due Nov 16

University of Denver
D
Denver, CO

University of Denver

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

#15 Best Colleges in the West

  • 13,387enrollment
  • $43,324net price
  • 71%acceptance rate
  • 1240-1410SAT range
  • 29-32ACT range
  • 3.72Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15

University of California San Diego
C
La Jolla, CA

University of California San Diego

Public 4 Year

0 reviews

#16 Best Colleges in the West

  • 42,376enrollment
  • $13,293net price
  • 25%acceptance rate
  • 1270-1480SAT range
  • 28-34ACT range
  • 3.82Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Nov 30

University of California Irvine
C
Irvine, CA

University of California Irvine

Public 4 Year

2 reviews

#17 Best Colleges in the West

  • 36,582enrollment
  • $14,647net price
  • 26%acceptance rate
  • 1230-1430SAT range
  • 26-33ACT range
  • 3.75Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Nov 30

Whitman College
W
Walla Walla, WA

Whitman College

Private 4 Year

4 reviews

#18 Best Colleges in the West

  • 1,544enrollment
  • $41,601net price
  • 50%acceptance rate
  • 1270-1480SAT range
  • 27-33ACT range
  • 3.68Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 15